How to Keep Your Game Server Players Active and Engaged

Every server owner asks the same question sooner or later: how do I stop people drifting away? Starting a community in a game you love is hard, and there are established servers everywhere. These five habits make the difference between a server people visit once and one they call home.

Stay active

It sounds obvious, but it is where many owners slip. Everyone burns out or needs a break, and running a server is a balancing act between enjoying the game yourself and looking after everyone else.

If you cannot play much, at least be around during the hours your players are online. Players notice when the owner is present, and they notice when they are not.

Involve your community

A good owner does not only make the game fun for themselves. Ask for feedback and let players see that it shapes the server. You do not need to give everyone a vote on everything, but people who feel listened to give respect and trust to someone they may never have met.

• Talk to your players and get to know them.
• Help when there is a challenge they cannot manage alone.
• Use polls and votes to let them weigh in on changes.

Hold events

Events are overlooked more often than they should be. Set community-wide challenges that everyone can tackle together: a boss fight open to all, a scavenger hunt, a build contest. They encourage teamwork and let players form new friendships. They can start small. As more people notice them, they become one of the reasons players return.

Do not show favouritism

This is difficult when family, close friends or your very first player are on the server, but new players notice when they are on the outside looking in. Handing loot to a few people, or running challenges only for a select group, makes everyone else feel unwelcome.

There are exceptions. On a clan or tribe-based PvP server, for example, groups compete by design. Even so, try to include the whole community in activities wherever you can.

Deal with toxic players quickly

One negative player can drive away several who just want to relax after a long day. This is the tip owners most often put off, even good ones, especially when the player in question is skilled and active.

• Set out clear rules and a simple three-strike system, and stick to it.
• Start with a polite private warning, on Discord or in chat.
• If it continues, make clear they are on their last chance.
• Never let anyone use exploits or break rules without consequences. Others will take it as permission to do the same.

The payoff

Communities like this keep their players for a long time, and sometimes players follow the owner from one game to the next. Running one is one of the more rewarding parts of the hobby.

To go further, see How to Build a Thriving Game Server Community and How to Keep Your Game Server Fresh.