Ubisoft and Riot launch first cross-industry research project to combat toxicity

Toxicity has always been an issue in the multiplayer video game industry. From MOBAs to first-person shooters, negative attitudes inevitably end up spilling into lobbies, ruining the experience for anyone who just wanted to try their hand at online play.

In a never-before-seen initiative across two major video game companies, Ubisoft and Riot Games have launched a new technological partnership called the “Zero Harm in Comms” research project, the companies announced today. This project will have both companies contribute to a shared database and labeling ecosystem that gathers in-game data for training preemptive moderation tools that can eventually detect and mitigate any toxic and disruptive players.

“Disruptive behavior isn’t a problem that is unique to games—every company that has an online social platform is working to address this challenging space,” Riot’s technology research head Wesley Kerr said. “That is why we’re committed to working with industry partners like Ubisoft who believe in creating safe communities and fostering positive experiences in online spaces.”

By combining Riot’s vast presence in the online gaming sphere and Ubisoft’s knowledge and experience in the gaming sector, the two companies hope to build a diverse database that can cover every possible type of disruptive behavior through their respective AI-based detection systems.

“At Ubisoft, we have been working on concrete measures to ensure safe and enjoyable experiences, but we believe that, by coming together as an industry, we will be able to tackle this issue more effectively.” Ubisoft La Forge executive director Yves Jacquier said. “Through this technological partnership with Riot Games, we are exploring how to better prevent in-game toxicity as designers of these environments with a direct link to our communities.”

No matter the outcome of the project, Ubisoft and Riot plan to share their findings with the video game industry by next year. If things are going smoothly, this project should only be the first step toward building an even larger cross-industry project to help the greater video game community for future generations.