DESIGNING AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM TO REDUCE ADVERSE BEHAVIOR 
TOWARDS GIRL GAMERS WITHIN THE VALORANT COMPETITIVE GAMING COMMUNITY
April 18, 2023
Kim Huffman

Esports, which is another name for online competitive gaming, has become more popular in recent years, with millions of players striving to be the best. With the increase in girl gamers, specifically in Valorant, a 5v5 character-based, tactical shooter game, online gaming communities are experiencing adverse social conditions. The purpose of the research is to implement a design system that hinders negative players and incentivizes positive players to reduce the harmful effects that girl gamers are exposed to. This research study explores my experience as a female gamer in the Valorant online competitive community. Using autoethnography as a transformational research method to examine further the issue.

INTRODUCTION
With the increase in girl gamers, specifically in Valorant, a 5v5, character-based, tactical shooter game, online gaming communities are experiencing adverse social conditions. Due to the large influx of female players, there is more interaction between male and female gamers in the online gaming community. Online games are very popular, with more than 2.2 billion people playing them around the world (UKie, 2019). By 2023, 6.2 billion people are anticipated to be active online gamers (Statista, 2018). Between 2006 and 2022, the gender split among gamers increased from 62% men identifying to 52% men identifying and 48% women identifying (Statista, 2022). In the Valorant community, the number of monthly active players has reached 14 million. Out of those 14 million monthly players, 30–40% identify as girl gamers (GameBeat, 2021). 

Within those particular settings, the communities within various games interact differently. When it comes to the interactions between genders, Valorant seems to trend more toward the toxic side. Based on my personal experiences and research on social media applications (YouTube, TikTok, etc.), I have come to the conclusion that gamer girls tend to receive sexist remarks such as "Get back in the kitchen" or "Make me a sandwich," which could be perceived as verbal abuse. As a result, girl gamers who participate in competitive gaming report no desire to play or interact with their teammates when they are online. This is just one part of the numerous problems girl gamers face in the online gaming community. The frequency with which this occurs could be detrimental to the motivation of girl gamers wanting to continue playing and improve in a competitive setting.

THE PROBLEM
Riot Games, the company that created Valorant, has made efforts to encourage inclusivity and diversity in the community. Riot Games also has the power to put measures in place to deal with players who conduct themselves in ways that are harmful to females who play Valorant. Riot has historically banned players who engage in unjust/sexist behaviors and forbade their ability to talk in-game using features such as voice chat or text chat. However, Valorant is a free-to-play game, so the banned players could just create a new account and continue playing without being penalized for their aggression towards the girl gamers within the Valorant gaming community. 

An organization called AnyKey has taken on the task of creating a group that aids in supporting inclusivity in eSports. They made the "GLHF" (Good Luck, Have Fun) pledge, in 2017, which anyone in the gaming community can sign to help reinforce the idea that everyone is welcome. Regardless of such efforts, the lack of inclusivity in gaming communities is still a prevalent problem. It seems that online competitive gaming is getting more divided than ever. The girl gamers in eSports cannot contribute to their full potential when there is a lack of inclusivity and equity. Although there have been efforts to establish distinct communities, the overall effect is negative and leads to numerous instances of discrimination and harassment.

PURPOSE
The purpose of the project is to implement a design system that hinders negative players and incentivizes positive players to reduce the harmful effects that girl gamers are exposed to. Creating a way to get more girl gamers to play games in a positive way would also help competitive gaming platforms grow and make the overall gaming experience for girl gamers significantly better.

RESEARCH QUESTION
This study aims to explore the following primary research question:
What design systems could enhance positive collaboration within the Valorant competitive gaming community to support high-performance in-game for girl gamers despite negative social conditions?

SIGNIFICANCE
As a girl gamer who has participated in multiplayer competitive video games for over two decades, I could attest to the challenges one has to overcome to be the most recognized, accomplished, well-known, and successful player in the field of eSports. Playing in an environment where you may face discrimination because you identify as female is no easy task. Even though esports are growing in popularity, there are still not enough girl gamers participating, and it's important to know why. (Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 2018). In addition, the purpose of this study is to investigate, in a more in-depth manner, the role that playing in Valorant's competitive mode plays in contributing to the decline in the number of female players who compete professionally.
As a result of the exclusion of girl gamers from the competitive Valorant gaming scene, girl gamers have started building their own communities in order to get support from one another and confront the difficulties of toxic behavior and harassment. Lack of inclusivity prevents girl gamers in the Valorant community from fully engaging in the competitive gaming experience. It is necessary to encourage ideas of positive cooperation and communication so that players can go into a competitive game with the purpose of coming out on top. The game instead establishes separate gaming groups, which results in the formation of social boundaries and makes it more difficult for players to emerge victorious.

METHODOLOGY
Autoethnography was applied as a transformational research method to examine the issue further. Autoethnography has much to offer social scientists, particularly those concerned with fostering cross-cultural understanding in a culturally varied society, if it is understood as a rigorous ethnographic, broadly qualitative research approach that seeks to gain an in-depth cultural awareness of oneself and others (Chang, 2016). To study my online competitive gaming experience, I used an autoethnographic research strategy based on three sets of data: self-reflection, self-observation, and self-analysis. 
The three forms of autoethnographic data collection (self-reflection, self-observation, and self-analysis) took place online. The self-observations and self-reflections took place in the game Valorant. The self-analysis was constructed as an autobiographical timeline.
The first was self-reflection, in which 20 observations were conducted based on my current competitive gaming experience in the game Valorant. By turning the focus inside, the researcher enables the audience to see and understand their own thoughts and behaviors (Chang, 2013). At the end of the competitive game, the data was documented and recorded for reflection based on the present experience.
In order to better understand the competitive gaming community, I used self-observation as my second set of data. I kept a visual journal of my own competitive gaming experiences on Valorant. The visual journal was created to document my emotions and my comfort level throughout each game session. It utilizes a variety of symbols to call attention to behavioral patterns that help categorize the emotions present at the time. Through this method, a total of 20 competitive games were played and recorded.
The third is self-analysis, in which I created an autobiographical timeline documenting my competitive gaming experience, the barriers of being a girl gamer, and my educational experience. My competitive gaming experience focused on the variety of competitive games I played and the type of competitive gaming that occurred. The girl gamer experience throughout those years led me to this research, and I wanted to include the struggles I personally faced during my competitive gaming experience. By tying in my academic background, I can also demonstrate how gaming paved the way for a creative career.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION
The results of this study revealed that using positive behavior during a competitive game can reflect how players act and feel toward you. The data showed an overview of how the attitudes of myself, and my teammates changed during each round. Emotions are almost always a part of life. They have a strong effect on how people think and act, and they have large-scale social, economic, and environmental effects (Zajonc, 1984; Oatley et al., 2006; Turner and Stets, 2006; Nesse and Ellsworth, 2009; Niedenthal and Brauer, 2012; Dehaene, 2014). The qualitative data helped me gain a deeper understanding of my own personal experiences as a girl gamer by providing insights into those experiences. 

FINDINGS SUMMARY
When reviewing the observations from the gameplay recording and the analysis of the autobiographical timeline, it became clear that there were three themes identified. 
The three major themes are Competitive Behavior, Competitive Gaming Culture, and building an inclusive community in eSports.
Competitive Behavior
The interactions that took place between myself and my teammates across all 20 competitive games of Valorant revealed the necessity of maintaining a consistently positive attitude throughout the rounds, no matter if we were winning or losing. According to the results of my self-reflection, my consistent in-game calls and the positive encouragement of my teammates increased our chances of victory. According to data compiled from games 10–20, seven of them were victories. In each of these seven victories, the use of GLHF campaign contributions increased the likelihood of victory. 
Competitive Gaming Culture 
Through my experience as a girl gamer, I have felt voiceless and powerless when it comes to my position in the competitive gaming community. The aggressive, competitive gaming environment and negative attitudes towards girl gamers have made it difficult to be a good and reliable teammate. When playing a game that is competitive, it is necessary to communicate with teammates in order to improve your chances of winning. My history in eSports, both as a team leader and as a player on teams, has allowed me to make contributions to the culture of the community, as I have discovered through introspection.
Building an inclusive community in eSports
My observations as a competitive player, which were based on my own autoethnographic data, showed that most of my team during the 20 matches, were majority males. The observations also revealed that if there were more girl gamers, they were more likely to hide their identities and not use voice chat to communicate with their team. From the data, Valorant lacks the ability to avoid players that showcase toxic behavior in a competitive match, aside from muting a player in the game. Although this is a temporary solution, muting a player makes it harder to win the game. 

DESIGN INTERVENTION
The design intervention prototype, Vibe Check, is a reputation system in which players on Valorant will have access to give reputation points, or "rep," for short, to their teammates. To determine whether you have successfully passed the "Vibe Check," this system will calculate your reputation based on the ratings left by other players. Players will be rewarded with reputation points if their teammates feel that they have contributed positively to the team. These points can be redeemed for a variety of rewards, such as new skins for your weapon within the game, the ability to unlock a new agent, or they can be used to buy additional items within the game from the Valorant store.

Valorant Home Screen
Vibe Check Details
Vibe Check point scale
Vibe Check Rewards
Vibe Check Player Reports

Walkthrough of the Vibe Check Prototype

CONCLUSIONS
The evidence gathered from playing through competitive matches of Valorant demonstrates that being a girl gamer in a community that values competition presents a unique set of difficulties. As a girl gamer, even simple tasks like talking to other players through voice chat can present several difficult challenges. Upon learning that I was a girl gamer, one of the players responded, "We lost." This incident is illustrative of the unequal treatment between female and male gamers in the competitive gaming community. 

OHIO LINK ACCESS
xdMFA Candidates must disseminate their research online in the Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK) Electronic Theses and Dissertations repository. This thesis may be accessed at