Toxicity in the game World of Tanks: A participant observation ethnography, thematic analysis, content analysis and autoethnography

Abstract: Previous research has studied toxicity in World of Tanks game with a focus on precursors of toxicity, player performance in the game from the perspective of gender-performance gap or observing the players' major behaviors instigated by various situations within the game. This research focuses on player's behavior in the game chat with an emphasis on toxic behavior by using participant observation ethnography, thematic analysis, content analysis and autoethnography. Contrary to the predicted belief that game mechanics could instigate toxic behavior in the game, results showed that the major forms of toxicity were regarded as gamesplaining, ableism, sarcasm, male preserve concept and fragile masculinity concept.