Beyond Solo Queue: Organized Teamplay in Valorant College Courses as a Pathway to Soft Skills and Stigma Reduction in South Korea

Abstract

This article examines the integration of organized, team-based play in Valorant into a university course at Yonsei University, situated within the broader context of South Korea’s PC-bang culture and debates on the social value of gaming. Using a qualitative case study approach drawing on multi-sited data, including interviews, participant observations, and reflective journals, the research investigates how a diverse cohort of domestic and international students developed soft skills, including communication, leadership, adaptability, and emotional regulation, through structured gameplay. The study highlights how Valorant’s role-based mechanics, including agent-specific abilities, spike-related tasks, and real-time tactical coordination, provided an immersive context for collaboration and mutual accountability. Students engaged in sustained teamwork while navigating linguistic and cultural barriers and strengthening cross-cultural bonds. These experiences contrasted sharply with the isolating and often toxic nature of solo queue play. The course further facilitated mentoring, Korean language acquisition, and intercultural exchange, positioning gaming as a meaningful educational practice. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate that, when deliberately designed and embedded in culturally resonant contexts, team-based gaming can foster personal development, prosocial behavior, and community formation, thereby affirming the value of games such as Valorant as tools for social integration and learning in higher education.