It’s one of the world’s most-played MMORPGs, so Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) attracts huge numbers of players with very different needs. But they do have one thing in common: many of them share their love of the game with their fellow fans on Discord.
Discord is a globally-popular platform where millions of people come together to to discuss the game, compare strategies and share their own content with other gamers. That makes it a crucial hub for connecting with gamers.
Developed by Square Enix, the award-wining game has at times counted over 24 million registered players. Having been around for over a decade, it can be played in lots of different ways. The combination of vast game and huge player base means the audience spans newcomers and experienced veterans, from casual players to hardcore gamers, and everybody playing in their own way.
Here’s how a range of FFXIV Discord communities adopt a range of strategies to reach players of all levels and all styles of engagement.
The role of Discord in FFXIV
Discord offers a range of features that support community building and enhance the experience of playing the game. Real-time messaging, voice channels and bot integrations allow fans and community managers to collaborate on building an environment where gamers can talk, hang out, hold events and more.
With a genuine two-way conversations between players and game makers, this digital ecosystem ensures that players remain engaged, reinforcing a sense of belonging and keeping players coming back to the game.
Case studies of FFXIV Discord communities
The Balance
A dedicated hub for teaching, learning, theorycrafting (deep diving into game mechanics, strategies and tactics), optimising FFXIV jobs and encounters.
Unique strategies:
- Provides comprehensive guides and resources for players aiming to improve their gameplay.
- Hosts discussions and Q&A sessions with experienced players and mentors.
- Impact: Empowers players to improve their skills, often with the help of more experienced players, leading to a more knowledgeable and skilled player base.
NASE (North American Savage and Extreme)
A Discord community dedicated to high-end raiders based on North America data denters.
Unique Strategies:
- Offers a platform for players to collaborate on challenging raid content.
- Provides resources such as strategies, guides and a repository for high-end duties.
- Learning platform for new raiders looking to get into raiding.
- Impact: Helps the formation of raid groups and enhances the raiding experience for high-end players.
Syncademy
A Discord community on the Light Data Center dedicated to providing a relaxed environment for learning synchronised raiding in FFXIV.
Unique Strategies:
- Organises raids up to five days a week with a calendar signup system, allowing for non-static group progression.
- Encourages participation using a community level and achievement system, earning players XP, custom badges and roles.
- Encourages both new and veteran players to participate in raid leading and learning.
- Impact: Promotes inclusivity and learning, enabling players of all levels to experience and enjoy raid content.
Strategies for success in Discord community building
These different FFXIV communities show different strategies for engaging your community, reaching different players in different ways even as they play the same game. These strategies can be deployed in any community by addressing different or even overlapping groups of fans across the channels of your server.
Here’s some of the tactics you can deploy to keep your fans engaged:
- Providing educational resources: Offering guides, tutorials, and mentorship programs to support skill development, so players can keep levelling up and stay engaged with the game.
- Organising events: Hosting regular activities, raids and discussions to bring players together and keep the conversation fresh.
- Fostering inclusivity: Creating a welcoming environment for players of all skill levels, where effective moderation and a collaborative attitude among members helps to create a safe space for all.
- Utilising Discord features: Leveraging bots, automated features and real time data analytics for event scheduling, moderation and enhanced community interaction.
Get started with Levellr
Discord plays a central role in enhancing a player’s experience of playing any game, as they share their passion and swap information with fellow fans. Game studios, developers, esports companies and other gaming brands looking to build and strengthen player communities can take inspiration from these strategies to create vibrant and engaging spaces for their own audiences.
At Levellr, we work with a range of clients, helping you drive tangible marketing ROI and monetisation value through meaningful emotional connection with fans. Levellr’s AI-driven platform helps executives turn fragmented community conversations into actionable insights, enabling teams to identify trends, track sentiment, and make data-backed decisions faster.
Contact Levellr today to discover how you can tap into the Discord opportunity to foster fan engagement, drive ROI and strengthen player loyalty.