Don't Hate the Player, Hate his Inauthenticity

League of Legends’ characters are predetermined, not characters players can design to be an online replica of themselves. (Team Graves, 2013)

As a social network, League of Legends is a post-humanist system. As a player, you know that behind each character and username in your game is a real person, however, unlike MMORPGs, MOBA games’ characters are predetermined, not someone you create to be an online version of yourself.

There is no authenticity or selfhood when it comes to average players. McNeill (2012) describes the authenticity of someone on Facebook through the basic information that users provide, such as sex, location, email and workplace. However, this option is not one available in League of Legends. You don’t see users’ real names or basic information, unless they choose to disclose them, nor does the game ask for any more than an email and a date of birth when you sign up. However, players do have the option communicate through external game add-ons such as Curse.  

On the other hand, there are those in the community who stream online using platforms such as Twitch and Youtube, or have followed the path of a professional career in League of Legends, have had their face put out into the online network. However, those who put their face out into the LoL sphere, also put out an unauthentic version of themselves. Many of which have found out that “in a virtual network, you are not the only person constructing your identity.” (Kuttainen, 2016).

Whether this is the identity where they’re told the best player on their server or their stream is plagued by internet trolls, most streamers put out the version of themselves that will earn them the most money through Twitch’s donation system. This has resulted in many female Twitch streamers falling under the ‘Ban Hammer’ for flashing viewers in an attempt to raise their viewer base and revenue.

All in all, League of Legends, whether the players are anonymous or famous streamers, is a community that lacks authenticity and selfhood.

References:

Kuttainen, V. (2016). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narrative and the making of place, lecture 6: Networked Narratives [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

McNeill, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social networking sites and posthuman auto-biography. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.edu.au

Morgan, B. (2016). 5 Twitch Streamers Banned for Flashing Viewers. Retrieved from http://www.gameskinny.com/grzc1/5-twitch-streamers-banned-for-flashing-viewers

Team Graves [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/media/art/team-graves