League of Legends is a popular MOBA game that has been a primary focus for researchers of toxic behavior in video games. This paper aims to understand what adverse gameplay elements and characteristics potentially lead to such behavior. 15 players were surveyed on their definition on adverse gameplay and their general thoughts on what proper gameplay is and their reaction to adverse gameplay. These players enjoyed playing the game with their friends and attributed success to teamwork, achieving objectives, and decision timing. Their definition of adverse gameplay ranges from negative gameplay elements to non-serious gameplay. Players may not be able to rectify adverse gameplay of others, but some are inclined to not blame the player for their unoptimal gameplay.

Arthur Joe-Leun Tham. 2020. Adverse Gameplay in League of Legends: A Preliminary Analysis of Player Perspectives on Teammate Gameplay in a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Game. In Informatics 203 (INF203 ’20). Irvine, CA, USA, 4 pages. No DOI.

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