This case study outlines the findings and impact uncovered by Modulate and Activision through carefully designed analysis of ToxMod’s impact on the Call of Duty community.
Activision’s Call of Duty franchise stands as a titan in the realm of first-person action games, captivating millions of players with its immersive gameplay and dynamic multiplayer experiences. Its legacy, built on a foundation of thrilling combat and strategic teamwork, has cemented it as a favorite among gamers worldwide.
In its online multiplayer modes which utilize voice chat for team communication and coordination, toxicity presents an ongoing challenge. In response, the Call of Duty team at Activision has implemented a series of advancements to the player experience, including the launch of a new player reporting system, regular progress reports on anti-toxicity as well as ongoing anti-cheat efforts as part of its RICOCHET Anti-Cheat initiative. Specific to combating toxicity in voice chats, the Call of Duty team collaborated with Modulate to implement its ToxMod technology.
ToxMod is specifically designed to address the unique challenges of moderating in-game voice communication. By leveraging machine learning tuned with real gaming data, ToxMod can tell the difference between competitive banter and genuine harassment.
This case study outlines the findings and impact uncovered by Modulate and Activision through carefully designed analysis of ToxMod’s impact on the Call of Duty community.
While the primary focus of the analysis was to understand and improve player experience, working closely with the Call of Duty team and complementing additional related efforts, Modulate was able to analyze the impact the introduction of voice moderation was having on player engagement, and found sizable positive effects.
Multiplayer games have given people a unique way to connect with others through play. Voice chat-enabled games, in particular, have taken the player experience to a whole new level, adding a more human and more immersive layer to gameplay, fostering a greater sense of community across the globe.
One of these games that has left an undeniable mark on the multiplayer gaming space is Call of Duty published by Activision. Over the past two decades, Call of Duty has become one of the leading first-person action games in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records reconfirmed its standing as one of the top-selling video game following the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III in November 2023.
Games like Call of Duty are popular because they foster connection, competition, skill and fun. Prior to the official launch of ToxMod in Call of Duty, an ADL report found that 77% of adult video game players had experienced some form of severe harassment — and Call of Duty is most definitely not immune. And with a fanbase of this size, moderating that toxicity presents unique challenges.
Toxic behavior, ranging from derogatory remarks to harassment, not only tarnishes individual gameplay experiences, but also can erode the sense of camaraderie and respect that underpins healthy gaming communities.
The impact of such behavior extends beyond momentary discomfort; it can lead to players taking a step away from the game for a few hours, days, or even quitting altogether (also known as player churn) and diminished community engagement. As Activision continued to fulfill its initiatives to support Call of Duty’s player community, the teams at Activision and Modulate developed a hypothesis: shifting toward proactive voice moderation via ToxMod would materially improve player experience, while materially reducing toxicity exposure rates.
Recognizing the limitations of traditional moderation methods and the unique challenges presented by real-time voice communication, the decision to adopt ToxMod was driven by Activision’s commitment to maintaining a positive and inclusive gaming environment for the Call of Duty community.
Key considerations included:
ToxMod operates within Call of Duty through a sophisticated, multi-stage process designed to proactively identify and prioritize toxic voice chat interactions for Activision’s human moderator team. ToxMod is also designed to respect player privacy. To that end, ToxMod is designed to recognize speech, but ToxMod does not engage in speaker identification, and does not create a biometric voiceprint of any user. This process can be broken down into three phases:
In the first stage, ToxMod analyzes voice communications in real-time, looking for toxic speech as defined by Call of Duty’s Code of Conduct. This initial filtering allows ToxMod to determine which conversations warrant greater attention and is crucial for efficiently identifying conversations that warrant closer examination.
Interactions flagged in the triage stage then undergo a deeper analysis to understand context and intention. It evaluates nuances: slang, tone of voice, cultural references, and the conversation between players. By doing so, ToxMod can distinguish between competitive banter, which is a natural part of the gaming experience, and genuinely harmful content.
After ToxMod prioritizes and analyzes a voice chat interaction that is very likely a violation of Call of Duty’s Code of Conduct, the issue is escalated to Activision for review. Rather than funneling all voice chat interactions to moderators, this tiered approach ensures that potential false positives are removed from the moderation flow.
ToxMod’s impact was initially assessed within North America for English-speaking Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone players. This initial analysis allowed Activision teams to gather initial insights into the scale and type of behavior happening in voice chats and to fine-tune ToxMod’s detection specifically for the Call of Duty player base.
In the control group, ToxMod’s data showed at least 25% of the Modern Warfare II player base was exposed to severe gender/sexual harassment (~90% of detected offenses) and racial/cultural harassment (~10% of detected offenses).
Among all voice chat infractions in the treatment group, ToxMod data shows that about 50% of infractions were from first-time offenders. Only ~10% of first-time offense warnings were issued to new players or players returning to Call of Duty after some time.
Data showed that reactive moderation approaches like player-generated reports addressed only a small fraction of the violations:
Modulate and Activision also analyzed the impact of proactive voice moderation on player engagement. Proactive moderator actioning against Code of Conduct violations in the treatment group boosted the overall number of active players. Comparing the treatment group to the control group in Modern Warfare II, the treatment group saw:
The longer moderation efforts went on, the larger the positive impact. Comparing the total number of active players in the treatment group to the control group after 3, 7, and 21 days:
Following the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III in November 2023 in all regions across the globe except Asia:
The integration of ToxMod into the most popular video game franchise in the world represents a significant step in Activision’s ongoing efforts to reduce toxicity in Call of Duty titles. Beyond Call of Duty, Activision’s strong stance against toxicity demonstrates what is possible for other game franchises across the globe, redefining in-game communication standards and setting a new benchmark for proactive moderation in the multiplayer gaming industry. By prioritizing real-time intervention and fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity, Call of Duty is not only enhancing the gaming experience for its players but also leading by example in the broader gaming industry.