One in five female online gamers quit due to toxicity

Bryter’s new report on female gamers revealed critical information on the negative impacts of online gaming.

Bryter has shared a new study, titled, Female Gamers Report, indicating that 21% of female online gamers quit due to toxic and threatening gaming experiences. The company stated that this is the highest level of toxicity towards females in gaming ever recorded.

According to the survey, 72% of female gamers experienced gaming toxicity, compared to 64% in 2021. Although toxicity is a problem for everyone, female players’ experiences are often more threatening than their male counterparts. The company shared that some instances manifest into serious consequences outside of gaming.

Bryter’s Female Gamers Study reported the exact numbers of the survey as follows:

  • 14% had received threats
  • 35% had been harassed
  • 35% had experienced negative actions of gameplay
  • 41% had been sent inappropriate content
  • 44% had been aggressively quizzed about their gaming experience
  • 50% experienced verbal abuse

Jenny McBean, Research Director and Head of Gaming at Bryter, commented on the findings of the research:

“Limited progress in tackling toxicity is losing gaming companies’ players and money. Our research shows that nearly half of females playing online multiplayer don’t reveal their gender and one in three avoid speaking for fear of negative reactions from male players. Adapting gameplay in this way is restricting user experience, isolating female players, and hampering team communication.”

“Bryter’s Female Gamers report highlights two priority areas for game developers and publishers: character design and player experience/safety. By introducing strong female characters with meaningful roles, our research shows the opportunity to increase long-term player engagement with the game or franchise.”

“On the safety front, giving players the tools to manage their own player experience, demonstrating a more significant commitment to act against perpetrators, and introducing highly-visible, simple tools to ease reporting will help players feel safe. Committed gaming companies will profit – financially and reputationally – they’ll expand their customer base and help ensure online multiplayer experience satisfaction.”

The company also mentioned that most (62%) female gamers rarely report negative behavior, mainly due to ineffective reporting processes. Just 38% of female gamers feel that there are adequate processes to deal with gaming toxicity, and 34% felt there is often no point in reporting toxicity as there are rarely consequences against the perpetrator. You can find the report here.

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