Riot addresses problems with chat and voice bans in Valorant

Olivia Richman Published 24/01/2021

Valorant developers have finally addressed a growing outcry from players who don’t want to play competitive matches with other players who have been banned from chat and voice in-game.

Senior producer Ian “Brighteyz” Fielding told the Valorant community that players with chat and voice restrictions would no longer be allowed to play ranked matches within the next two or three patches. Brighteyz said that developers were currently working on the tech behind the move, but that it’s just taking “a little bit longer than anticipated.” Still, the team remains committed to the change.

“While we don’t want to make it a requirement that you have to use voice comms in rank (some players may not feel comfortable using voice for a variety of reasons) we do understand that having players who have already proven they can be highly disruptive with active restrictions in your rank games feels unfair,” Brighteyz explained.

Voice and chat restricted players will be banned from ranked throughout the duration of their punishment. But that’s just the beginning for Riot. Developers are looking to implement additional comms in the next few months, focused on reducing disruptive behavior and making the penalty system “more robust.”

No more ranked for toxic #VALORANT players!

Riot is implementing a new penalty system, banning players with “chat and voice restrictions” from playing ranked “in the next two to three patches.” pic.twitter.com/vDA16K6UW4
— Valorant News (@ValorantUpdates) January 22, 2021

Valorant looks to address toxic players, voice and chat bans

Riot developers have been figuring out the best way to deal toxic players in ranked. At first, they rolled out a 72-hour voice and chat ban for players who were found to be abusing comms. According to the tactical shooter’s Community Code, there are certain phrases and words that “display a negative attitude” or are insulting to other players. Detection of those words and phrases results in a voice and chat ban.

While it seemed like a relief at first to avoid hearing toxic players insult teammates and scream disruptively, players soon realized that it created an entirely new problem. They were being matched up with players in ranked who weren’t able to communicate effectively due to the ban. This was frustrating when it came to teamwork and strategy.

The Valorant community came to the conclusion that these toxic players should just be banned from competitive matches entirely. Upcoming updates to the game look to target this issue as well as other problems created by toxic ranked players.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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