We all know that sometimes battles can become intense when gaming. As champions in League of Legends fight to destroy their opponent's nexus, it's easy to start trash talking to get inside the enemy's head, or when one of the five players on a team messes up, causing you to lose a match.
But it's no secret that gamers have not been shy about using offensive language to other players in the game; in fact, so much so that the community is often described as being "toxic."
Now the developer of the most popular computer game is battling the online harassment with a new automated system that could potentially ban some gamers.
In a blog post, League of Legends developer Riot Games announced a new instant feedback system that would punish players who are out of line and verbally abusive.
As of now, when a player experiences offensive language, they have the option of reporting the gamer at the end of a match. However, this new system will automatically review content in chat messages, giving a "reform card" that includes details of their harassment to the offensive player.
The instant feedback will also include any punishment they are receiving in order to prevent further cases. Players who use "homophobia, racism, sexism, death threats, and other forms of excessive abusive" will be banned for two-weeks, and more severe cases will be banned permanently within 15 minutes of the end of the game.
In order to make sure there aren't false claims of harassment, when a player sends a report, the system will first validate the claim. The system will then examine the case to see what punishment the player deserves based on the standards of behavior. Reform cards are send via email and will include the chat log to defend its decision.
Riot Games is currently testing the automated system in the EU by using a player behavior team to hand-review the first few thousand cases the instant feedback system receives.
The new policy will roll out if testing goes as planned, with rewards for positive behavior expected for the future.
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