What are effective strategies for keeping online gaming communities engaged?

When implementing a feedback loop, often times developers just implement an email system which might not always be ideal. If you have the resources, you can try to invest in a live chat or call option as well as email, this will give players more willingness to communicate as some people might not like having to wait 72H to get a response back.

Give them something to hate. Then make it better. Then do something else they hate. Then fix that, but not the way they want.

One of the best examples that I've always cited as an active and engaged community is that of Rainbow Six Siege. It has been one of the only Ubisoft live services that has stood the test of time, not only because of the fun gameplay but because of the constant free updates. Despite its years, Siege stays true to its core gameplay, the tactical style gameplay that it began with. The characters are based in "realism" in its universe and the game has stayed alive due to the very fact that it has stayed true to its core components. Another popular example would be that of No Mans Sky, where the updates seem to constantly add new feature and updates based around the mechanics. So in short, 1. Updates 2. Stay true to the core game

When I worked on Sea of Thieves I had a great experience with this. Communication with your community has to have some value. Lots of companies that post on social media just because and with no deeper intent, this is very dull. Having someone spend time and think of something engaging to communicate and experience can have big positive impact. Working on Sea of Thieves, we pushed for more engaging content. This is why I developed an ARG (alternate reality game). Where players were able to solve a mystery together and have deeper engagement with the brand. This brought the community together and supported valuable engagement on all different social media. Time spent on our side really showed in the engagement numbers. Win-win!

Having a single hub where community members can congregate and discuss the game (as well as off-topic subjects) is a great way to maintain and grow your community. Many gamers use Discord, so it's a good idea to explore some official game servers and see how they manage and maintain their community and how the different channels and categories are organized. Developer interaction is a powerful and important way to create a sense of community and comradery for your players, so be sure to join the conversation every now and then!

I've met players and developers that would put more value on recognition than money itself. Especially by large or important companies.

Although it’s always important to keep in mind that when creating fan art for your favorite game, you may be infringing on the original intellectual property owner’s rights, community contributions to games can be a great source of connection with the game’s audience. Community creators can infuse new life into nostalgic franchises that hold deep meaning for players around the world. It may behoove game studios to allow for these community creations while still striking the balance of protecting their intellectual property from misuse or abuse.

Be mindful that effectively keeping online gaming communities engaged is a full time job! this should be a role that is hired for and not just a role that is inherited by a team member for convenience.

Listen to your audience. As simple as that. Your audience feel connected and able to present ideas and feedback. Rarely audiences are willing to keep engaged to something they feel keep disregard them.

While your creative ideas are undoubtedly fantastic, it's equally crucial to consider the preferences of your audience, including new players and the community. What may resonate with them might differ from your personal favorites. Sometimes, the audience's preferences can surprise you, so finding a balance between their ideas and your own is key to creating a successful and engaging game.