There is definitely a more pronounced vocalization of hatred on applications connected to the internet. It's easy to be rude and spew hate when there are basically no real repercussions.

The types of multiplayer games often have a community demeanor that coincides with the game genre. More competitive games will have more critical players while cooperative games will often feature friendlier players. I haven't played Valorant but I have played Counter-Strike and Call of Duty before and those matches are full of players frothing at the mouth and pointing out mistakes.

My solution to avoiding direct verbal assault is to mute players when their communication starts to turn hostile in a direct manner. If it's not critical advice or helpful banter/input on how to proceed in the next skirmish then I am not for it.

The reporting system definitely is a shot in the dark on many games but Riot Games in general have a pretty tight grip on it's reporting tickets and often dispenses punishments if the ticket issue is confirmed.

Free to play games though often have a history of mass offenders whereas a paid game will temper many because nobody wants to be locked out of something they've paid for.

I think your approach on indifference not being the solution is a correct way to spread the message though the player should always protect themselves however possible before wading into the aggressive space occupied by hostile players.

Thank you for sharing your message!