It’s the 3rd Friday in June, which means today is Stop Cyberbullying Day! To celebrate and bring awareness, we sat down with Melanin Gamers, the team behind toxicityrating.com, to chat about how players, companies, and technology can help dismantle toxicity in gaming.

The roundtable, hosted by Mine Gamers on Stop Cyberbullying Day, brought together speakers from GGWP, Melanin Gamers, and moderation experts to discuss toxicity in gaming. They highlighted both the personal and financial costs of toxic environments, with data showing up to 20% churn rates and 40% of players avoiding games seen as hostile. Speakers agreed that toxicity not only drives away players but also compounds over time, underscoring the urgency of proactive solutions. Importantly, they emphasized that toxicity should not be considered part of gaming’s DNA; instead, it should be addressed as both a moral and business imperative.

The discussion then turned to solutions, stressing the balance of AI tools and human judgment. Automated systems can help reduce reporting burdens and flag issues in real time, but require clear definitions of harmful behavior and ongoing oversight to be effective. Human moderators remain essential for nuanced decisions and fostering transparency. Beyond removing toxicity, panelists argued for amplifying positive behavior, through community guidelines, rewards, and education that integrate with game lore or use beloved characters. The session concluded with consensus that publishers and developers must actively shape welcoming communities, where fairness, accountability, and reinforcement of good play drive long-term retention and satisfaction.

Check out the video below for the full conversation: 

GGWP thanks the team at Melanin Gamers for their important work on this StopCyberBullyingDay and in promoting diversity and inclusion in gaming.