Riot Games has partnered with Take This to release a new initiative to bridge the gap between gaming and mental health care.
This partnership between Riot and Take This comes shortly after a video of a streamer went viral on X showcasing the harassment she faced during a game of Valorant.
Executive director for Valorant Anna Donlon responded to the situation, stating that Riot has been trying to implement behavioral punishments. To further this initiative, it seems Riot is also trying to ensure the mental well-being of those in gaming.
“We’re excited to partner with TakeThis to kickstart the Accelerate Fellowship Program,” said Riot on X. “It’s a unique opportunity for creators, developers, and researchers dedicated to the convergence of gaming and mental health.”
We're excited to partner with @TakeThisOrg to kickstart the Accelerate Fellowship Program! It's a unique opportunity for creators, developers, and researchers dedicated to the convergence of gaming and mental health. https://t.co/kEUIVLPXYB
— Riot Games (@riotgames) May 15, 2024
This professional development program will be available for those at the start of their gaming careers who are looking to further their ideas of mental health in the industry. Therapist Sarah Hays and clinical psychologist and game designer Kelli Dunlap will oversee the program.
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“Accelerate is the program I dreamed about as a baby video game psychologist, and it’s surreal that it’s happening,” said Dunlap when the program was announced.
Donlon made her own official statement on Valorant’s current state and its culture around toxicity. She claims that the team is working on a potential solution to the problem but doesn’t want to overshare before things are set in stone.
“I’m sorry for not posting sooner, but please know I haven’t missed a word. This has been the top thing on my mind (a lot of our minds) since yesterday. It’s important to me that we lead with action first, so until we’d actually pressed the right buttons and made some necessary internal changes, I didn’t want to tweet out empty condolences when it’s on us to do the hard work here,” explained Donlon on X.
Partnering with an organization like Take That that emphasizes mental health is seemingly a step in the right direction for what Donlon is promising. Applications for Take That’s Accelerate program open June 3.