It seems like many gamers are tired of communities with an abundance of salt and toxicity in them, as users are flocking to Reddit ‘low-sodium’ forums in search of healthy, positive chats about games such as Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, and Battlefield 2042.
As spotted by The Drum, an era of ‘gentle gaming’ may be approaching, as Reddit users seem to be abandoning the official subreddits in droves for major games in favour of joining ‘low sodium’ versions – i.e. less salt. For example, while the main Cyberpunk 2077 subreddit has around 927k subscribers, the low sodium Cyberpunk forum still has a massive 141k users.
In terms of growth, r/LowSodiumHalo experienced 134 times growth over the last quarter, with the Battlefield 2042 equivalent at 23 times. These areas foster friendlier and less toxic discussions, and Reddit’s director of partner insights Rob Gaige notes that “low-sodium subreddits are -46% less angry than their original gaming subreddit counterparts”. Whereas the official subreddit is filled with threads like this, the low-sodium version has this instead.
Furthermore, Reddit’s data seems to show nostalgia is on the rise too, with retro subreddits showing increased growth too. Classic game appreciation and remembrance forum r/TipofmyJoystick (great name) saw its users increase 63% over the last few years, for example. “It’s not just that gamers want environments that call for more positivity,” suggests Gaige, “but they’re seeking out times, aesthetics, and sounds that transport them back to more wholesome gaming experiences.” He then adds, “many are looking back, not forward.”
In other words, try not to be so salty on Reddit, but if you’re tired of communities that are, there may be a low-sodium equivalent. Just be careful when bringing up the Halo TV series, you don’t want to push your luck.
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