How to reduce overall toxicity and even deal with irritated players

Before you dive into this discussion, keep in mind the following: you gotta have nerves of steel (aka. don't get that easily triggered, just go with the flow)

'ight, hence Pyramid Head made his majestic entrance into this god-forsaken realm of the Entity, some "experienced" Survivors really don't like playing against him (neither do I, because I'm too scared to play as survivor), yet this is not a legitimate reason to verbally attack ANY player (sometimes it went waaaaay to far, reaching doxing and even death threats). Now, we all know the feeling of competition when you're at the brig of losing and that sensation you get for not doing an outstanding performance, it's a normal thing in the gaming industry, but therefore not a reason to ruin one's fun for self satisfaction. Look, what I'm trying to say are the following: you see some survivors / killer be all the definitions of toxicity and then he/she/them start ruining your experience, yet, my dear pal/gal/spidery malevolent friend, you shouldn't let that ruin your fun, especially in a game that is supposed to make you chuckle after being scared [REDACTED]-less for a brief moment or achieving something amazing that would bring some joy on your face. Here's how I personally deal with such players (maybe you should try it too, just saying):

1) sounds super dumb but please hear me out: take a deep breath, why? well, studies and recent data have shown that taking a deep breath or simply reducing your breathing speed while boiling mad actually sends some information directly to the brain to reduce the production of stress hormones. (Also PLEASE: Do NOT throw your anger at anyone, including your family, because 1st they have done nothing wrong and 2nd, it's just a game)

2) Try playing a little bit more "laid on the back" from time to time. You see, I've been playing as a killer for roughly 320 hours in total and believe me when I say, I forgot what it was like to play for fun due to being a tryhard or facing players who forgot the meaning of Empathy (I'm not trying to trigger any parties regardless). By that, I'm meaning the following: have some fun, toy around, maybe boop the snoot or a cha cha crouching line with Ghostface or even let the player(s) breathe from time to time. Doing so will actually enhance your experience in this game (give it a shot, you're not losing anything vital)

3) [Please don't go ham on me for this one] Try giving some friendly advice in the post-game chat. Say whaaaaat? Exactly, give some playing advice - no matter what rank or how many hours of gameplay any individual has - it doesn't have to be a whole book (no pun intended), but a few sentences, which make sense. Such as: Next time when you see a Killer head straight towards you after being hooked, keep in mind he/she/it might've had a one's aura reading perk. Or: You're doing OK with the XYZ Killer, but next time try using more of his/hers/its ability(ies) in order to improve yourself.

4) Compliments (yes, compliments, that one thing you rarely see meant with pure honesty instead of sarcasm) Say you can land fantastic hatchets as the huntress from afar or know how to use the Redeemer, props to you! your aim is awesome! It would be quite rewarding to tell someone that, even though it's a insignificant tiny act of kindness, it can genuinely change someone's mood within seconds. Or: wow, you really know how to make use of the perks you have XYZ Survivor, thumbs up or nicely done! - with that being said: show some kindness to players who are actually good or are improvising / first timers, which brings me to the next suggestion:

5) Veterans be nice. Look, we all hate seeing a new player ruin everything, either can't nail skill checks / die immediately or bring the killer to you (or as a killer) you're being indirectly mocked by the survivors for being a beginner. No one likes that, especially for those who recently started to hear the whispers of the fog. "How" you may ask? Simple, just don't be a jerk towards them. They do a mistake, it's ok, let them learn from it instead of calling names and pointing fingers. Keep in mind that knowing more about a video game than anyone else means that you probably wasted your life a lot more on it. Remember the first time you played this really cool game? Well, try reflecting upon that moment when spotting a new player in the game and think twice before committing any rushed actions.

6) Beginners, please adapt: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" -Lao Tzu. With that being said: try learning the core mechanics of the game as soon as possible, there is no need of a rush, but keep in mind that sometimes doing mistakes can come at a great cost. If you do any mistakes, LEARN FROM THEM!!! There's no other way for one to directly improve itself but by learning via trial and error. If you don't like doing that/too confusing, asking for help was never a guillotine, so feel free to ask for help either from experienced players (doesn't always work) or play with some friends for the first time (it's very VERY fun) and you'll come out with a laugh and then, over the time, get better... (unless you're a potato as yours truly here)

7) [my personal method of dealing with toxic players in the post game chat] Try playing as a therapist, why? Well you see, 1st) there's no need to argue with you, because you're chill and 2nd, let them talk about the thing that bothered he/she/them. Sometimes they actually go and calm down after typing some sentences saying why they're mad, which is a good time for you to actually calm them down, be creative, DON'T POUR GASOLINE!!!. Other times, the players will get even angrier and start posting in all the offensive words they have in their vocabulary, which is another moment for you to prove that you're not that low and actually ignore their toxicity, keep in mind that fire will eventually extinguish itself after not being able to gain any other nourishment. How? you may ask (again) let me show you 3 little screenshots on how I play as the therapist or play dumb

I was obviously joking regarding the British government [sometimes typing too fast in video games shows that even the smallest spelling errors can manage their way through] (please don't hate me gov'na), but here's a clear example on how you handle such moments. Keep a cool head, no matter what they say. If they come on your profile and bombard you with -rep, keep the following in mind: it means absolutely nothing, it's basically a pamphlet that has been taken as a codex over time by sheep, thinking that wasting time with -rep means that specific individual is a big doo doo head.

Last but not least:

8) mute the post game chat if you really don't want to read anything that may anger you in any way, shape or form. Ridiculous as well, but at least spares you some time.

I don't expect this thread to make any sorts of changes into the behavior of both parties, but it is a little help for those who actually want to be released from the never-ending cycle of toxicity and play the game as they desire without having to leave the game with an impending heart attack instead of a smile every time after playing either as Survivor or as a Killer.

PS, if you feel like a player is being abusive (such as doxing, death threats or even cyberbullying, do NOT hesitate to contact both Steam and BHVR regarding such issues. If you feel like it's going too far, call your local authorities to take further action.