Currently, VALORANT players can only mute players who are toxic in matches, however, it looks like it could change very soon thanks to the valorant blocklist the developers are shuffling.
Toxicity in online games is, unfortunately, a common one and VALORANT is no exception. Sexist, racist, and homophobic language seems common and currently, the only thing the community can do is silence them with a button. Something that goes against the community code of the game itself.
Some other games like League of Legends (LoL) have implemented the blocking feature to avoid having any contact with said player. In LoL, if we block a player we will not see his name. In addition, in the event that we meet him again in another game, his messages will be automatically silenced.
In Overwatch, for example, he goes one step further with the ” avoid as a teammate ” option. By activating it, we will not be paired with it again, a pretty good option if we have had a very bad experience with a person.
VALORANT Blocklist: Required feature or system abuse?
Despite the novel mechanics and options that VALORANT raises with the game, we still do not have either of the two options discussed above. Therefore, it is not surprising that the game developers are considering including the blocklist without abusing it.
” This concept is something that is mentioned often, and we are keen to implement a secure version that no one abuses, but that keeps players protected, ” explained producer Sara Dadafshar on Reddit.
However, developers are concerned that players will find some way to abuse matchmaking with such a system.
“ There have been other competitive games that have tried to implement this feature, but at high-level players were using this blocklist as a way to avoid certain users they didn’t want to deal with. It’s a great way for people to isolate certain people from queues, although the intention is to ‘block / ignore’ players who flaunt or say inappropriate things in voice/chat. “
Right now the option is not “ruled out” but it seems that it will take a little longer to design it in the most balanced way for Riot.
Until then, feel free to silence and report players for toxicity, and the VALORANT developers will take action.
