Taking Care of Toxicity: Challenges and Strategies for Inclusion in U.S. Collegiate Esports Programs

Collegiate esports programs are rapidly expanding across the United States, offering a meaningful location in which to study diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because educational institutions must legally provide equal opportunities for all students, collegiate esports programs may need to avoid gaming culture’s longstanding tendency toward toxic behavior and language. At the same time, it is unclear whether or how effectively collegiate programs currently promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, necessitating further exploration. Drawing on 31 in-depth interviews with collegiate esports players, program directors, tournament organizers, and members of related student support organizations, this research identifies four challenges that collegiate esports programs currently face when trying to prevent toxicity and encourage broader cultures of care and inclusion: (a) ambiguous definitions of “toxicity,” (b) its normalization, (c) unclear reporting/response mechanisms for those facing harassment, and (d) the collegiate esports community’s insularity. We discuss each of these themes and their impacts individually, then provide initial recommendations for esports programs hoping to better care for their students.