Gaming in the Crossfire: How Toxicity Affects Player Experience in PUBG

A 2025 qualitative study published in the International Journal of Games and Social Impact examines how toxic behaviour shapes the experience of players of PUBG, a team-based battle royale game that has received comparatively little scholarly attention relative to MMORPGs and general online gaming. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 30 active players aged 16 to 30, along with analysis of Reddit and Discord discussions from February 2023 to August 2024, the research covers PUBG Mobile as well as the broader PUBG community. Its central argument is that toxicity harms both individual enjoyment and community health, and that effective remedies must combine technological, community-driven, and policy-based interventions.

The study identifies four core forms of toxicity: verbal harassment, trolling, gender-based discrimination, and cheating. It attributes these behaviours largely to the Online Disinhibition Effect, whereby anonymity, asynchronous communication, and weak social cues lower inhibitions, while competitive pressure amplifies hostility. Participants reported frustration, withdrawal from play, reduced retention, and, notably among younger players, the carryover of hostile communication habits into offline life. Women and minority players were particularly exposed to gender-based and identity-based harassment.

Participants who described positive experiences pointed to improved reporting tools, collaborative community events, and accountability-focused norms as meaningful remedies, findings the authors connect to social learning theory and existing research on disinhibition. Supporting context includes Anti-Defamation League data indicating that 74 percent of surveyed players (n = 1,045) have encountered toxicity. The authors recommend PUBG-specific, community-driven interventions, while acknowledging the limits of a small, self-reported, cross-sectional sample that cannot establish prevalence or causation across the wider player base.