As players call for stricter toxicity punishments in Valorant, one Riot dev has reassured her fellow female players that they have a plan of action.
There’s no denying that Valorant has a problem with in-game toxicity. Players have been calling for Riot to take more action since the game’s release, but sexism in voice communication is still especially pervasive.
After one female streamer went viral for supposedly being boosted by teammates, as well as Pokimane’s recent complaints about the title, conversation has swung back to the issue: why can’t women and girls play games in peace?
One Riot dev has reached out to a whole host of players who have been struggling to find their place on Future Earth, and has ensured them that fixes will be coming soon.
Riot devs looking to combat sexism
It only takes one glance at the Valorant subreddit to see a collection of women explaining that they’ve experienced some sort of toxicity while playing Riot’s flagship FPS. These comments prompted a response from Riot Aeneia, who is involved in Insights and Strategy for Valorant.
“I have played so many games where women don’t speak up until after I start talking,” Aeneia commented. “Once they hear my voice, and they see that no one is giving me crap, they know it’s safe.”
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She continues: “I cannot wait for the day when I get into agent select and hear other women (or kids, or anyone with a targetable voice) pipe up and say hello first. Because they’ll know it’ll be safe to do so. Because we’ll have cut this obscene sh*t out of our game.”
She goes on to ensure players that, “I promise, we’re working on it. I can’t speak to any details right now, but if all goes to plan, you’ll be hearing from us in the near future with actions and updates.”
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So while it may be a little far off on the horizon, it’s reassuring to know that changes are coming to make Valorant a more welcoming space for all players. Not only that, it’s nice to hear the voice of another woman, part of the development team, who is committed to helping others out.
Valorant’s executive producer Anna Donlon has also spoken in the past about her desire to clamp down on this issue.