Valorant Ramping Up Discipline For AFK-ers And Toxic Chatters

Valorant developers want to do their best to ensure that it doesn't acquire the reputation of that other Riot game. To that end, two members of the Social and Player Dynamics team filled everyone in today on what measures will be taken to counteract toxicity, unsporting gameplay, and other unsavory behaviors in the future.

When Valorant's 2.04 patch goes live, there will be an increased emphasis on detecting AFK behaviors, as well as increased penalties for AFK-ers. Those will start with simple warnings and XP losses, but can ramp all the way up to total bans -- "but only if you’re really, really persistent." Riot will track your account for repeated offenses, so don't worry if you only get kicked off your internet and out of a match once or twice a year.

Toxic behavior in chat will also be getting hammered in 2.04, which will include detection for abuse in 11 languages. Again, penalties range from warnings up to bans, especially if you engage in "violence, threats, or targeted harassment," for which Riot said it has a "zero tolerance" policy. In 2.05, Riot hopes to have a reporter feedback system in place, so you'll know if your report of someone's bad behavior warranted disciplinary action.

Riot will extend these measures to voice chat, when clips are provided, and there are systems in the work that will encourage positive behavior as well. Learn more about Riot's plans for a better Valorant experience via the post on the game's site.