Huge thanks to Alex Takei for having Tim and Andrew on the show!

In the latest episode of the Naavik Gaming Podcast, Tim Smith, co-founder of Cohezion, and Andrew Beegle, founder of Beegle Productions, discussed the ever-evolving world of gaming communities. With decades of combined experience, they discussed how community management has transformed, the challenges facing today’s community teams, and the tools and strategies needed to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

The Evolution of Community Management

Community management has changed dramatically over the last decade. Once a discipline focused on moderation and basic engagement, it has evolved into a strategic cornerstone for game development and marketing.

Earlier Involvement: Developers are now engaging with communities much earlier in the game lifecycle— sometimes even before a playable build is ready. This shift reflects the growing need to incorporate player feedback into game design from the outset.
Micro-Influencers as Game-Changers: Gone are the days of solely relying on large-scale influencers to promote games. Instead, micro-influencers and community managers themselves are becoming vital voices, building trust and authenticity within smaller, more engaged groups.
Community Managers as Strategic Leaders: The role of the community manager has expanded. Today’s community leaders are not only engaging players but also shaping product strategies by bringing de-biased, actionable insights back to development teams.

Building a Community: When, Who, and How

One of the central questions addressed in the episode was: When is the right time to build a community?

Timing Matters: Exposing a product too early can be risky, but doing so strategically—when there’s something for the community to rally around—can be a game-changer.
Pre-Launch Engagement: For teams without a finished game, the challenge becomes building excitement around ideas, concepts, and sneak peeks to cultivate early adopters and super-fans.
The Role of Community Managers: Should community managers also act as influencers? Timothy and Andrew argue that being visible, relatable, and active in the community is increasingly part of the job description.

Scaling Communities and Teams

As games grow, so do their communities—and scaling effectively is no small feat.

Identifying True Engagement: A key insight shared was the importance of distinguishing between social buzz and genuine interest in the game itself. Developers and community teams need to measure metrics that reflect meaningful engagement, such as participation in playtests or early feedback submissions.
De-Biasing Feedback: One of the biggest challenges for community managers is filtering out noise and presenting feedback that truly represents the player base. This process ensures development teams stay focused on actionable insights rather than skewed opinions.
Scaling Community Teams: Community teams are often lean, with individuals wearing multiple hats—moderator, strategist, content creator, and more. Scaling these roles in alignment with player growth is essential to avoid burnout and maintain high-quality interactions.

Mission-Critical Tools for 2025

Here are some must-have tools for community teams heading into 2025.

Platforms like Discord, Twitter/X, and Reddit remain central to community engagement, but leveraging analytics and automation tools is becoming increasingly important.
AI-Driven Insights: Tools that analyze player feedback, sentiment, and activity are helping teams make data-driven decisions faster.
Workflow Automation: Integrating tools that streamline moderation, bug reporting, and player communication can significantly improve efficiency and transparency.

Why This Conversation Matters

Gaming communities have become more than just spaces for fans—they’re critical drivers of marketing, PR, and game design. The challenges and opportunities in today’s community landscape and offers actionable insights for developers, community managers, and gaming enthusiasts looking to stay ahead.

What are your thoughts on the future of gaming communities? We’d love to hear them!

Building Gaming Communities in 2025: Key Insights from Naavik Podcast