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FACEIT’s AI admin tackling toxic behaviour learns to detect verbal toxicity and mic spam

Published

5 years ago

December 16, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

FACEIT, the makers of Minerva, the first artificial intelligence powered admin, can reveal her upgraded capabilities in the fight against toxic behaviour in competitive games. Minerva can now hear and is able to understand voice messages in all languages. Detecting toxic behaviour on voice chat including verbal toxicity and mic spam.

Last year FACEIT embarked on a journey to reduce toxic behaviour in online multiplayer games by releasing Minerva, an artificial intelligence powered admin, able to detect and take action against toxic messages at infinite scale. According to surveys of FACEIT users, anti-toxicity solutions were one of the most requested features.
Since launch she has:
- Analysed more than 1.4bn chat messages
- Detected more than 1.9 million toxic messages and issues warnings
- Banned over 100k players
As a result, the FACEIT platform has seen:
- 21% fewer toxic messages sent
- 62% reduction in seriously offensive messages being sent
The first iteration of Minerva began by analysing thousands of text chat messages to detect abusive language and toxic behaviour, but there were other forms of toxicity relating to gameplay she was unable to detect including; players acting as obstacles for teammates, staying AFK, deliberate friendly fire, blocking, griefing and potential offensive and abusive language via voice channels
To detect and take action against negative behaviours in gameplay, FACEIT launched Justice, a community-driven portal, that thanks to the endless effort of many members of the community, has managed to resolve more than 60,000 cases, issuing almost 30,000 punishments since it’s launch in April.
The FACEIT community also fed back that text detection didn’t go far enough thus prompting the development in Minerva’s ability to listen. Now she is able to analyse audio sources of data and detect two different types of potential abuse: toxic verbal messages and microphone spamming.
Minerva is able to analyse full conversations among players during a match. An important aspect that makes the overall process more reliable and less prone to misleading interpretations that could come out by analyzing single and isolated messages.
In addition to detecting potential toxic voice messages Minerva is able to detect and sanction other forms of repetitive annoying user behaviours and sounds, which could worsen their teammates’ ability to concentrate and make the overall experience less enjoyable such as screaming or excessively loud music. To achieve this, Minerva reviews the audio file of the match and by applying a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) technology, she can recognise a series of negative behaviours and issue either a warning or a ban in case the player has been caught multiple times.

To find out more about Minerva please head to https://fce.gg/minerva-gets-ears

Booming Games

Booming Games Releases “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot”

Published

49 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

booming-games-releases-“diamond-forge:-link-&-loot”

Booming Games has released its latest slot “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot”. Boasting a 5×3 grid with 10 fixed paylines, the game offers players a maximum win potential of 10,000x. Set on a classic, diamond background, two explosive bonus features provide the ultimate experience for those seeking entertaining gameplay.

Every Diamond collected charges the Diamond Boost, which can be triggered in either the base game or from free spins. Boasting the ability to erupt at any moment, it can award up to 8 extra Diamonds onto the reels to instantly trigger the powerful Link & Loot feature. Players who collect 6 or more Diamonds are awarded 5 Link & Loot spins, where adjacent diamond symbols land and merge to create bigger symbols.

Players can create Colossal symbols of 2×2 and above to award a Colossal spin, where they can win higher value prizes or even the Mini, Minor, Major or Grand Prizes. This culminates in the ultimate Colossal of 5×3 Diamonds capable of unleashing the biggest rewards.

Elsewhere, players who find 3 or more Scatters are awarded with 8 Free Spins and a boosted chance of triggering the Link & Loot feature again as they deploy colossal Diamonds toward the 10,000x maximum win.

Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games, said: “Diamonds are a player’s best friend! Diamond Forge: Link & Loot is a modern twist on a classic theme, which we’re confident will be as popular as previous iterations of the Link & Look series. Innovative bonus features set on a familiar 5×3 grid combine to create an ultimate gameplay experience with significant win potential. Play Diamond Forge: Link & Loot now!”

The post Booming Games Releases “Diamond Forge: Link & Loot” appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence

Published

49 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

incentive-games-wins-interim-pennsylvania-gaming-licence

Incentive Games has been granted an interim gaming licence in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, effective immediately. The approval allows the B2B supplier to offer its real-money gaming products to licensed operators in the state.

The Pennsylvania approval follows Incentive Games’ licensing in Michigan in 2025, as the company continues to expand across regulated North American markets.

Incentive Games said the Pennsylvania licence gives it access to one of the most established and competitive US iGaming markets, where compliance and player protection requirements are tightly enforced.

Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games, said, “Being granted an interim licence in Pennsylvania is a huge achievement for our business and a strong endorsement of our regulatory approach. It strengthens our position in North America and supports our ambition to grow through trusted partnerships in regulated markets. We look forward to working with operators in Pennsylvania to deliver high-quality real-money gaming experiences to their players.”

The post Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

blackjack

Avanti Studios lands exclusive rights for live Sweet 16 Blackjack side bet

Published

49 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

avanti-studios-lands-exclusive-rights-for-live-sweet-16-blackjack-side-bet

Avanti Studios has secured an exclusivity agreement with HITSqwad Interactive Gaming to offer Sweet 16 Blackjack as a live casino product worldwide.

Sweet 16 Blackjack is already available in a digital format with operators including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, OLG, BCLC and FanDuel, according to the companies. The land-based version is active across South Africa and is in the process of a broader rollout.

The companies pointed to third-party rankings for the title’s performance. Sweet 16 Blackjack ranked as a Top 10 Table Game in the Eilers & Krejcik U.S. Online Game Performance Report in September 2024 and April 2026, and was nominated for Top Performing New Online Table Game at the EKG Slot Awards in 2024 and 2025.

In gameplay terms, Sweet 16 Blackjack adds an optional side bet to standard blackjack. If a player’s first two cards total 16, the side bet wins, with payouts varying based on suits, colours and values.

Jonas Delin, Co-Founder at Avanti Studios, said: “The statistics show that Sweet 16 Blackjack is one of the iGaming industry’s top-performing table games, so we’re delighted to have reached an agreement with HITSqwad to exclusively offer the format to live casino audiences worldwide.

“Sweet 16 Blackjack’s innovative side bet mechanic coupled with the flawless presentation, deep customisation and infinite scalability that only Avanti can provide will ensure that the game will go on to become a staple part of our offering for operators in all regulated markets that we serve.”

Charl Geyser, CEO of HITSqwad Interactive Gaming, said, “Sweet 16 is an incredible game that has already built a massive player following across both online and retail environments. We are delighted to partner with Avanti to take it into the Live Casino market for the next step in its journey as one of the world’s top Blackjack Side-Bets.”

The post Avanti Studios lands exclusive rights for live Sweet 16 Blackjack side bet appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.