Top 20 Most Toxic Video Game Communities Ever

Top 20 Toxic Video Game Communities

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Toxic Video Game Communities.

For this list, we're looking at several communities that have been infected by the most venomous of players. We know not EVERYONE in these communities acts terribly, but the issues have become so rampant that they've found themselves on this list.

Let us know what you do to combat the venomous behavior in the comments below.

#20: “Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” (2020)

As it quickly became one of the most surprising hits of 2020, “Fall Guys” garnered a massive following almost immediately upon its release. Of course, with that fame comes a plethora of toxic players. One can expect a good handful of cheaters to infiltrate games and steal victories left and right. While the Anti-Cheatus update has caught a good portion of hackers, there’s still another toxic side to the community, one of griefers actively trying to eliminate players by simply pushing or waiting around at the finish line to troll the lobby. Suffice to say, these types of players can ruin most sessions.

#19: “RuneScape” (2001)

While the “RuneScape” community has most definitely improved in the last decade or so, there are still some troubling individuals walking about. For one thing, some of the die-hard and elitist players will verbally berate others, sometimes even to the point of severe bullying, and new members can be attacked simply for being new. The fans have also been known to exploit in-game mechanics for their own personal gain. The constant whining about the game dying doesn’t help either, especially when the vocal players are so unwelcoming and hostile. While we’re sure most “RuneScape” players are delightful and that the toxic ones are a vocal minority, they’re more than enough to make us want to stay clear. Well, that and the time commitment.

#18: “FIFA” series (1993-)

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, so it's natural that the “FIFA” series draws in millions of players every year. Unfortunately, most of these players are cheaters and cry babies. The series has a history with hackers ruining the infrastructure of the games, but it's the general attitude in the matches themselves that annoy us the most. You'll be lucky to even finish a game in the first place, as many players are known to simply disconnect after letting in a goal or two. For those of us who are lucky to finish a game, we are often treated to childish screaming, spamming, and obnoxious celebrations. So, exactly like real soccer... I mean Futbal fans. Crap.

#17: “Undertale” (2015)

How exactly could a single-player game have a toxic community? Well, it all comes down to reputation. We agree with most people - “Undertale” is a fantastic game with clever humor and writing. However, there are some folks who take the word “good” and twist it into “factually perfect”. There are a number of “Undertale” fans that live and die by this game, and if you so much as say anything bad about it, you know nothing about video games and insert threat here. Thankfully, there are more lighthearted fans who love the memes that have spawned, but even that has grown tiresome to bear.

#16: “Sonic the Hedgehog” series (1991-)

Man, for such a cute and harmless little rodent, Sonic sure does stir up a lot of controversy. The Sonic games are spread throughout so many years and generations that the fanbase has long been split and broken, leading to constant fights, name-calling, and general negativity online over which game sucks, why this new mechanic is game-breaking, etc. Of course the inconsistent quality of the titles in recent years certainly hasn’t helped ease the boiling pot between trolls and the most diehard of Sonic’s defenders, both of whom can get very aggressive. We’re not even going to touch on some of the more…adult things that fans often do with these characters.

#15: “Team Fortress 2” (2007)

While many players of “Team Fortress 2” are perfectly fine, there is a small vocal minority that makes the game unbearable for everyone, but especially for new players. The game seems to draw a lot of elitist gamers who believe that they are better than everyone, and being vote kicked for playing poorly or playing as the “wrong” character is not uncommon. This is on top of the constant whining about minis on Hightower, despite it being a perfectly legal and legit form of playing, and the incessant complaining about bad or inexperienced teammates. If you've never played this game but have always wanted to check it out, we recommend that you mute your chat, for the first few months.

#14: “Eve Online” (2003)

While many players of this game are friendly and helpful, it’s the bad apples that give “Eve” a rotten name. Some players will treat the inexperienced with total disdain, even to the point of harassment. It is also the Wild West of gaming - players will rob, cheat, scam, and screw over others as often as they can in the name of self-fulfillment. However, we can accept that behaviour like that is part of the game, and we can forgive it. What we can’t forgive is the toxicity that extends beyond the gameplay, such as vandalizing property and urging fellow gamers to harass an allegedly depressed player until he kills himself. Not cool Eve fanboys, not cool.

#13: “Halo” series (2001-)

Back in the day, “Halo” was the pinnacle of the online multiplayer experience, as “Halo 2” perfected the art of Xbox Live and became immensely popular. However, due to its popularity, it has drawn both children, childish adults, and new fans who do nothing but clash with the old. Most online games revolve around childish screaming matches and immature teabagging, while forums are filled with arguments regarding the quality of each game. Old fans want the classic “Halo” gameplay returned and whine about every new gameplay element that 343 implements. New fans enjoy the experimentation and progress. And both sets do nothing but clash with each other. Can't we just enjoy the games for what they are?

#12: “Dark Souls” series (2011-)

There's no denying that these games are spectacular, featuring some of the most impressive worlds and challenging gameplay we've ever seen. Unfortunately, with the series’ infamous difficulty comes an elitist, hardcore community, who feel as if they are superior to the “filthy casuals” of gaming due to their mastering of the complex series. Those seeking help or guidance in these notoriously opaque games are often told to just “git gud” – which is always helpful. Finally, the online community itself isn't too great, as it's filled with constant showboaters, hackers & lag-stabbers adding a layer of frustration that even the developers didn’t fully intend.

#11: “Super Smash Bros.” series (1999-)

When the original was released in 1999, everyone was instantly smitten with the game due to its addicting combat, memorable characters, and for its ability to bring friends together for some harmless fun. Then e-sports happened and that harmless fun soon turned into professional dedication, and its fanbase quickly went far too serious for its own good. Some of the “professional” players are now overly antagonistic to casuals and refuse to play unless the rules are altered to be more competitive, such as by removing items. We hope you like playing on the same map 5,000 times in a row, as well. Oh, and God help the person that says they actually liked “Brawl.”

#10: “Valorant” (2020)

Much like Riot’s other, more notorious game, “Valorant” has become so toxic that it’d make a chemical plant blush. We’re talking about players making bigoted remarks in games, acting sexist towards female players, and overall acting elitist to most of their teammates. Already there have been several articles written and Twitter threads bringing these issues to light. Even one of Riot’s own developers was a victim of this behavior. Riot claims that they’re working on an initiative to control and diminish the toxicity, but encouraging players to continue reporting only gets you so far. From the looks of it, history may be doomed to repeat itself.

#9: “Roblox” (2006)

In this game, players are able to design their own virtual worlds, and essentially create their own games within them. It sounds interesting, but stay clear. Trust us. The game is essentially for kids, and as we all know, kids will be kids. While it’s inevitable that you’ll run into some unsavory and immature characters, there are also the constant friend requests, the classic name-calling from seven year olds, and the comment section of games, which is just a whole bunch of cancerous nonsense, including lots and lots of spam. It wouldn’t be so bad if the children knew how to spell or use proper grammar, but come on, this is the internet we’re talking about.

#8: “Overwatch” (2016)

The problem with “Overwatch” is similar to “Valorant’s” wherein you’ll often encounter players who believe they’re MLG pro gamer material and can rack up a high kill-death ratio. Then, you have the people who cry out that a certain hero needs to be buffed or nerfed, and you should listen to them because they supposedly clocked x amount of hours into playing certain characters. While the addition of endorsements has certainly put a damper on the harassment and entitlement, it feels like some praise may be undeserved or given out for the sake of earning more XP.

#7: “World of Warcraft” (2004)

Part of the fun in “World of Warcraft” was meeting new players to ally with and embark on quests together. Many have formed friendships through the game, but as online gaming has grown, the game has become another hotspot for venomous people. Raids can devolve from team missions into screaming sessions, and it isn’t uncommon for players to be booted for simply being a lower level than everyone else. Basically, there’s some unofficial requirement to be dealing a certain amount of damage per second or you can’t play with anyone.

#6: “DOTA 2” (2013)

As is the case with games as complicated as “DOTA 2”, it can be tough for new players to join when the learning curve is so steep. A good player would include and inform newbies on how to play their character or how the game works. Alas, that is not the case for the majority of the time. One can expect a cornucopia of insults to be hurled at them for simply not knowing how the game works or what they should be doing. With this attitude towards newbies, what’s the point in jumping in if you haven’t already?

#5: “Minecraft” (2011)

While many people in the “Minecraft” community will work together and create magnificent things, there are others who will do the exact opposite, particularly in the public servers. Unfortunately, with popular games come the immature gamers, and “Minecraft” is filled to the brim with them. Not only will they spam the chat function with garbage, but they will actively troll and destroy other players’ creations at will. The malicious behavior even led to the popularization of the term “griefing,” as “Minecraft” became well-known for its troublesome players. This has become a serious problem for server admins and neutral gamers alike.

#4: “Counter-Strike” series (2000-)

While the “Counter-Strike” games may be a blast to play, the community, and “Global Offensive’s” community in particular, is so darn toxic that it negates any sense of fun you may have. The games always devolve into a mess of children screaming into the microphone, vocal abuse towards other players, higher-ranked players getting unnecessarily upset, team killers, derankers, and griefers. If that wasn't all, the servers are also poorly managed, encouraging shady tactics and, in some cases, hacking. To truly experience this series, you need to find friends and play with them, because the games are otherwise unplayable due to the childish community.

#3: “Call of Duty” series (2003-)

Perhaps one of the most infamous communities in video gaming are the “Call of Duty” fans. Well, we say fans extremely lightly, because it seems to us that no one actually enjoys playing these games. Many online discussions, mostly from non-fans revolve around how these games are literally the worst of all time, and players declaring that they'll never buy another CoD game again because “they're all the same, man,” yet continuing to buy the new iteration anyway. The online portion is also no picnic, as it is well-known for the whiny children, all of which are either spamming, accusing good players of hacking, or just being loud and annoying in general.

#2: “Grand Theft Auto Online” (2013)

We’ve been waiting for this for years. Too bad about the players, though. While the initial launch was problematic, the game’s toxic community has lingered. The game is full of trolls and griefers, and there always seems to be that one player who is completely incompetent and refuses to play along with everyone else. There is also an extremely bad case of gang mentality, as groups often talk trash to and single out other players simply for not being a part of their clique. There are also the screaming kids who yell profanity the likes of which you’ve never heard. When it comes to hypothetically meeting Trevor in real life or playing this game online, we’d pick Trevor, it's that bad.

#1: “League of Legends” (2009)

Where to begin with these two? Gamers typically reference League and DOTA when speaking about toxic MOBA communities, and for good reason. Something about these games just seems to bring out the worst in people, as you will hear some of the most racist, profane, and inappropriate language you will ever hear while playing. Players sabotage teammates with intentional feeding and verbally assault other gamers for performing poorly. Many remain unapologetic in their behavior, and it’s gotten so bad that major gaming websites have actively written about the problem. But perhaps the worst part is how the two communities are incredibly hostile to each other, why can’t they just be nice to each other? That’s a very good question.