The Discord server for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS users in Korea is helping both newbies and experienced players enjoy the game altogether since the game’s free-to-play transition earlier this year. It has already drawn nearly 80,000 members in two months. This Discord server became a playground for many users in Korea as it provides much more than just voice chat feature. At the center of this user community are the “Supporters” who have come voluntarily to establish and manage the server. Read onto the following KRAFTON blogpost to listen from the Supporters about their dream to set up a place where the users grow their love for the battle royal game.
Nice to meet you! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
OZ: Hi! I’m OZ, one of the Supporters of the Discord server for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS users in Korea.
BCode: Hi! I’m BCode. I’m one of the Supporters, too.
Jihye: Hi. I’m Jihye.
Could you introduce the Discord server?
Jihye: If you love PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, you can join the server regardless of how good you are. You can enjoy the game with other users or make friends with them. It’s the place where you can get useful information that help you further enjoy the game. We’re holding various events for the users, too.
OZ: The server was created first by one of the game’s community managers in 2018 as a temporary channel for a community event at that time. But since PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has switched to a free-to-play service earlier this year, the need for a place where the users can gather has arisen. That’s why the Discord server has transformed into a playground where the users can communicate with each other and with the community managers.
BCode: We don’t call this server as an official channel since we wanted to make it a community where we can communicate with the users more casually. Since the server opened in January this year, we have attracted more than 78,000 users in two months. We’re preparing to make it an official server once we get it verified by Discord.
How do you run this Discord server?
OZ: We are working together with the community managers to run the server. Also, there are another group of users who help newbies get used to the gameplay. We introduce this Discord server to the users and provide them with information on newly launched items. We’re also looking for ways to run this server in more efficient ways, analyzing the server’s data and using various Discord bots. Sometimes we create the contents needed for user events. We try to fulfill our respective roles to get closer to the users.
What are your roles in the server?
OZ: I’m a project manager. I help the community managers manage and operate the server in general. I also help the community managers listen from the users in this Discord server, playing a bridging role between the users and the managers.
BCode: I’m in charge of technical management of the server. I work on Discord bots and manage the server’s menus and settings. I’m trying to make various features of this Discord server more accessible to the users.
Jihye: I usually decorate the server, designing posters and banners for various events. I also communicate with the users who visit the server for the first time and help them to get familiar with this place.
Why did you volunteer for the Supporters position?
OZ: I’ve been a leader of associated clans of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS long before joining the Supporters. I think I’ve been recognized as a good manager while I was doing that. And one day I found the recruitment notice for the Supporters and applied for it. I was very excited because I felt like I was acknowledged for the experiences I’ve had so far.
Jihye: I also had diverse experiences involving game user communities. I used to be a leader of clan for three and a half years, and a management staff for other user communities for a long time. Like OZ, I saw the same notice and applied for the Supporters. I applied for management and Discord bot settings based on my experience by far, but now I mainly take charge of producing various designs.
BCode: While I was running another Discord server, my friend told me about the Supporters recruitment. From what I got from the notice I thought this Discord server for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS users in Korea would be a channel that is trying to do many things from a zero base. I enjoy challenging new stuff when I work so I thought it’s the thing I was looking for. I wanted to tap into diverse features of Discord bots including voice chat, so I applied for the position.
The promotion posters that Jihye made were wonderful. Do you have experiences in the design industry?
Jihye: Yes. My major is designing and I’m currently working in a design firm. When I was volunteering for the Supporters, they didn’t say they’re recruiting a designer. But I’m naturally called a designer here since I’m in charge of making various design arts.
Is there a particular artwork that you were satisfied with?
Jihye: There’s an artwork that comes more special to me than others. I’ve been creating “personal character emotes” for the users in our Discord server. I also made one for one of the community managers.
While playing the game or having conversations with people, I can recognize their feelings and characteristics. I create the characters with based on such features. It can make us get closer to the users and boost their sense of belonging to this user community. I feel very satisfied when the users say how much they like their characters. If you explain your own features or personalities, I can create a nice character for you, so feel free to ask. (Laughter)
Do you have any special memory in running the Discord server?
OZ: One day I met my clan member in the Discord server. Though we were quite close to each other, I pretended I didn’t know him because didn’t want to cause any misunderstanding that I was forming a faction here. Looking back, it was a funny moment for me.
BCode: Every moment as a member of the Supporters is memorable to me. As I deal with various technical features such as bots, I stay online longer than the other Supporters. Doing things to manage the server through the night, many users send me supportive messages like, “Thank you.” They really encourage me.
Jihye: I like the moment when the users recognize me. When they say “Jiha!,” which means “Jihye, hi!” to welcome me, I feel rewarded and become more enthusiastic.
How do you deal with unexpected issues in the server?
OZ: We have a channel where the users can report bad manners as well as a dedicated bulletin board where they can complain about any inconvenience in the server. Once we receive such complaints, we try to give objective feedbacks based on the facts. We sometimes ask the community managers for advice since they have more experiences to cope with those situations. As the Supporters are guaranteed to use discretionary authority in running the server, we try to give even more consistent and objective feedbacks to the users.
Do you have any special reason to use Discord as a channel to communicate with the user community?
BCode: As Discord is closely connected to games, there are many features for the game users besides voice chat. It lets the users enjoy games more conveniently. For example, you can look for others’ records and information easily and find other users to play a game together, using diverse bots in Discord. Plus, once you synchronize your account to that of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, you can send an invitation in the game for a squad.
Could you elaborate on what Discord bots do and how they help the users?
BCode: The bots basically work with a combination of a command ahead and details. It’s a kind of a customizable answering machine. There are so many users and derived channels in the server that those who are not familiar with Discord might find it hard to figure out which channel they need to join. In that case, you can use commands to find announcements or gather other users to play with. The command for recruitment is the most popular one. If you enter “99!” you can easily look for your squad mates.
Could you talk more about the group of users who help newbies get used to the gameplay?
BCode: Like the Supporters, they are a group of users who volunteered to help others. They were chosen by the community managers based on how good they are in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and how often they are online on Discord. And they’re all grownups. As you know, you should be very patient when you teach how to play PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, especially to those who haven’t played such a battle royale game before. (Laughter) They kindly guide newbies from scratch to the end.
OZ: If you want to apply for the group, you must be in the “gold” rank or above. I understand some might doubt how a gold rank player can teach others since the “gold” is not a very high tier. But outstanding gaming skills are not the only qualification that is needed to be a member of this group. They should know how to help newbies to get used to and enjoy the game. I think if a player can understand and explain PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS well, then the individual would successfully carry out the role.
How can I apply for this group?
BCode: Actually, it doesn’t have any official term yet. But, as the server keeps growing, we would need more volunteers. If you keep your eyes on the announcements in this server, you can find your chance to be a member of the group at any time.
Do you host pop-up events like a tournament for amateurs?
BCode: Several tournaments have already been held for the ordinary users. We held random squad tournaments and solo competitions and awarded the winners. We are planning more events to make the users interact with each other more actively.
OZ: I held some small event matches within my clan. I sometimes gave the winners gifts or collaborated with streamers to broadcast the event matches. They were well received. As I did in my clan, we’re thinking of many ways to show the users diverse contents in the server.
Could you give us some tips to further enjoy the game in the server?
Jihye: I think you should first understand the playstyle that you like. For example, you would want to charge into the enemies in any circumstances, or you would prefer to stay safe and get yourself equipped with gears before executing your strategies and tactics. If you can find teammates that who share similar playstyle with you, you’ll be able to increase your winning rate and develop skills faster.
OZ: It’s also good to observe others’ plays through live streaming provided in the Discord server. You would be able to learn things you didn’t know and their know-hows by watching them.
BCode: If you are not satisfied with your shooting skills, you might ask for help. Team up with those in the group of helpers in this Discord server and ask them for help in researching the right aiming point according to your mouse settings one by one at the training ground. Of course, you should ask them politely since it’s asking for their favor.
What are the merits of the Discord server?
Jihye: Since the community managers frequently monitor the server and provides the users here with active feedbacks. They communicate with the users sometimes from the manager’s perspective and sometimes from the user’s viewpoint. Also, we have various pop-up events on a regular basis. The PUBG merchandise goods that you can get from these events are of high quality!
OZ: I agree that active communication with the managers is this Discord server’s biggest strength. We also bring latest news from the official PUBG website and other user community as quickly as possible. We try out best to embrace both the newbies and longtime users. With the help from our Discord server, you’ll be able to grow your affection to the game without having to face the entrance barrier due to lack of skills or differences in playstyles.
What are your goals in managing this server in 2022?
BCode: I hope to introduce many new features to this server. I also plan to share new information about the game to the users in our Discord server. My goal is to make this place where the users don’t want to leave.
OZ: My personal goal is to achieve 300,000 users in this Discord server. I want to make our server as an online channel where all the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS users visit to enjoy the game. I also hope more pro players and streamers get interested in our server. I’ll try to bring this into reality. In the long run I’d like to run a Discord server for foreign users, too.
Jihye: I want to make the server more accessible to any PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS users. Besides, since I’m working on design, I hope the server to become the prettiest one. (Laughter)
Is there anything you want to say to the users in the server?
OZ: Keep your eyes open for new announcements! We are providing a channel dedicated for the newbies, so I hope they use this channel more actively. As we’ve been doing so far, we’ll try hard to make the server an enjoyable place.
Jihye: Thanks to the cooperation, we could manage the server without any serious issue. I deeply appreciate the users. We will continue to manage it as a place where you can make good memories. If you find me in the game or in the server, don’t hesitate to call me, “Jiha!”
BCode: I’m working hard on Discord bots to make them as your reliable assistants, so please make active use of them.
How would you describe a Discord server for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS users in Korea in one word?
BCode: It’s my precious playground. I want to invite more people here.
OZ: It’s a “bed of roses” to me. Because only good things have happened since I became the Supporter, and it will continue.
Jihye: It’s my “memories” because I can meet many people in the server and make memories with them!
