Shard bullies

I encountered the same issue, so I quit the game three years ago and took a break for two years. When I returned last year (2023), I saw hope when crystal rewards were removed from the Character Arena. Perhaps the same will happen with the Fleet Arena one day.

I experienced this in arena back in the day when crystals were there. I am so lucky my fleet shard is totally easy going and reasonable. Living in Japan, my payout definitely wasn't affecting anyone in the arena, but they wouldn't allow me to climb beyond top 20. One guy in particular must have been unemployed, cause as soon as my battle was done he was attacking me. I sympathize with the OP. My experience with the shard mafia almost made me quit.

I do wonder if rewards based on your highest rank within a 24 hour period would help alleviate this sort of behavior.

The highest rank in a 24 hour period would be great but pretty obvious why CG would not allow anything that increases crystal payouts.

You can meet a lot of those guys in kindergartens. Did you hear saying about stupid people and falling to their level then losing to their experience? Just ignore the **bleep**, report with description "harassing, offensive language" and be done with them. The more interactions with them you have the more their brains get damaged and the more unbearable they will be. There will always be those kind of kids in any multiplayer game at any rank :/

Edit: lol that censoring is wild. i feel like ea is trying to go into snowflake area, yikes.

It is one of the reasons they removed crystals from character arena, surprised it was not done to fleet.  Select group determine the crystal payouts for those not inside and if they do not like you for whatever reason, you are left out.

Remove crystals from fleet and problem is solved,  Just like old school arena, you will no longer be bullied.

How would your report go? You get 5 battles and can purchase refreshes. If people know your payout time and choose to snip you or constantly knock you back that really isn't against the terms of service. Are they jerks? Absolutely, but CG can't really do anything.