7 things we learned running a 500k+ member Discord

Managing a Discord server can sound straightforward if you're thinking it's just going to be a few hundred people chatting about a game, but it becomes a very different challenge when that server grows to over 500,000 members.

For the past few years Project N has been running the Elden Ring Discord for Bandai Namco, which has seen game launches, DLCs, huge announcements, and community milestones.

We spoke to our seasoned community team about the lessons that consistently hold true about running a Discord of 500k+ members.

1. In 500,000 people, you'll still recognise the same faces

One of the biggest surprises is actually how small a giant community can feel. You might expect that half a million members would create a constantly changing, chaotic stream of strangers, but every server develops a core of regulars who seem to show up nearly every day.

These people are vital for shaping the culture of the server - they welcome newcomers, help answer questions, start conversations, and help build the community. It's important to get to know these people, understand the patterns in their behaviour and find out what motivates them. They're the backbone of your community, so keep them close and keep them in check.

2. Discord servers are NEVER finished

Launching a server is completely achievable. Finishing one is impossible. If you think you've finished building your Discord then you've probably just stopped paying attention.

As communities grow, people continuously find new ways to use channels, break systems, push automoderation to its limits, and create conversations you never expected. A channel that was busy six months ago might suddenly become completely irrelevant. So you're constantly having to update categories and channel lists based around what the community is or isn't talking about.

It's a constant process of tweaking, improving, and reorganising - not something you can just leave to run autonomously.

3. A strong moderation team changes everything

People assume that a server of more than 500,000 members would be chaos. It can be, but it actually doesn't have to be.

What keeps the calm and organisation is having a strong moderation team supported by well-maintained moderation tools.

Good moderation doesn't mean handing out punishments and constantly telling people off. It's really about consistency and ensuring rules are understood and enforced fairly.

For a server of this scale, no single person can keep everything running smoothly. You must have a team that trusts each other and communicates excellently together, sharing a common understanding of what that community needs and how it should be managed.

4. Don't just be a faceless community manager

One mistake we often see in Discord communities is that moderators and community managers are just invisible figures of authority. They're only seen when someone breaks a rule, which just creates distance.

People join Discord servers to be closer to the games, studios, and people, not to feel like their talking to a customer service department. We want our mod teams to participate in normal conversations, share excitement around announcements, answers questions, and generally act human.

It's important to still hold the line, but being approachable goes a long way towards building trust.

5. Friend groups can shape the entire community

Every large-scale Discord will develop many smaller communities within it - friend groups emerge with shared jokes and they start to influence the conversations within the server. This can be an excellent thing, but it can also mean that the friendship group can easily dictate the whole direction of the server, which isn't necessarily what you want.

The key thing is to keep a close eye on these groups as they form, get to know how they behave and what their dynamics are. Keeping them in check means you have groups that provide conversation starters for you, but without turning the server into a cliquey environment.

6. The community doesn't just run itself as you grow

As your server reaches a certain size, conversations will often start flowing naturally. Somebody will always be talking. This makes it super tempting to just step back and assume the community will run itself.

That's a mistake. Engagement is just as important for 500k members as it is for 500. People still want updates, insights, and communication about the game and people connected to it.

7. Security is essential

When your Discord grows, it becomes a bigger target. Scam attempts will happen and bad actors will become more sophisticated.

It's imperative to keep on top of this to protect members from being taken advantage of and keeping them safe.

A few simple measures make a huge difference - Enabling two-factor identification, limiting publicly available personal information, maintaining strong permissions, and staying vigilant will all help reduce risk. The moderators should have a crisis plan that they can adhere to anytime a security issue arises. It's not glamourous, but it's arguably the single most important factor.

Project N is an award-winning game agency. We will deliver all your video needs with game trailers and assets. We will tell the best editorial stories. We will design and build your game website. We will create, manage, and grow your game community across Discord and social. We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch!