Community Management
Ongoing coverage on Community Management.
Latest coverage
Sega Community Relations Director Speaks Out After Sonic Discord Goes Wild
Sega's official Sonic the Hedgehog Discord server experienced significant community unrest, leading to moderator intervention. The situation highlights challenges in managing fan communities for popular game franchises.
"Keep it family friendly" - Sega's official Sonic Discord swarmed by 50,000 people in six hours, as understandably strict moderation is put in place
Sega launched an official Sonic the Hedgehog Discord server, which quickly attracted over 50,000 users within six hours. Due to the rapid influx, strict moderation measures were implemented, including slow mode and posting limitations for new members, to maintain a family-friendly environment. The server aims to be a hub for discussion about Sonic games, movies, and comics.
NC America’s Merv Lee Kwai on the MMORPG genre’s ‘low moment’ and what success is for Aion 2
NC America VP of Operations Merv Lee Kwai acknowledges the MMORPG genre is in a 'low moment' but believes there is still a major appetite for new titles. He defines success for Aion 2 as remaining true to the franchise, having the durability to produce new content, and maintaining community trust.
"We clearly handled that responsibility poorly": Paradox ban Discord profile pics of historical figures born after 1800, after bust-up with Hearts of Iron 4 players over Atatürk banning
Paradox Interactive has banned the use of Discord profile pictures depicting historical figures born after 1800, following an incident where a moderator banned a user for using a photo of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Game director Laszlo Pieper apologized for the poor handling of the situation and stated the new rule aims to prevent ambiguity in moderation, though the author questions the arbitrary date cutoff and Paradox's approach to history in their games.
"No sympathy": As World of Warcraft Forever players face bans for inappropriate names, senior dev suggests anyone affected "be a better human next time"
Blizzard Entertainment is enforcing strict character naming policies in the World of Warcraft: Forever beta, leading to forced name changes and beta removals for extreme violations. Senior game producer Tom Ellis stated that the company has reviewed all removed names and expressed no sympathy for those affected, urging them to "be a better human next time."
EVE Online’s GM Week promises spaceship loot pinatas and more starting September 28
EVE Online is bringing back its annual GM Week event from September 28th to October 2nd. During this week, Game Masters will actively participate in the game, hosting events, engaging in spaceship roams, and interacting with players. More details will be provided closer to the event's start.
State of Decay 3 is building a deeper survival community, one now free from Xbox
Undead Labs has announced that State of Decay 3 is now an independent studio, free from Xbox ownership, and has reaffirmed its 2027 release date. This move comes after recent layoffs at Xbox, but the studio is committed to its community management and survival gameplay. The game is still slated for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, and will launch on Xbox Game Pass.
How to Handle Toxic Players in Online Communities
This guide offers strategies for dealing with toxic players in online gaming communities, categorizing toxic behaviors and providing advice on how to manage them. It emphasizes using in-game tools like muting, adopting uninteresting communication styles, and understanding community-specific approaches to mitigate negative interactions and prevent burnout.
The Daily Grind: Who’s your favorite MMO developer, composer, or community manager?
This article asks readers to name their favorite MMO developer, composer, or community manager and explain why they admire them. It highlights the collaborative nature of MMO development and the importance of recognizing the diverse talents involved.
Quinfall parts ways with a community manager who allegedly engaged in cheating and RMT
Vawraek Technology has parted ways with a community manager for Quinfall due to alleged involvement in cheating and real money trading. The company stated that a restructuring of community communication and player relations was necessary, and all management duties will now be directly supervised by the development team. Speculation is rife within the player base regarding the specifics of the community manager's actions.
Jobs roundup: September 2026 | Amir Satvat joins 1Up Ventures as a general partner
This article rounds up recent personnel changes in the games industry, including Amir Satvat joining 1Up Ventures, Ilari Kuittinen stepping down from Housemarque, and Tamara Feiman appointed CEO of Lion Studios. It also notes new roles at Sega of America and Activision Blizzard for Call of Duty.
EVE Frontier’s inaugural Conclave of Luminaries fills its eight seats
Fenris Creations has appointed eight players to the inaugural Conclave of Luminaries for its game EVE Frontier. This community body aims to provide a permanent channel for player feedback to the studio. The appointments were revealed during the game's weekly Frontier Friday stream.
Despite Being The End Of The World, State Of Decay 3 Is Surprisingly Welcoming
State of Decay 3 offers a surprisingly welcoming experience for both newcomers and long-time fans, despite its apocalyptic setting. The game features procedurally generated characters with unique traits and abilities, emphasizing community and survival. Its dynamic world and engaging multiplayer allow players to approach challenges in various ways, from direct combat to strategic resource management.
Small Tournament, Serious Setup: What an Amateur Xbox Event Needs Online
This guide outlines the essential elements for organizing amateur esports tournaments, focusing on online events for games like Xbox titles. It emphasizes the importance of clear communication, a centralized event page for all information, and a robust rulebook to manage player conduct and technical issues. The article also touches on streaming considerations and pre-event testing to ensure a smooth experience for participants and organizers.
We're hiring! Wargamer is looking for an editor
Wargamer is seeking a new Editor to lead content and video strategies, grow its Discord community, and expand its reach. The role requires significant experience in leadership, writing, editing, video production, and a strong commercial understanding of the tabletop games industry. This is a fully remote position within the UK, with applications closing on August 31, 2026.
Casually Classic: Will the WoW Classic Plus announcement anger the community no matter what?
The upcoming announcement of a 'WoW Classic Plus' project at BlizzCon is likely to divide the community, with conflicting player expectations and past grievances making universal satisfaction improbable. The author expresses a desire for the project but cautions against letting emotions dictate reception, while also criticizing content creators who deliberately incite outrage. Ultimately, the success of the new version will depend on its own merits, independent of forum noise.
After 10 years, Terraria's biggest mod shuts down due to an 'irrecoverably tainted reputation' and…
The popular Terraria mod, Calamity, is ceasing all development after 10 years due to serious allegations against its leadership. The development team cited a 'tainted reputation' stemming from accusations of misconduct and financial impropriety involving the mod's owner, Ozzatron. Many contributors have requested their work be removed, making continued development impossible.
EverQuest Legends saw weekend outages, and gamers took it out on the community manager
EverQuest Legends experienced server login issues over the weekend, leading to a temporary server shutdown for emergency fixes. The situation escalated when senior community manager Linda Carlson's response in Discord was perceived by some players as unprofessional and dismissive, sparking debate on Reddit about entitlement and context.
When the Bots Purge the Archive: Reddit’s AI Moderation Erased a Decade of r/AskHistorians Work
Reddit's AI moderation system has caused significant issues, including the deletion of a decade's worth of content from the r/AskHistorians subreddit, mistakenly flagging historical image links as spam. Similar problems have occurred on Discord, where AI incorrectly banned thousands of users for posting images of chessboards, and Meta platforms have faced complaints about AI-driven bans. These incidents highlight the risks of over-reliance on automated systems without sufficient human oversight, particularly concerning false positives that disproportionately affect marginalized communities and silence valuable contributions.
Reddit bets AI moderation can replace the karma gate for newcomers
Reddit is integrating AI-powered moderation tools, known as Rules Hub, to reduce reliance on account age and karma thresholds for new users. This aims to make participation easier, combat spam and scraping, and provide better tools for community moderators. While karma is not being retired, its importance may diminish as the platform enhances its built-in abuse prevention systems.
