From Discord to Durable: Scaling Player Support and Community Without Burning Out

Meet Players Where They Are

Choose Channels Strategically

Heidi’s mantra is simple but powerful: “Meet your community where they already are.”
At Pixels, that meant skipping Instagram and focusing on Discord, Twitter (X), and even Telegram, where their Web3-savvy players naturally gather. Instead of spreading their team thin across every platform, they doubled down on what worked—especially in markets like Southeast Asia where Facebook groups and TikTok live streams dominate.

Know When to Say No

Small teams need focus. Heidi emphasized the importance of skipping "shiny object syndrome." Not every platform deserves your time. Audit your channels and double down where engagement and ROI make sense.

Discord Is a Community Tool, Not a Ticketing System

Divide Social and Support

Conor made it clear: Discord is great for presence, but terrible for support operations.
“I like to keep these areas separate. Discord is where the community connects. Support is where we solve problems.”

This distinction becomes essential as your game scales. Support volume grows. So do expectations. Relying on Discord alone can quickly lead to chaos.

When to Graduate from Discord

Heidi described Pixels' evolution:

• Started with all support in Discord.

• Moved to Slack for internal collaboration.

• Eventually adopted Intercom for structured support.

Key takeaway? When support volume hits triple digits per day, Discord alone won't cut it.

Automation Is a Must—But Only If It’s Smart

Categorize Before You Customize

Conor shared a detailed breakdown of how he uses automation to pre-sort tickets:

• Players choose from clear categories.

• Based on their choice, responses are tailored instantly.

• Edge cases route to human agents with context already in hand.

This saves time, respects players, and frees up agents to tackle real issues.

Bots Are Only as Good as Their Scripts

Forget the fear of AI replacing agents. Conor builds his bots by hand, ensuring every response fits the brand and the need.
Fun fact? Some players thought his bot replies were him. That’s a compliment.

Keep Your Flows Fresh

Heidi’s team reviews automation flows regularly. Why? Because stale flows lead to confusion. Every game update (like their new staking feature) means new FAQs, updated bot logic, and synced content across creators, support, and announcements.

Empower Your Team, Don’t Script Them

Build for Flexibility, Not Scripts

Conor rejects rigid support templates. Instead, he looks for patterns in tone, response effectiveness, and outcomes to coach his team.
“If a tone works better for one language or one region, we use that insight.”

Let Your Community Team Lead

At Pixels, Heidi scrapped the “moderator” label and created “community leaders” and “farmhands” to better reflect responsibilities and expectations. The message? You’re not just managing chats. You’re creating impact.

Know the Value of Player Time

Players don’t just spend money—they spend time. Heidi puts it best:

“We only have a few extra hours in our day. Why are our users choosing to spend those precious hours with us?”

That’s the guiding question for every support, community, and content decision. If the game is fun, the systems work, and the community is responsive, people stick around. If not, they leave—and often loudly.

Final Thoughts from the Field

• Empower, don’t micromanage. Your team will move faster and smarter if they’re trusted.

• Community insights beat case studies. What your players are doing now matters more than what a whitepaper said two years ago.

• Automation is a tool, not a strategy. If it isn’t monitored and updated, it becomes a liability.

Want More?

This episode is part of the Community Clubhouse Collection—a series highlighting how the best in gaming build trust, engagement, and unforgettable player experiences. Whether you're AAA or indie, Web2 or Web3, there's something here for every support and community team.

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