Toxic Gaming Culture and Brand Image in DOTA 2 Communities:A Qualitative Study from the Marketing Perspective

Abstract

Toxic gaming culture encompassing harassment, verbal abuse, deliberate game-throwing, and exclusionary behavior within online competitive communities has attracted growing scholarly attention, yet its implications from a marketing perspective remain significantly underexplored. This qualitative phenomenological study investigates how toxic behavior within the DOTA 2 community shapes brand perception of the game and its developer, how players collectively construct and evaluate the reputation of the DOTA 2 community, and how toxic culture influences player retention decisions. Grounded in brand image theory, online consumer behavior frameworks, and community management scholarship, the study draws on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 participants comprising active DOTA 2 players, lapsed players who reduced engagement due to toxicity, and content creators operating within the Indonesian DOTA 2 scene with particular reference to the Makassar esports ecosystem. Thematic analysis of the data yields four major findings: toxic behavior functions as a persistent negative signal that degrades brand image independently of product quality; the community's reputation is experienced as both a deterrent to new players and a source of identity ambivalence for committed players; toxic culture operates as a significant driver of churn through cumulative psychological cost; and community management practices including those by developers and local influencers mediate the severity of these effects. The study contributes a marketing-oriented analytical lens to the toxicity literature and offers practical implications for game publishers, esports organizations, and brand partners operating in competitive gaming contexts.