Riot Games and Take This Launch New Mental Health Initiative
Riot Games has joined forces with mental health organization Take This to launch a new initiative connecting gaming with mental health support. This collaboration follows a viral video where a streamer faced harassment during a game of Valorant.
Valorant's executive director Anna Donlon responded, emphasizing Riot's commitment to addressing toxic behavior in gaming. To further this effort, Riot is focusing on mental well-being within the gaming community.
The Accelerate Fellowship Program targets early-career professionals eager to explore mental health in the gaming industry. The program will be overseen by therapist Sarah Hayes and clinical psychologist/game designer Kelli Dunlap. Dunlap expressed her enthusiasm on Twitter, calling Accelerate "the program I dreamed about as a baby video game psychologist."
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Donlon also addressed Valorant’s current issues with toxicity, stating the team is developing solutions but wants to implement changes before making public promises.
Partnering with Take This highlights Riot's dedication to mental health, with applications for the Accelerate program opening on June 3.