A recent study has revealed the most toxic video game online communities based on the percentage of negative posts on their respective subreddits. The results were surprising, to say the least, as some of the most popular and beloved games made the list, while others that are notorious for their toxic players did not.
The study analyzed over 100,000 posts from 20 different subreddits of popular video games, and classified them as positive, negative, or neutral based on the sentiment analysis. The posts were collected from January to June 2023, and the subreddits were chosen based on their popularity and activity.
While some of the usual suspects made the list, such as Apex Legends, League of Legends, and Call of Duty, there were also some unexpected entries, such as ESV: Skyrim, Hogwarts Legacy, and Zelda. However, the most shocking revelation was that Animal Crossing, the wholesome and relaxing life simulation game, made the list of the most toxic video game online communities, while NBA 2K, the basketball simulation game notorious for its microtransactions and toxic players, did not.
What Makes the Animal Crossing Online Gaming Community So Toxic?
Animal Crossing is a game where players create their own island paradise, decorate their homes, interact with cute animal villagers, and visit other players’ islands. It is a game that is meant to be relaxing, creative, and friendly. However, according to the study, 14% of the posts in the Animal Crossing subreddit were negative, making it the 20th most toxic video game online community.
Some of the common complaints in the Animal Crossing subreddit were about the lack of content updates, the limited customization options, the tedious gameplay mechanics, and the rude or annoying villagers. Some players also expressed frustration with other players who hacked their islands, scammed them in trades, or were disrespectful when visiting their islands.
Why Didn’t NBA 2K Make the List of Most Toxic Online Video Game Communities?
NBA 2K is a game where players create their own basketball player, join a team, and compete with other players online. It is a game that is meant to be realistic, competitive, and exciting. However, NBA 2K is also known for its predatory microtransactions, where players have to spend real money to buy virtual currency (VC) to upgrade their player’s attributes and cosmetics.
NBA 2K is also known for its toxic online community, where players often encounter randoms who sabotage games and ball hog, squads who play boyfriend ball and only pass to their online friends while icing other people out, and cheaters who use glitches and exploits to gain an unfair advantage. NBA 2K is widely regarded as one of the most frustrating and rage-inducing games on the market.
However, according to the study, NBA 2K did not make the list of the most toxic video game online communities. The study did not provide an explanation for this omission, but some possible reasons are that NBA 2K players are so used to the toxicity that they do not bother to complain about it anymore, that NBA 2K players have low expectations for the game and do not care about its flaws anymore, or that NBA 2K players have migrated to other platforms or games to vent their frustrations.
The study by Video Game has sparked a lot of debate and controversy among gamers. Some gamers agreed with the findings and shared their own experiences with toxic video game online communities. Some gamers disagreed with the findings and defended their favorite games or criticized the methodology of the study. Some gamers questioned the validity and relevance of the study and argued that toxicity is subjective and depends on individual preferences and experiences.
The Full List of the most toxic video game online communities, based on the percentage of negative posts in their subreddits, are:
- Apex Legends, Call of Duty Warzone, and League of Legends (tied at 31%)
- ESV: Skyrim (28%)
- World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Valorant (tied at 27%)
- Hearthstone (26%)
- Hogwarts Legacy, Halo, and Starcraft (tied at 25%)
- Fortnite Battle Royale, Clash of Clans, and Minecraft (tied at 24%)
- Super Smash Bros and GTA V (tied at 23%)
- Rocket League (21%)
- Zelda (19%)
- Pokemon (18%)
- Animal Crossing (14%)
