What I said was none of those things. What other "high stakes" competition would you enter with random people and get pissy when they aren't playing the way you want them to play to win?
None.
The fact is, no pickup games, whether in Quick Play or Competitive is really all that "high stakes" anyway. You're making it out to be more important than it is.
Okay, I definitely agree that they are not high stakes. The only high stakes versions would be tournaments or league play with cash or prizes on the line, in which case, people who play are part of a dedicated team.
But in terms of the actual Quick Play or Competitive options, there is an undeniable distinction between the two. Quick Play is for those who simply want to play the game online with and against other random people who may or may not be near to their skill level. Competitive is for those who want to play with others close to their skill level with set rules in an environment that fosters higher level strategy than Quick Play. In such an environment, communication is necessary for repeated success, even if that success is not guaranteed.
Now the thing is, whether you pick Quick Play or Competitive, it's perfectly okay to want to win and play well. In fact, if you're playing an online multiplayer game in general, while fun is obviously a driving factor, it kind of goes without saying that your participation indicates that you are trying to fulfill the goals of whatever game you are playing, regardless of if you are good or not, or whether you want to do well or not. I mean, while the main reason a person plays a game in general (especially something casual or Quick Play) is for that person to have fun, the goal of a game (in terms of the game's rules and objectives) is to win it.
Long story short, people who just want to play a game and don't want to use their mic should stick to Quick Play. They can still want to win and do well, but without the mic, they're acknowledging that their usefulness to their teammates is diminished, as is their overall chances of winning and doing well. But it's still okay.
But for those who decide to play Competitive, they should use a microphone. They are playing in an environment that has both explicit and implicit expectations of communication and teamwork. Somebody without a microphone or who completely mutes voice chat is automatically a detriment to their team, as the ability to relay any information about the game is unavailable, as is the ability to receive important information from their team that would assist them in enhancing their chances to win and do well.
Obviously toxicity in online gaming is a thing. However, somebody saying that it occurs in every single game they've ever played is disingenuous and hyperbolic. In fact, it's probably not even a majority of the games played - we just tend to notice things that annoy us in life more than neutral or good experiences. Talk to a poker player for more than a few minutes and they'll tell you their bad beat stories. But they won't remember the times they made large amounts of money on a hand they got they best of. It's some kind of internal bias.
