"Smurfing Is a Pretty Common Problem": Toward a Performative Conception of Toxicity

This document explores the concept of "toxicity" in online multiplayer video games, arguing for a performative understanding of the phenomenon rather than a fixed definition. The research highlights that existing definitions of toxicity are often unstable and context-dependent, influenced by player relationships and technical game elements. The study focuses on Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) where team-based play and the formation of cliques make exclusion an integral feature, often leading to gendered and masculine-normative spaces.

The methodology involved distributing cultural probe kits to 28 participants, designed to disrupt their gaming experience and encourage self-reflexive reflection on "pressure points"—behaviors typically categorized as toxic. Participants were instructed to integrate these kits into their regular gameplay routines. Focus groups and interviews were also conducted, using the term "pressure points" to avoid priming participants with common understandings of toxicity.

Key findings indicate that participants' understanding of these pressure points was complex and often contradictory, with many associating them with fun or describing them as actions to counter toxicity. This led to the conclusion that a single, clear-cut definition of toxicity is insufficient. The study proposes conceptualizing toxicity as an expression of performance, utilizing Goffman's dramaturgical theory, which allows for understanding how toxicity is contested and opposed, sometimes through heightened toxicity, and how traditionally toxic behaviors can be non-toxic in certain contexts. The research introduces "counterplay" as a performance of toxicity in response to pressure points, identifying three instances: "fighting fire with fire" (reciprocal toxic behavior), "ludic mithridatism" (developing tolerance for toxicity), and "playful transgression" (challenging norms through counter-hegemonic play). The scope of the study is qualitative, focusing on player experiences within MMOGs without specific geographic or time period limitations beyond the contemporary online gaming landscape.