Unfortunately, we’ve all faced toxicity in-game at least once. Whether it’s League of Legends, Valorant, or even Call of Duty, it’s hard to escape it in multiplayer games. Many publishers have already multiplied their efforts to improve their detection systems to improve the gaming experience of their respective community.
This time, it’s two studios, Riot Games and Ubisoft taking the next step by teaming up to launch a joint program to tackle harmful player interactions.
An unprecedented partnership
Riot Games and Ubisoft announce the “Zero Harm in Comms” research project: a partnership aimed at improving the reach of their artificial intelligences which help to combat harmful interactions between players. This initiative aims to better train AI-based preemptive moderation tools that detect and disarm harmful behavior, creating a common industry-wide database and ecosystem that collects in-game data.
Active members of the Fair Play Alliance, Ubisoft and Riot Games are convinced that creating meaningful and safe online experiences will only be possible through collective action and knowledge sharing. This initiative is part of a broader effort by both companies to create gaming environments that promote more rewarding social experiences and avoid harmful interactions.
“Disruptive behavior is a problem that we take very seriously, but which is also particularly difficult to solve. At Ubisoft, we are working on concrete measures to ensure safe and rewarding experiences, but we believe that by mobilizing different members of the industry, we can address this issue in an even more effective way”assures Yves Jacquier, Executive Director at Ubisoft La Forge. ” Through this technology partnership with Riot Games, we are exploring other approaches to better prevent in-game toxicity, as designers of these environments, with a direct link to our communities. »
Industry-wide collaboration
With “Zero Harm in Comms”, Ubisoft and Riot Games are exploring the foundations for future, cross-industry collaboration, creating the framework that will ensure respect for player privacy and the ethical use of data. Thanks to the very competitive games of Riot Games and the very varied catalog of Ubisoft, the generated database should cover a very wide range of player profiles and behaviors to better train the artificial intelligences of Riot Games and Ubisoft.
“Disruptive behavior is not a problem unique to games. Any company that has an online social platform seeks to settle this contentious issue. This is why we are determined to work with partners like Ubisoft, who want to create safe communities and encourage positive experiences in online spaces. »says Wesley Kerr, Head of Technical Research at Riot Games. “This project is just one example of our general determination and the work we do at Riot to develop systems that enable healthy, safe and inclusive interactions in our games. »
The “Zero Harm in Comms” research project, although still in its infancy, is the first step in an ambitious cross-functional project that should ultimately benefit the entire gaming community. As part of the preparatory exploration of this research, Ubisoft and Riot Games will share the lessons of their first phase of experimentation with the entire industry next year, regardless of the outcome.
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