How toxic is League of Legends? A new report has the answer

Nicholas James Published 02/11/2021

League of Legends has garnered a reputation for a toxic in-game chat experience, so much so that the developer is removing the ability to communicate with opponents during a match. But a recent study on the topic found that toxicity in League of Legends may actually be decreasing, as hard as that may be for active players believe.

Some other games have risen up to take the mantle of the most toxic in-game experience. So just how toxic is League of Legends in 2021?

In 2019, a study by the ADL called “Free to Play? Hate, Harassment, and Positive Social Experiences in Online Games” found that 75% of League of Legends players polled had been harassed during a game. The timeline for this question seems to be all-encompassing, though there’s little information on the frequency of the toxic experiences in League of Legends from that question in particular. In the same study, 27% of League of Legends players said they had quit or begun to approach the game more carefully after toxic experiences in League of Legends.

How toxic is League of Legends in 2021?

If the 75% from 2019 serves as a baseline measurement, League of Legends’ environment seems to be improving. The newer study by the ADL has seen that number drop when considering harassment in the most recent six months. Harassment seems to have decreased in frequency through 2020.

Valorant, Call of Duty, and Dota 2 took the top three slots for the most games disrupted by toxicity.

With Riot removing all chat entirely, these numbers are likely to decrease further, potentially leaving games like Overwatch and World of Warcraft to fight it out around the 75% mark.

Nicholas James

About Nicholas James

Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.

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