# Havoc — Voice & Tone

High-voltage competitive · Cyberpunk sharp · Victory-obsessed · Confident, never toxic · Command-line clear

## Personality

- **Funny ↔ Serious:** leans serious (+1) — Havoc can have swagger, but competitive stakes, rankings, prizes, and disputes require a mostly serious voice.
- **Formal ↔ Casual:** casual (+2) — The brand should sound native to gaming culture: direct, sharp, and conversational—not institutional.
- **Respectful ↔ Irreverent:** leans irreverent (+1) — Havoc benefits from rebellious cyberpunk edge, but it must stay fair and non-toxic to protect competitive trust.
- **Enthusiastic ↔ Matter-of-fact:** enthusiastic (-2) — The identity is loud and electric, so the default tone should carry momentum, hype, and charged confidence.

## Traits

- **High-voltage competitive** — Write with speed, charge, and pressure. Sentences should feel like a match clock is ticking.
  - Why: Havoc is built for players who want to win, so the voice should feel kinetic and performance-driven—not relaxed, instructional, or corporate.
  - e.g. "Queue up. Lock in. The bracket goes live in 10."
- **Cyberpunk sharp** — Use vivid, neon-edged language that suggests systems, circuits, signal, rank, and controlled chaos.
  - Why: The brand’s loud electric identity needs a recognizable world: dark UI, bright stakes, and a little underground energy.
  - e.g. "Your squad’s signal is live. Climb the ladder and light up the board."
- **Victory-obsessed** — Center the player’s ambition: rank, progress, prizes, mastery, and proof. Celebrate skill more than participation.
  - Why: Havoc serves competitive gamers and esports players who care about measurable wins—not casual discovery alone.
  - e.g. "Every match counts. Every win moves you closer to the top."
- **Confident, never toxic** — Sound bold, intense, and a little defiant without insulting players, punching down, or encouraging harassment.
  - Why: Competitive gaming has edge, but Havoc needs to feel like a serious platform—not a flame war. The voice can hype rivalry while protecting fair play.
  - e.g. "Bring pressure. Break metas. Respect the lobby."
- **Command-line clear** — Keep core instructions short, direct, and easy to act on. Style should never block comprehension.
  - Why: Players need fast information during signups, check-ins, brackets, payments, match reports, and disputes. Clarity wins.
  - e.g. "Check in by 7:45 PM or your team forfeits round one."

## Tone by context

- **Marketing and campaign headlines:** Go loud, visual, and competitive. Use short bursts, strong verbs, and cyberpunk imagery. Lead with stakes: prizes, rank, rivals, brackets, and glory.
- **Onboarding:** Stay energetic but simplify. Make the player feel like they are loading into a serious competitive system. Avoid long explanations; break steps into fast, confident commands.
- **Matchmaking, queues, and live events:** Use tense, real-time language. Be precise about timing, requirements, and consequences. Keep hype controlled so players can act quickly.
- **Success states:** Celebrate with punch. Make wins feel earned. Use language like locked, claimed, advanced, secured, and leveled up.
- **Errors and blockers:** Be direct, calm, and accountable. Do not joke when a player may lose entry, rank, or money. Explain the issue, what changed, and the next move.
- **Rules, moderation, and disputes:** Shift more serious and neutral. Keep the Havoc edge in the framing, but prioritize fairness, evidence, and trust. No trash-talk or hype in enforcement copy.
- **Notifications:** Short, urgent, and useful. Put the action or status first. Use time, opponent, bracket, or reward details when available.
- **Community and social:** Let the voice flex louder and more playful, but never encourage toxicity. Rivalry is fine; harassment is not. Talk like a competitor, not a troll.

## Messaging

**Audience:** Competitive gamers, esports teams, tournament organizers, streamers, collegiate clubs, and ranked grinders who want structured competition, visible progress, and a sharper path to winning.
**Value:** Havoc turns competitive gaming into a charged arena where players can enter tournaments, climb rankings, prove skill, and win.

- **Built to compete** — Everything points toward serious play: brackets, ladders, check-ins, results, rankings, and clear stakes.
- **Fast from queue to clash** — Players can find events, join matches, track status, and report results without fighting the interface.
- **Proof over talk** — Havoc turns performance into visible progress through wins, standings, stats, and tournament outcomes.
- **Edge with rules** — The platform embraces intensity and rivalry while keeping competition fair, moderated, and credible.

## Lexicon

**Use:** `lock in`, `queue up`, `climb`, `rank`, `bracket`, `ladder`, `squad`, `team`, `drop in`, `go live`, `signal`, `circuit`, `neon`, `charge`, `ignite`, `claim`, `secure`, `advance`, `eliminate`, `final round`, `top seed`, `meta`, `scrim`, `tournament`, `season`, `division`, `prize pool`, `check in`, `match report`, `fair play`, `respect the lobby`
**Avoid:** `casual fun for everyone`, `participate at your own pace`, `wholesome vibes`, `easy peasy`, `dear user`, `valued customer`, `synergy`, `solutioning`, `utilize`, `seamless experience`, `world-class platform`, `crush noobs`, `destroy these losers`, `get rekt`, `skill issue`, `toxic`, `trash players`, `insults, slurs, ableist terms, or harassment-coded language`, `overly cute gamer slang`, `random leetspeak that hurts readability`, `excessive exclamation marks`

## Mechanics

- **Capitalization:** Sentence case for product UI and body copy. Title case may be used for event names, tournament titles, and major campaign lines. Avoid all caps except rare, high-impact labels like LIVE or FINAL.
- **Contractions:** yes
- **Emoji:** Rarely. Use only in social/community moments, never in errors, rules, payments, match disputes, or competitive-critical UI.
- **Reading level:** Grade 7–8. Short sentences, strong verbs, minimal jargon unless it is native competitive gaming language.

## Boilerplate

- **Short:** Havoc is a competitive gaming and esports platform built for players who want to win.
- **Medium:** Havoc is where competitive gamers queue up, clash, and climb. Built with an electric cyberpunk edge, the platform powers tournaments, rankings, team play, and high-stakes events for players who want more than casual matches—they want proof they can win.
- **Long:** Havoc is a competitive gaming and esports platform built for players who live for the climb. With a loud, electric cyberpunk identity and a focus on serious play, Havoc gives players, teams, and organizers the tools to run tournaments, enter brackets, track results, climb rankings, and turn skill into proof. From first check-in to final round, Havoc keeps the action fast, fair, and charged—so every match has stakes and every win moves players closer to the top.

## Voice in action

**Homepage hero**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | Enter the arena. Climb the ranks. Make every match count. | Join competitive gaming events and improve your ranking over time. | The off-voice version is clear but flat. Havoc needs urgency, stakes, and arena energy. |

**Tournament signup CTA**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary-cta | Lock in your spot | Register now | The generic CTA works functionally, but Havoc should make entry feel like commitment before a fight. |

**Match check-in reminder**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Check in by 7:45 PM. Miss the window and round one is a forfeit. | Please remember to check in before the tournament begins to avoid being removed. | The Havoc version is shorter, clearer, and more urgent without being rude. |

**Queue waiting state**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | Scanning for your next fight. Stay ready. | We are currently looking for an available match for you. | The off-voice line is serviceable but too passive and system-centered. |

**Win confirmation**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | Win secured. You’re moving up the bracket. | Your match result has been submitted successfully. | The generic version confirms the action, but the Havoc version celebrates progress and competitive momentum. |

**Loss confirmation**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | Result locked. Your run ends here—next bracket is waiting. | Your loss has been recorded. Thank you for participating. | The Havoc version is honest without being cold, and it keeps the player oriented toward the next shot. |

**Payment error**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | Payment didn’t clear. Try another method to keep your spot. | Oops! Something went wrong while processing your payment. | Money and tournament entry need clarity. Avoid cute error language when the player could lose access. |

**Rules violation warning**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | Warning issued: abusive chat breaks Havoc fair-play rules. Keep the rivalry clean or your account may be restricted. | Please be nice to other users or moderation action may be taken. | The Havoc version is firm, specific, and aligned with competitive integrity. |

**Leaderboard module**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Top signal this week: NovaRift holds rank #1 with 18 wins. | NovaRift is currently the highest-ranked player this week. | The generic version is accurate but lacks the cyberpunk competitive texture. |

**Organizer dashboard empty tournament**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | No teams in the bracket yet. Share the invite and start building the field. | There are no registered teams for this tournament at this time. | The Havoc version gives a next action and keeps the event feeling active. |

**Post-tournament email subject**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | Final results are live. See who owned the bracket. | Tournament results are now available to view. | The off-voice option is plausible but too administrative for a charged esports brand. |

**Feature announcement**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | New ladder system is live. Stack wins, climb divisions, prove the grind. | We’re excited to announce that our new ladder feature is now available. | The Havoc version leads with player value and competitive action instead of company excitement. |
