[ajuc]

I've played DOTA 2 and Starcraft 2, and while both are exceptionally competitive multiplayer games - DOTA is far more toxic. I've had maybe 10 toxic communications in years of playing sc2. Almost every lost game of dota ends in name calling and blaming each other for the loss. Almost every game of starcraft ends with the losing player writing "gg" and surrendering.

In my opinion there's several factor contributing to this differences in cultures:

1. starcraft match usually takes about 15 minutes. Dota game takes about 45 minutes.

2. you are expected to surrender in starcraft when you recognize it's over - playing to lose condition is disrepectful; you cannot surrender in dota in practice (abandoning the game is harshly penalized by the matchmaking system)

3. there's more than 10% chance you'll be stuck playing a lost game that you have no influence over for more than 30 minutes in dota. This never happens in starcraft - either you surrender or you think you can win.

4. the culture of starcraft is influenced mostly by Koreans. Showing off isn't considered cool. Fountain diving is common in dota.

I don't think it's multiplayer games that are inherently toxic. I think highly competitive team-based multiplayer games played with random people with no way to surrender are :) And even then I'm yet to see an example of dota player becoming violent because of the game. If any game can do this it has to be dota.