The Community Lounge

Today’s guest is John Lloyd, Community Lead at The Path, a UK-based games marketing agency. John’s journey into community management began long before his first professional role—he spent years building and nurturing player communities in games like Age of Empires II, RuneScape, and Guild Wars 2. His passion for fostering player connection eventually led him to a career at Ubisoft before joining The Path, where he now manages communities across multiple studios and titles. We chat about how early online experiences shaped his community philosophy, the emotional toll of working in highly visible roles, and how he’s learned to protect his mental well-being after facing severe community backlash—including receiving death threats over in-game balance changes. John shares how he handles these difficult situations, the importance of empathy in community work, and why open communication between players and studios is vital. We also talk about his involvement with Limit Break, a UK mentorship program helping underrepresented people find guidance and opportunity in the games industry, and his perspective on mentoring the next generation of community professionals. Finally, John explains what it’s like working at an agency versus a studio, and how he balances multiple clients while staying authentic and transparent. Games mentioned in this episode: Age of Empires II RuneScape Gwent Elder Scrolls: Legends (TCG) Guild Wars 2 Find John on: LinkedIn Limit Break Email: john@thepath.agency The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles.  Chapters (00:00:00) - John Lloyd's Journey into Community Management(00:08:19) - Challenges Faced as a Community Manager(00:22:20) - Mentorship and Community Support(00:28:07) - Working at The Path: A Unique Perspective(00:35:04) - Gaming Interests and Community Connections

Today’s guests are Dale Stiffell and Kallum Hoy, the dynamic community duo behind Transformers: Earth Wars at Yodo1 Games. The two met while working together at Space Ape Games and have since become inseparable collaborators—often joking that they’re a “package deal.” Between them, they bring years of experience in community management, player engagement, and storytelling through live service games. Their journeys into the industry couldn’t be more different. Dale’s path began as a teenager running one of the internet’s biggest Habbo Hotel fan sites—an experience that taught him resilience and the foundations of modern community management. Kallum’s story started in the world of pensions and finance before a chance opportunity as a volunteer moderator opened the door to game communities like RuneScape and BattleBit Remastered. We chat about the emotional rollercoaster of seeing Transformers: Earth Wars nearly shut down and how the team found a new home at Yodo1, the importance of mental health and burnout awareness in community roles, and why empathy, transparency, and humor are the best tools for managing passionate fanbases. Dale and Kallum also share powerful lessons about teamwork, trust, and building communities that feel seen and heard—even during studio transitions and major updates. Games mentioned in this episode: Transformers: Earth Wars BattleBit Remastered RuneScape Habbo Hotel League of Legends Dofus New World Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 World of Warcraft Red Dead Redemption 2 GTA V GTA 6 Blue Prince Minecraft Find Dale and Kallum on LinkedIn: Dale Kallum The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles.  

Today’s guest is Jarvs Tasker, Head of Communications at Happy Volcano. Jarvs has held several community and communications roles across the games industry, including at Raw Fury, where she worked on Dome Keeper and Blue Prince. She’s also an award-winning accessibility advocate, recently recognised at Game Dev Heroes 2025 for her work championing disabled and neurodiverse representation in games. Her journey into the industry was anything but typical—she began her career as a drama teacher before disability forced her to step away. That experience, along with her training in behaviour management, shaped her empathetic and people-first approach to community building. We chat about how those teaching skills translate into managing online communities, why listening and understanding can turn angry players into loyal ambassadors, and how setting clear community rules helps everyone feel safe and included. Jarvs also shares her joy at seeing the Dome Keeper community come together for a hilarious black-tie modding jam—and how that moment became one of her favourite memories as a community manager. Finally, we dive into her current work on Modulars, a colourful and creative factory automation game from Happy Volcano, and how she balances being a marketer, writer, and accessibility lead all in one. Games mentioned in this episode: Dome Keeper Blue Prince Modulus Death Stranding 2 Hades 2 Expedition 33 Find Jarvs on: LinkedIn BlueSky The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles.

Today’s guest is Victoria Tran, Games Communications Director at InnerSloth, the studio behind Among Us. She’s also the creator of the Community Dev Newsletter, an organizer of the Wholesome Games Initiative, and the author of the upcoming book Mastering Community Management. In this episode, Victoria shares how she “accidentally” became a community manager—and ended up one of the most respected voices in the field. From moderating Discord servers to playing Among Us with politicians like AOC, her journey is packed with surprising moments and hard-earned wisdom. This episode is full of practical insights and real talk about what it's like to be the public face of a game with millions of passionate (and vocal) players. Victoria's book: Mastering Community Management Games mentioned: Among Us Blue Prince Find Victoria on: Twitter/X Bluesky Linkedin Community Dev Newsletter victoriatran.com Victoria’s book: Mastering Community Management The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is… me, Steve McLeod! In this special solo episode, I share why I created The Community Lounge podcast and how it connects to my product, Feature Upvote. I tell the story of how the podcast become a way for me to connect with community managers, learn how they work, and provide a space to share their stories. I talk about how it all started, the lessons learnt on the way, and how feedback from the games industry helped shape Feature Upvote into what it is today. And especially, how one person's help made Feature Upvote what it is today. The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Sofia Pettersson, Community manager at Apog Labs in Malmö, Sweden. Sofia’s journey into the games industry is both personal and inspiring—after a major life upheaval, she found her way into community management, combining her passion for creativity with a growing interest in games. We chat about her non-linear path to the games industry, what it’s like building community for a game still in development, and how her hobbies as an artist—painting, sewing, and more—give her a creative edge at work. Sofia also discusses the platforms she’s using (hint: TikTok is key), the challenge of always producing fresh content, and the differences between nurturing a player community and supporting an internal team. She shares how her outsider perspective helps her appreciate her colleagues’ work and her thoughts on Sweden’s humble-but-thriving game dev culture. Games mentioned in this episode: Atmosfar Airport CEO Find Sofia on: LinkedIn The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Henri Bazire, who leads community work as Social Media Editor at ARTE, the French-German TV network with a dedicated video games division. Henri’s path into community management is far from traditional—he started in molecular biology before pivoting into marketing and eventually landing an internship at Ubisoft, where his passion for the games industry took root. We talk about what it takes to enter the games industry from a non-gaming background, and the emotional, strategic challenges of working on games that tackle heavy subjects—like Wednesdays, a narrative game about recovery after sexual abuse. Henri shares how he handled potential backlash, navigated platform-specific audience reactions (X vs. Bluesky), and why authenticity matters when discussing taboo topics through games. We also dive into how Henri stays sharp in his role: from Discord groups to free GDC talks on YouTube. Games mentioned in this episode: Wednesdays 30 Birds Gris Neva Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 Blue Prince Find Henri on: LinkedIn TikTok

Today’s guest is Nora Mattsson, a first-time community manager, 2D artist, and CEO at Studio Downstairs, a small indie game studio based in Sweden. Nora and her team are currently developing Find or Be Found, an asymmetric co-op horror game inspired by titles like Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes and Amnesia. In this episode, Nora discusses her multifaceted role within the studio, highlighting the challenges and rewards of community management within an indie environment. She shares insights into building early communities around game prototypes, the strategic use of platforms like itch.io and Discord, and leveraging smaller content creators for impactful outreach. Nora also provides practical tips for first-time community managers, emphasizing patience, careful observation of successful studios, and the importance of engaging genuinely with your community. Games mentioned in this episode: Find or Be Found Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Amnesia Overwatch 2 Psychonauts Find Nora on: LinkedIn The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Dennis Abe, a community manager at King in Sweden. Dennis has held various roles in the video game industry, including time in Japan as a game designer and esports commentator. His unconventional journey—from awkward introvert and indie game studio intern in Tokyo to respected community manager—reflects the power of curiosity, persistence, and community-building. We chat about the value of setting boundaries as a community manager, how to separate personal and professional identities, and why internal communication within game studios is just as critical as player engagement. Dennis shares actionable tips for newcomers to the industry and highlights what makes communities like Supercell’s and Landfall’s so impactful. Dennis also tells the story of launching a VR game showcase, driven by player passion, and how that initiative helped shape broader industry practices. Games mentioned in this episode: Valorant Super Smash Bros. Melee Candy Crush Solitaire Squad Busters MoCo Find Dennis on: LinkedIn BlueSky The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Nicolas Nottin, a seasoned community developer with over 15 years of experience in the video game industry. Nico is currently the Lead Community Developer at Tribo Games in Germany. His career spans major studios including Square Enix, Creative Assembly, and InnoGames, where he’s cultivated deep expertise in building and managing vibrant gaming communities. We chat about the distinction between community development and management, how to build a player base before a product launches, and the crucial role of empathy in community work. Nico shares how his background in UX informs his approach to community strategy, and reflects on the evolving skill set needed for today’s community professionals. Nico also offers practical advice for new community managers, including why LiveOps games offer a rich learning ground, the value of making mistakes, and how small teams can foster rapid iteration and close collaboration. Games mentioned in this episode: Total War: Rome II Total War: Attila RUMBLE Farming Simulator Monster Hunter Find Nico on: LinkedIn The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Hichem Taleb, a seasoned community professional experienced in managing communities for notable games like Lego Builder’s Journey, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Ghost Recon Wildlands. Currently, Hichem provides mentorship and consulting to indie studios and solo developers. In this episode, we define the role of a Community Marketing Manager, a blend of community management, marketing, and diverse responsibilities common in indie studios. Hichem shares insights into his professional growth, from his start in customer support at Ubisoft to deeper community engagement roles. Hichem also provides practical marketing advice for indie developers on effectively promoting their games, discussing the value of cross-promotion, and learning from the experiences of others, particularly from projects that did not meet expectations. Games mentioned in this episode: Lego Builder’s Journey Microsoft Flight Simulator Ghost Recon Wildlands Earth Defense Force 4.1 Shadow of the New Despair Earth Defense Force 5 Stardew Valley Find Hichem on: LinkedIn Bluesky The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Thomas Schramm, Community Manager at Sky E Red in Germany, where he’s helping shape the launch of their debut game, Battle Frontier. Thomas’s path into the games industry is anything but typical—what began as a childhood hobby in online Halo communities eventually turned into a full-time career in community management. We talk about what it’s like to build a community from scratch when your game hasn’t even launched yet, the strategic (and very human) work that goes into early-stage community development, and the unique challenges of community-building in a startup environment. Thomas also opens up about dealing with unemployment in the games industry, learning new skills to stay competitive, and the evolving, often ambiguous nature of community management roles—especially at indie studios. Games mentioned in this episode: Halo Destiny 2 Battle Frontier Final Fantasy XVI Pokémon TCG Live Find Thomas on: LinkedIn X (formerly Twitter) as @Fuzzle_HC The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Erik Jakobsson, a community manager at Paradox Interactive in Sweden, where he leads a team of ambassadors. Erik's journey into the gaming industry is unique—he started by running a fan Discord server that was eventually acquired by Paradox, leading to his first role in community management. We chat about growing and moderating large online communities, the challenges of keeping a Discord server healthy, and how community managers can positively impact player engagement and sentiment. Erik also shares insights on recruiting ambassadors, managing multilingual communities, and the evolving role of community management in the games industry. Games mentioned in this episode: Hearts of Iron IV Path of Exile 2 Supervive Find Erik on: LinkedIn The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

Today’s guest is Kayla Goullaud, an experienced community manager who has worked on EverQuest 2, Forza Motorsport, and the Forza Horizon franchise. She also spent years with the Xbox Live Policy and Enforcement team, tackling everything from player bans to community safety. We chat about the complexities of game community management, the challenges of player moderation, and the importance of context in enforcement decisions. Kayla shares insights on breaking into the industry, the evolving role of community managers, and why people remain the most valuable data point in gaming communities. Games mentioned in this episode: EverQuest 2 Forza Horizon 3 Forza Horizon 4 Forza Horizon 5 Forza Motorsport Deep Rock Galactic Star Wars Outlaws Find Kayla on: LinkedIn The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote: Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise.

This is a very short episode to announce that we've reached the end of season one. SEASON TWO IS COMING SOON! Thank you to everybody involved. Thank you to the eight guests who gave very freely and generously of their time to be on the show. Thank you for listening and thank you to anybody who helped share the word about what I'm doing with the Community Lounge. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE in your podcasting app. That way, you'll be notified as soon as Season 2 is available. in early 2025.  

Today’s guest is Carolin Wendt, author of The Pocket Mentor for Game Community Management, and currently Lead International Community at CD PROJEKT RED. We chat about why and how Carolin wrote her book on community management. And Carolin gives some great tips for people wanting to break into community management. Games mentioned in this episode: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher, GWENT, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Neverwinter Nights, The Plucky Squire Find Carolin on: Twitter Instagram Bluesky The official site for "The Pocket Mentor for Game Community Management" book. The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote: Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Community Lounge(00:00:34) - Carolyn Burkett on Community Management(00:01:43) - What it means to be Lead International Community(00:04:37) - Gwent community manager on the role(00:06:37) - How I got into community management: Luck(00:13:42) - How to Recruit in the Film Industry(00:14:47) - How To Write a Community Management Book(00:18:06) - In the Elevator With Twitter's Community Manager(00:19:03) - The Pocket Mentor for Game Community Management(00:20:15) - What Did I Learned From Writing The Book?(00:24:08) - Have you received invitations to speak at events because of the book?(00:26:20) - The Community Manager: A Memoir(00:30:22) - Dragon Age: The Plucky Squire(00:32:37) - The Community Lounge: Carolyn's Book

Today I chat with Florian Rohde, currently Community & Player Support Lead at YAGER. We talk about how as a community manager, you can support your colleagues to do their job in the best way possible while shielding them from all the unnecessary noise. Games mentioned in this episode: The Cycle, The Cycle: Frontier, CrossFire Europe, Summoners War, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Yakuza series Find Florian on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florianrohde/ Twitter: https://x.com/FeraFlox Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/feraflox.bsky.social Florian's blog posts on being a community manager: https://yager.de/2024/04/11/community-management-at-yager/ https://yager.de/2024/09/04/what-being-a-gamer-taught-me-leadership/ The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote: Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Community Lounge(00:00:37) - A World of Warcraft mural(00:02:07) - What Exactly Is Your Role as a Community Manager?(00:05:17) - How to become a Community Manager in the Games Industry(00:11:08) - What's The Difference Between Community Management for Mobile and Console Games?(00:13:19) - Community Management: Shield Your Clients From Toxic Feedback(00:18:43) - How to moderate the toxicity in the community(00:24:18) - 5 tips for becoming a Community Manager(00:29:39) - Where do you learn to do your job better?(00:31:21) - What Game Have You Been Playing Recently?(00:32:31) - Florian Roede on the Community Lounge

Today I chat with Ellinor Bergman, CEO & Co-Founder of Speldosa Interactive. Ellinor tells us her journey into community management - and how a crisis situation at her previous job led her - somewhat unexpectedly - into her current role as CEO. Games mentioned in this episode: MonsterWash, Project Shoreline, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (aka TABS), Content Warning, Passpartout 2, Deadlock, Caravan SandWitch, Dorfromantik Find Ellinor on LinkedIn. The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote: Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Chapters (00:00:00) - Meet Eleanor Bergman(00:02:44) - How Did I Become a Community Manager Turned Producer(00:04:32) - How was that your first experience in community management(00:07:10) - How a community manager started a studio(00:09:53) - How Monster Wash was started by former(00:13:16) - How To Make a First-Person Game(00:20:03) - Community Management(00:22:20) - What does it mean to be strict in such a community?(00:25:54) - How to Become a Community Manager in 2019(00:28:02) - Want to become a Community Manager? Here are some tips(00:30:00) - Eleanor Bergman on How to Play a Game

Today I chat with Christian Jürgensen, currently working as a community management specialist at InnoGames. Christian's story into community management is unique. Christian was working as a film producer in LA, he moved to Brazil, and then he was brave enough to jump at an opportunity that let him start a new career in community management. Games mentioned in this episode: Tribal Wars, Grepolis, Heroes of History, RuneScape, Total War, Red Dead Redemption 2 Find Christian on LinkedIn. The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote: Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Chapters (00:00:00) - How Christian Jurgensen Went From Film to Community Manager(00:02:58) - How Much Do You Play Video Games?(00:03:27) - Lucky German and French guy gets job(00:04:12) - What is the Portuguese gaming industry like in Brazil?(00:06:11) - Krista on her role as a Community Manager(00:07:07) - The journey from community manager to community manager(00:09:24) - How Free to Play Games Get(00:12:07) - A Community Manager's(00:14:03) - Community Manager(00:17:19) - Xbox One and PlayStation 4 port(00:18:49) - How to learn in the gaming industry(00:20:12) - How 'Games Together' Integrates the Community(00:21:52) - 5 Tips for Community Managers(00:25:32) - How Film Skills Have Impact on Community Management(00:27:09) - Innogames' Heroes of History(00:28:19) - Red Dead Redemption 2(00:30:12) - Community Lounge

In today's chat, Lyn Dang and I talk about the danger of burnout for community managers, about streaming with authenticity, and about appearing at physical events. And Lyn tells us her 3 rules for community management. Games mentioned in this episode: Summoner's War, Palia, Emberward Find Lyn on LinkedIn. If you are a student aspiring to be in the industry, you can find Lyn over at BobaTalks as a mentor. The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote: Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Chapters (00:00:04) - The Community Lounge(00:00:45) - How I got my first job in the gaming industry straight out of(00:04:27) - How I got hired at Square Enix(00:05:53) - Community Managers: Feeling Young(00:07:20) - Lynn on Starting a Stream(00:09:08) - What Do Community Managers Need to Know(00:11:00) - Have You Done Physical Events?(00:13:18) - What is a Community Manager's Training?(00:16:05) - What's It Like Being a Community Manager?(00:18:35) - Have you had good support in the companies you worked for(00:21:19) - Community Management: Rules for Writing Communications(00:23:11) - What is a Community Manager (CM)?(00:24:56) - 3 Rules for Community Managers(00:26:18) - Don't Be Afraid to Ask Your Community(00:28:23) - What Should I Look For in a Community Manager?(00:29:28) - What game have you been playing lately?(00:30:52) - The Community Lounge: Linh