Getting competitive in gaming is acceptable as long as the lines between actually being competitive and getting absurdly disrespectful are not blurred .
As common as it is for players to get toxic over a video game, Activision has been working hard to ensure every player feels safe and welcome in the Call of Duty universe.
Call of Duty’s multiplayer isn’t exactly the friendliest of games when it comes to online lobbies. This was especially apparent during the Modern Warfare (2019) and Black Ops 1 era. Further fuel was added to the fire when the toxicity among gamers was popularized through different memes over the internet.
While trash talk or even a hint of aggression from some can be expected, it should never get to the point where the parties start passing derogatory remarks to one another. Unfortunately, this has been an all too common occurence within Call of Duty lobbies over the last few years.
Luckily, Activision has banned over 500,000 players for being toxic, disrespectful, using offensive usernames, and text-based chat offenses.
Activision has an anti-toxicity team responsible for overlooking such activities, and it’s even forced over 300,000 players to rename their usernames since the team launched its automated filtering system. Activision has added 14 languages to detect offensive content, such as in-game text-baed chats and usernames.
The efforts by Activision are commendable as it revealed an almost 55% reduction in the number of offensive username and clan tag reports from players over the years.
Continuing its efforts to create online gaming a safer place for everyone, Call of Duty issued a new unified Code of Conduct with three main values:
- Treat Everyone With Respect
- Compete With Integrity
- Stay Vigilant
The above points cover everything, including respecting everyone online, not using third-party applications to get an unfair advantage over other players, and staying vigilant of any suspicious behavior and reporting it.
The new Code of Conduct will be presented in-game, starting with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and players will need to acknowledge it in-game to continue playing.
