Gamers' Strategies to Avoid the Negative Impact of Dota 2's Trash Talking in Madiun City

Abstract

Trash talking is a form of aggressive communication frequently found in competitive games such as Dota 2 and has the potential to disrupt players’ emotional states and gameplay performance. This study aims to describe how Dota 2 players perceive, experience, and respond to trash talking within competitive interactions. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach with five informants selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically based on the research focus. The findings show that players interpret trash talking in various ways, ranging from competitive humor to explicit provocation. At the organism stage, players exhibit emotional reactions such as irritation and frustration, while some become more motivated. At the response stage, players apply coping strategies such as muting communication, ignoring negative comments, responding lightly, or choosing to play with friends to maintain comfort. The study concludes that players’ responses to trash talking are influenced by individual interpretation, emotional readiness, and coping ability. These findings reinforce the relevance of the Stimulus–Organism–Response theory in understanding behavioral dynamics in competitive gaming.