Payal Gaming Faces Toxicity in Indian Gaming Community, GodLike Ghatak Vows Strict Action
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Content creator Payal Dhare aka Payal Gaming recently revealed in a livestream that there are Instagram accounts that have “gdxl” (Commonly used to refer to GodLike) in their handles, that are targeting content creators and are harassing them with abusive comments and messages that include murder and rape threats. GodLike Esports coach Abhijeet “Ghatak” Andhare has called out these accounts for spreading hate and said that the organization will be taking action against them.
Multiple “fans” are targeting streamers in the Indian gaming community
In a recent livestream, Payal revealed that she recently had a conversation with Lokesh "Goldy" Jain, co-owner of S8UL Esports, about an issue she was facing. Goldy then reached out to Ghatak, who confirmed that the accounts in question were created with the intention of spreading toxicity, emphasizing that they were not genuine fans. This problem is not only affecting Payal but also other creators in the community, including Kaashvi Hiranandani.
During her discussion, Payal highlighted the presence of negative comments on posts as a common occurrence. However, she specifically pointed out the existence of fake fan pages and individuals unofficially using the GodLike Esports name to propagate hate. To support her claim, she shared several screenshots showcasing the actions of these accounts. Payal appealed to those responsible for spreading hate, urging them not to tarnish the reputation of other organizations by using their name in such negative ways.
Ghatak said on Instagram, “I see lots of Instagram handles using GodLike’s name and spreading hate to other players and organizations. Using our name and spreading hate doesn’t make you a fan. You are simply a toxic kid hiding behind social media”
He revealed that GodLike has started investigating such accounts and strict action will be taken against anyone who partakes in such activities. AFK Gaming obtained screenshots of a group chat that shed light on a concerning pattern of collusion amongst its members. These individuals appear to coordinate their efforts to systematically harass female streamers from S8UL Esports.
Tanmay “Scout” Singh is also taking action against one of the accounts spreading hate. He revealed in a recent livestream that he has filed a police complaint against the account. He also revealed that the account allegedly morphs images of female content creators and shares them online.
Easy access to the internet and online anonymity has proven to be dangerous time and again. In the gaming community, toxicity affects esports teams, organizations, streamers and even game developers and publishers. Online multiplayer titles like League of Legends have a massive toxicity problem and streamers can contribute to it in some cases. According to a study conducted jointly by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Newzoo, Dota 2 and Valorant are the most toxic online games, both of which are popular in the Indian gaming community.
NODWIN Gaming’s Global Head Esports (Partnerships & Special Projects) Nimish Raut talked about how toxicity and racism affect esports adversely in AFK Gaming’s podcast. Last year, Respawn Entertainment had to issue a statement to fans and urged them to stop online harassment. Destiny 2 and Halo 1 developer Bungie has halted communications with fans in the past due to the constant toxicity faced by fans.
