Valorant might get a "block list" for toxic players

Fariha Bhatti Published 12/10/2021

Riot Games is proactively dealing with cheaters in Valorant, but toxicity remains a massive issue. A blocklist is on the table to punish players with poor track records, according to a developer.

Valorant developers are vocal about their stance towards in-game toxicity, but players rarely get banned for their sexist and racist behavior. Valorant team member Sara responded to a Reddit thread regarding the subject, affirming that Valorant will soon have a better system to filter out “disruptive players.”

“We’re currently investigating ways in which we can effectively allow players to play with folks that are a little more up their play style,” Sara responded. “This concept [block list] is something that gets brought up often, and we are very down to implement some safe version of it that won’t be abused but keeps players protected as well.”

Valorant developers address toxic players

Almost all popular first-person shooter games are plagued with toxic players. The game genre can often be exasperating as it requires both aim precision and team coordination. The cut-throat essence of FPS games like Valorant leads to a highly competitive player base, which can sometimes be borderline toxic. Fortunately, Valorant devs are comparatively more responsive to player complaints.

A Reddit thread mentioned a “block list” feature that would keep regular toxic players at bay. With one click, players would be able to sideline teammates they don’t want to queue with again. It sounds like a fun idea on paper, but Sara explained how it’d negatively impact high skilled players. The developer said that the block list feature could easily get abused by those who want to prevent queuing with exceptional players.

For example, you get queued with a Gold 3 player who out aims you every round, capping the game at 30+ kills. The block list feature would let less skilled players sideline better players who’ll then have fewer matchmaking options. The developer explained that blocklist would create a “mass ignore list,” which would be unfair for many.

Despite all this, the feature isn’t off the table. Riot Games is actively considering similar, more polished variants of the block list that would effectively tackle the toxicity problem. The developer would likely let players block each other but evaluate the track records and previous reports before implementing the punishment.

For now, players can report and mute the disruptive enemies and teammates until Riot Games figures out a fair version of the community recommended feature.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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