Live client
Beyond the Lobby: How Riot Games Is Reducing Toxicity to Unlock Growth
My Role
Strategic Development
Data Collection and Analysis
Project Management & Client Communication
deliverables
Wellness Partnership Strategy
Co-Branded Content Strategy
Player Behavior and Toxicity Insight Report
Client Response
Our client responded positively to this proposed campaign, and selected the idea from three initial proposed ideas. Our client specifically recognized the partnership as culturally relevant and a differentiated approach to addressing toxicity beyond traditional moderation systems currently used in the gaming industry.
background
Female gamers are an untapped market within the gaming world, brimming with potential and opportunity. While women make up nearly half of the global gaming population, they account for only 30% of our client Riot Games’ consumer base.
This gap represents more than a cultural issue, it also signals a growth opportunity Riot Games has yet to fully capture. The underlying barrier for women in gaming is not lack of interest, instead it is experience.
problem
Toxic environments can discourage participation, especially amongst underrepresented players. Beginner and seasoned female gamers alike report feeling threatened by the hostility and harassment they experience while gaming, resulting in an overall lack of connection with each other and other gamers in general.
We found through our initial research that these issues make them less likely to find community and engage with Riot Games’ platforms and shared spaces.
55% of women in gaming have experienced gender biased toxicity and harassment.
insight
Toxic behavior is often amplified by stress and competitive frustration, commonly known as “tilt”. Academic and gaming industry research shows that mindfulness practices reduce reactive aggression and improve emotional regulation. If Riot can reduce stress during gameplay by implementing mindfulness practices, it can reduce toxicity and increase retention.
Mindfulness practices reduce toxicity by 37% and boost player abilities.
our strategy
As a result of our research, we proposed a strategic partnership between Riot Games and the mindfulness app Calm.
why calm?
Audience Overlap
Calm has over 150 million users, who are predominantly between the ages of 18-45, which closely mirrors Riot’s core demographic. Additionally, 78% of Calm users are women aged 25-35, the exact segment Riot struggles with retaining. This provides a dual opportunity: access to a high value female audience, and cultural credibility in the wellness space.
proven behavioral impact
Calm already has the infrastructure, trust, and behavioral foundations to meaningfully reduce stress amongst users. Instead of building internally, Riot can leverage Calm’s existing tools and platform to move faster and reduce risk.
seasonal timing advantage
Back to school (August-September) sees a:
23% in wellness app usage
18% rise in mobile gaming
70% of college students seeking mental health apps in September alone
Yet, only 12% of gaming studios activate wellness partnerships during Q3.
This presents another opportunity for Riot Games to own the narrative and stand out amongst competitors.
the calm x Riot Games Collaboration
Our campaign promotes a gaming community that supports all players and encourages an atmosphere of inclusion and collaboration. This campaign involves a three-tiered structure, with each aspect of the partnership aiming to tackle hostility in the gaming community.
Tier 1: Acquisition Through Co-Branded Content
Game-themed meditation packs, in-game ambient soundscapes, and free Calm Premium trials for new Riot signups introduce Riot to wellness-focused audiences.
Business goal: Player acquisition
Tier 2: in-game stress interventions
Post-match breathing sessions and “Mindful Pause” streak protection features reduce tilt after losses.
Business goal: retention
Tier 3: inclusive community infrastructure
Wellness battle passes, Calm Party Queues, and mentorship programs incentivize positive participation and create safer spaces for female players.
Business goal: 20% increase in new female users, 20% decrease in toxicity reports
Games with wellness integrations see 230% higher D7 retention, a measurement that refers to the percentage of players who return to a game seven days after installation, a critical benchmark in gaming because early retention strongly predicts long term revenue gains over time.
Co-branded meditation packs and in-game audio experiences that live on Calm’s app introduce Riot to Calm’s predominantly female audience, driving new player acquisition through shared cultural relevance.
This shows a breathing session with one of Riot’s characters, Sage. This breathing session would exist in the form of a post-match intervention, with one of Riot’s characters leading the experience. These breathing sessions reduce tilt at its peak frustration moments, protecting player experience and increasing long term retention.
This represents the campaign across Riot’s platforms and community hubs. These spaces would not directly live in the Calm app or Riot’s, instead in Riot sponsored community spaces, such as Discord. Structured mentorship and inclusive squad formation tools foster safer onboarding experiences, increasing female participation and strengthening long-term community loyalty.
mitigating risk
A key concern is whether gamers would actively use the Calm app. To mitigate this risk, the partnership:
Gamifies mindfulness through unlockable game perks
Integrates breathing sessions natively post match, with no extra friction
Incentivizes participation through rank protection, meaning players are more likely to engage with a mindfulness feature if doing so protects them from losing competitive rank after a loss
Launches during a season when stress-driven wellness adoption peaks, and users are most interested.