Case Study: Riot Games x Calm
Competitive
Infrastructure.
High performance was creating low sustainability.
Toxic behavior and emotional burnout were no longer just moderation issues—they were growth risks. In high-stakes ranked ecosystems, emotional volatility is inevitable. Leadership needed a way to address toxicity without compromising competitive intensity.
Toxicity is a
Performance Problem.
"Stress amplifies tilt, and tilt amplifies toxicity."
Research shows mindfulness can reduce stress reactivity by 40%. We reframed wellness not as therapy, but as mental performance training. If players regulated their tilt, they played better. If they played better, toxicity declined.
The Competitive Loop.
1. Pre-Match
Focus Drops
Short, guided sessions embedded before ranked queues. Framed as "mental warmups" to increase performance satisfaction and reduce early-game tilt.
2. Post-Match
Reset Moments
60-second breathing resets triggered after losses. Integrated with "Streak Protection" mechanics to stop rage-queuing and reduce post-loss churn.
3. Wellness
Battle Pass
Status-driven progression where players earned exclusive cosmetics for completing resets and maintaining sportsmanship streaks.
Audience Expansion.
Calm’s audience is 78% female—a demographic underrepresented in competitive gaming. This partnership wasn't just about health; it was a cross-platform acquisition funnel to bring new players into the Riot ecosystem.
78%
Calm Female Audience
150M+
Target Reach
Measurement & Impact.
Acquisition
- • % increase in female signups
- • Calm-to-Riot conversion rate
- • CPA vs traditional paid media
Retention
- • Reduction in post-loss churn
- • Day 30 retention lift
- • Ranked re-queue stability
Toxicity
- • % reduction in player reports
- • Repeat offender decline
- • Honor-level progression
My Role
Strategy & Experience Lead
• Growth Lever Identification
• Experience Architecture
• Incentive & Reward Design
• KPI & Attribution Modeling
Healthier players are a
Growth Strategy.
By engineering sustainable competition, we transformed wellness from a passive intervention into a primary competitive advantage.