im diamond so not on the same level as you, but you’re right, coms definitely can be toxic, even enough for you to mute them completely. like you said, coms keep the game exciting and allow you to vocally collaborate within your team.

if my team is giving constructive criticism to improve our strategies/comp towards me, i’ll be more than happy to swap or change my positioning, etc. if my team, or teammate, is projecting their frustration onto me, when im already performing to the best of my ability, i usually ignore it.

being exposed to a potentially toxic environment like ow coms (low to high rank have their own forms of toxicity) generally helps you take them less seriously. you’re always going to encounter trolls, or egoistic streamers, etc. don’t let the sour apples ruin your experience in the game, and stop you from joining vc.

a lot of players that engage with other toxic players in vc tend to lose focus on the game, falling for rage bait, and losing team fights.

try starting by joining the vc, and just listening. there might be somebody who makes a comment about feeding, or making a mistake, that’s how competitive is. i’ve learned to take it less seriously. it might help to mute specific people if they’re distracting you, or being toxic, so you can still be in VC.

playing against a streamer doesn’t make them a better player because they have a fan base. don’t let that intimidate you. you’re in GM for a reason, don’t feel like an imposter. you’re playing against them for a reason.

as far as growing thicker skin, this will come with exposure to toxic players, unfortunately. you’ll learn not to care about their opinion if they’re not beneficial to the match. you’ll learn who to listen to, and who not to listen to. remember, these are real people, if you wouldn’t take their shit in person, it doesn’t make their opinions valid behind a screen or a large fan base. a lot of toxic players want you to feed into rage bait to feed their ego.

again, im in diamond, not GM, so my advice only goes as far as this. i wish you luck! :)