After a sexist rant went viral, popular streamer IShowSpeed has been banned from all Riot Games developed by the company including Valorant. The free-to-play first-person shooter was released in 2020 and has been especially popular with streamers on the live streaming platform Twitch. Though Riot Games has seen widespread popularity of the game, several toxic players have been ruining the experience for others participating in matches.
Unfortunately, Valorant has had continuous issues with some players using offensive speech. To combat hate speech in Valorant, the gaming company implemented voice chat recording last year. The recordings are used to better manage the cases of hate speech and later verify these reports. The change was carried out by having players agree to an updated privacy policy and informing the Valorant community of the decision. Despite Riot Games' efforts to counter the issues, players have continued to use hurtful language during live gameplay, and even in front of audiences on Twitch livestreams.
Now, IShowSpeed has been banned from all Riot Games' titles after his sexist rant went viral. A video clip of the rant gained traction when Valorant Esports commentator Jake Lucky shared it via Twitter. In the clip, IShowSpeed can be seen using profanity and making sexist comments, telling his female teammate to get off the game and do her husband's dishes. The sexist rant was apparently provoked when IShowSpeed's team lost a 1v1 clutch. Sarah Dadafshar, a producer at Riot Games, replied to Lucky's Tweet, announcing a permanent ban for IShowSpeed from Valorant and all other Riot games.
The immediate permanent ban for IShowSpeed likely does not come as a surprise to those who have been a part of the Valorant community for the past few years. In February of 2021, the CEO of Riot Games faced a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by his female assistant. Since this allegation, the gaming company has been much more responsive in regards to cases of sexism and harassment. The decision to permanently ban those who have repeatedly engaged in the toxic or hurtful language is important for Riot Games, as it shows steps are being taken to make the free-to-play, online culture of games like Valorant a safer place for all looking to enjoy the content.
Free-to-play online gaming has become an increasingly popular way for gamers to connect and share adventures together. Creating a safe space is critical to the long-term success of the games and the safety of the players. Hopefully, the actions Riot Games is taken to manage the hurtful language in games like Valorant will be a warning for toxic players and dissuaded further comments in the future.
Source: Sara Dadafshar/Twitter, Jake Lucky/Twitter