Valorant devs considering “block list” to avoid playing with toxic teammates

Valorant players can only mute players who prove to be toxic in their games. The community is pushing for Riot to add a “block list”, similar to other games, but the developers are hesitant to pull the trigger just yet.

Toxicity is rampant in online gaming, and Valorant is no exception. Sexist, racist, and homophobic language is commonly used, with players’ only tools to stop it being a mute button.

Some other games like League of Legends and Overwatch have implemented a successful “block” feature. In League, if you block a player, you won’t see their Summoner Name and if you queue up with them again their messages will be automatically muted.

Overwatch goes one step further with its “Avoid As Teammate” option. If you put a player in this list, you won’t get them on your team, period. There are very limited spots, but it can help if you just want them out of your hair.

Valorant doesn’t offer either option, but Riot is considering the best way to implement a “block list” ⁠— without it being abused.

“This concept is something that gets brought up often, and we are very down to implement some safe version of it that won’t be abused, but keeps players protected as well,” producer Sara Dadafshar said on Reddit.

However, the developers are concerned players will find some way to abuse matchmaking with it.

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“There’s been other competitive games that have tried to implement this feature, but at high elo, folks used the block list as a way of avoiding playing against certain individuals that they would not have a good time going up against,” producer Sara Dadafshar said on Reddit.

“It’s a great way for folks to isolate certain individuals from queues, even though the intent of it is to ‘block/ignore’ the disruptive players who are tossing profanities and other inappropriate things into voice/chat.”

The option isn’t “off the table”, but will take some time to design in a way Riot is satisfied with.

For now, continue muting and reporting players for toxicity, and the Valorant devs will hand out bans as needed.