The Issue of Toxic Team Names in League of Legends Clash
Joining a Ranked lobby and playing with friends in the League of Legends client is quick and easy. However, alongside this convenience, players also encounter unmoderated racist, homophobic, and sexist team names in the same client.
The Clash Game Mode: Prizes and Toxicity
The Clash game mode allows players with level 30 accounts to team up with four others and compete against other teams in a bracket system. By winning or losing, teams have the chance to earn in-game prizes. However, the presence of toxicity, racism, and sexism in the game mode has become a significant issue.
An Absence of Moderation
Riot, the company behind League of Legends, does not moderate team names during the lobby construction or team-building process. This means that anyone can open the client, click on Clash, and encounter offensive team names. discovered over 40 instances of offensive team names during a three-day tournament in Europe West and North America.
Inaction and Offensive Names
Riot claims to be manually reviewing, removing, and penalizing teams that have offensive names. However, despite this supposed action, all offensive team names found by are still active and have not been removed.
Teams have found ways to bypass the automated moderation system to create explicitly offensive names. This includes using offensive language and derogatory terms in team titles.
The Issue Extends Beyond Regions
Offensive team names are not limited to specific regions. A viral video on Tik Tok showcased Oceanic teams in the Clash bracket with team names that criticized the Black Lives Matter movement and used racial slurs.
Persistent Problems
League of Legends has had a long-standing problem with toxicity. A survey conducted by GameRant revealed that 98% of players experienced flaming during the game, and 79% experienced harassment after the game concluded.
Riot’s Response
Riot has made efforts to address toxicity in the game, including allowing players to report toxic behavior during champion select and penalizing intentional feeding. However, the issue of offensive team names still persists.
Riot urges players to report inappropriate team names through in-game tools or their support system to create a safer and more inclusive gaming experience.
Continued Controversies
Riot faced controversy earlier this year when a high-ranking employee made inappropriate comments about the death of George Floyd. The company took action by removing the employee and committing $1 million to organizations combatting social injustice.
Despite Riot’s efforts, toxic team names remain a prevalent problem in League of Legends Clash.
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[ League of Legends, esports, toxicity, team names, Clash, Riot, offensive, racism, sexism, homophobia]