However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

More on the topic

Toxic LoL player wants to get better, asks for help and receives valuable tips

von Patrick Freese

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

More on the topic

Study says: Online games are toxic – Here are the 5 worst ones

von Jürgen Horn

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

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Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

League of Legends is one of the most famous and popular games in the world. Unfortunately, it is also notorious for its extremely toxic community. This is known by MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus – and he was surprised that after a break he did not have to read a flood of insults.

LoL is toxic. Everyone knows that and those who are new quickly learn that. Colleague Philipp Hansen tried League of Legends for the first time in early 2020 and realized: They are really as mean as everyone says.

Shortly before Phil started with LoL, I (again) stopped – that was around mid-2019. Before that, I had only played sporadically, but this break was probably the longest so far.

I was still used to getting constantly insulted. Never was one’s own fault in a defeat, insults were often… creative. With exactly this mindset, I approached the game.

To my surprise, however, I was hardly insulted at all. No: “**** you, Noob!”, no: “Go die!”, not even a rather harmless: “git gud” came from my teammates. What happened to the LoL I knew?

I have been playing League of Legends almost since its release in 2009 and have sunk more hours into the MOBA than I am willing to admit. I even played with my team in the semi-professional area.

However, e-sports was not established back then, so we mostly participated in community tournaments. We only started earning money later after switching to Heroes of the Storm. But that’s just by the way.

2 Years Break and Suddenly Everyone is Peaceful?

From the past, I am used to seeing all sorts of nonsense written in the chat even before the match. Today? Nothing. If at all, then a: “Hello” or players asking for a role swap.

In the game itself, I could not observe any excessively toxic behavior in either the chat or via pings. I was not insulted, not yelled at, and my close relatives were also not copulating, not even in foreign languages.

To my shame, I must admit that I had completely disabled the chat for the first rounds. Of course, it seemed more peaceful to me then. But even after reactivating it, I was only rarely snapped at.

It even happened that I was constructively pointed out to something. And out of a trained instinct, I immediately switched to “Defense” and scolded my teammate who only wanted to explain something to me.

His colleague then explained to me that he only wanted to help. Ashamed, I apologized and we very confidently won the round, even though it got close several times.

People are Complaining Less

However, the rather typical quarrel for gamers has not completely disappeared. Now and then I still got into a spat with someone. Most of the time it was the jungler complaining that he did not deserve such bad teammates.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

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It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL

When I myself am out in the jungle, there are still occasional insults if one does not gank a lane often enough.

Moreover, however, it was peaceful. And even if it got louder sometimes, it was mostly after the game and not during the round. As if more players knew by now that toxic behavior only promotes the “tilt” and favors a loss.

But why is everyone suddenly nice?

12 Years LoL – And Slowly it Gets Better

Riot, the studio behind LoL, has made great efforts over the last few years to curb toxic behavior. A particularly significant cut was probably the deactivation of the general chat in the game.

That was already a reason for me back then why I preferred Heroes of the Storm. Because without general chat, the colleagues focused more on the game and did not verbally quarrel with the opponents.

Earlier, in June 2021, however, Riot had already introduced the “Behavioral System” with some changes aimed at curbing toxic behavior. Since then, there have been multi-week bans for players who go too long AFK and further penalties.

However, the whole thing goes back even further. In 2012, the “Honor” system was introduced, which received a revision in 2017. With it, players can award honors to their teammates, which in turn leads to small rewards. And those who behave like jerks get nothing.

Better to Reward the Good than to Punish the Bad

Since then, Riot has been pursuing the strategy of rewarding positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. The latter can sometimes lead to defiance responses rather than insight. Such findings were derived from studies that Riot itself conducted (via spectrumlabsai.com).

In 2012 and 2013, Riot Games tested various methods in millions of games. In the course of the “Optimus Experiment,” for example, motivational messages in different colors were tested and player reactions evaluated.

The result of the experiment was roughly: with the right incentive, players are less toxic. The incentive was to show through messages that toxic behavior tends to lead to losses. Or the other way around: negative behavior results in more defeats.

I even noticed that back then and moderated my behavior a bit at that time. I think I did not win much more, but playing has been more enjoyable since then. You can read more about the Optimus Experiment on GameStar.

All of this, of course, did not happen overnight but was a gradual process that has slowly banished more toxicity from the game. However, with a hard break of 2 years pause, one notices this very well and directly.

Some fans even suspect that the success of Fortnite may have led to a less toxic community. Allegedly, the battle royale attracted all the “toxic kids” and moved them away from LoL. Whether that’s true remains to be seen.

But why are people toxic at all?

Toxic Behavior – A Gamer Tradition?

12 years ago, at the release of League of Legends, the internet looked different. Dark humor and unmoderated image boards, forums, and chats were everywhere. Hardly anyone paid much attention to video games, except for a small mass of gamers.

From my own experience, I can say that many gamers back then mostly looked out for themselves. And with some, a mentality of “All others are idiots” developed. This hardened over time, spurred each other on, and spread.

LoL, as a free game with an enormously successful concept, has spread quickly and widely. Accordingly, it attracted many players – and among them, of course, also toxic players. Those who did not want to deal with it simply left. It was only a game. But the toxic core remained. It was “their” game.

Additionally, LoL is naturally highly competitive. Teams of 5 players compete against each other in long matches for victory. Of course, you want to win, even if it doesn’t matter – especially in ranked play. This quickly leads to an adrenaline rush.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

Show YouTube content

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.

Link to the YouTube content

It was also not helpful that many role models behaved exactly as it should not be customary in a game or showed how bad it looks in LoL:

• Twitch streamer behaves as toxic as one would expect in LoL – And everyone celebrates it
• A top player explains how toxic Twitch streamers ruin LoL for him
• “Call of Duty” star escapes from LoL: “The worst people in gaming”

Since then, however, there have also been many social changes. Gaming has been increasingly integrated into society for years and more and more eyes are on gamers. Naturally, this has increased interest in the topic and also in making it more accessible.

Developers are interested in attracting not just the “hard-skinned gamers” anymore, but everyone. And this is only possible if toxic behavior has no place in modern games.

A Nicer Environment for New Players

Whether planned or not, that right now the LoL community is more pleasant than before benefits not only the game. The new LoL series Arcane has sparked a fresh hype around the MOBA.

Many new players are starting, many former ones are returning. For example, me and several other colleagues from the editorial staff. The fact that you don’t have to be called a son of a whore or worse right in the first rune increases the motivation.

Apparently, the measures have had exactly the effect they were supposed to. LoL has become nicer and as a new or former player, you feel good again. Or at least better than before. There are still the occasional nasty remark.

I believe that LoL and its community have matured. This is also shown by Arcane itself, because the series can be really dark. It would be exciting if it really is this series that has made LoL a better place now.

In any case, I notice that the Arcane heroes Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Jayce are currently being played frequently. And coincidentally, colleague Alexander Leitsch has prepared a guide for exactly these heroes for you:

This is how you play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL