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Stephaine Field is live publishing manager at Fundamentally Games.
In the ever-changing landscape of gaming, live events have become a great means of engaging players and keeping communities alive.
However, successfully running an event involves balancing a variety of responsibilities and tasks, from overall planning, impact on the team, maximizing visibility, and creating effective messaging to executing the event seamlessly while converting as many players as possible.
In this article, we’ll explore the essential components of creating a live event. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to live events, understanding each element will better equip you to create an event that captivates your audience and helps drive engagement, build community, and ensure long-term success for your game.
Planning
While it’s obvious that careful planning is essential for successful live events, what does that actually entail? It’s not just about having great ideas but also setting measurable goals and understanding the full scope of contributions needed to develop and run the event.
This includes not only the development and marketing teams but also QA, dev ops, and even the legal department. If any of those teams aren’t properly considered or fully aware of their responsibilities, your event will likely be delayed and run into significant issues during execution.
The challenge lies in finding the right balance between making your event sufficiently engaging for players and ensuring it’s sustainable and repeatable – whether that’s on a weekly or monthly basis.
Often, developers focus on churning out a large volume of content, which can cause burnout and set expectations on their team that they cannot realistically maintain.
Often, developers focus on churning out a large volume of content, which can cause burnout and set expectations on their team that they cannot realistically maintain. However, there are many other creative options that can captivate and delight your audience without requiring an overwhelming amount of effort.
The practical components of a successful live event can include a variety of elements, including new assets, new game modes, seasonal or cosmetic items, and even new tasks and challenges. The key isn’t the amount of content; rather, it is crafting an enjoyable moment for players.
This could be something as simple as a fun in-game challenge or even an event held solely on your social channels, like a community contest. The goal is to create moments that keep players excited and invested, both inside and outside of the game.
Instead of always creating entirely new assets or game modes, consider how you can repurpose what’s already available. This can include reusing gameplay settings or configurations or making simple tweaks and changes rather than starting from scratch.
For example, you can create different tiers of the same asset – tier 1 being a basic version, tier 2 with minor changes like colour variations, and tier 3 as a rare variation. For game modes, pre-configuring variables like damage, health, XP cost, rewards, theming, or speed can allow you to create impactful, seasonal content quickly.
Similarly, setting quests or challenges with specific goals tied to unlocking seasonal XP or currency not only engages players but also helps limit the amount of new content you need to produce while still delivering a satisfying experience.
Some examples of this include unlockable themed power armour skins in Fallout 76 that can be purchased with seasonal currency or the mazes events in Howrse, where the same seasonal event returns with a fresh reskin and different prizes each time. Each contains reused assets or game modes but is reskinned for the individual events.
In order to answer, ‘‘What makes a good live event?’, you must start by understanding your game and audience. The answer varies depending on the genre of the game and the profiles/types of players that engage with it. This is often very different for every game, and embracing your game’s unique qualities and selling points is the first part of understanding how to best reflect that in your live event.
It’s important to recognize that players prefer what they know. Lowering the barrier to entry can reduce friction for both introducing new players and returning players. Many things are also trying to grab your player’s attention – why should they play your game specifically? And once they’ve played, what will keep them coming back? Offering compelling reasons to return, whether progression, new content, or new features, will help ensure that they return for more.
Lowering the barrier to entry can reduce friction for both introducing new players and returning players.
Do your research. Consider similar games to yours that have run live events. What worked for them, and what didn’t? What did you like about it? What did the players have to say about it? While your live event will differ from theirs based on their player base’s preferences and goals, this can be a good starting point to understand player expectations in regard to in-game events.
It can be exciting to come up with new ideas or features for your game in the early stages, and it’s important to record all ideas and consider all angles, but too many features can reduce the event’s focus and put unnecessary pressure on the team.
Set realistic boundaries from the outset – work with your teams to figure out what can and can’t be done within timeframes. Small events aren’t a negative – sometimes, these can actually be more effective, particularly if they are carefully planned.
One example of an effective small-scale live event is in Slime Rancher ‘Party Gordo’ – Each Friday, a unique giant slime is hidden somewhere in the in-game world for players to find and unlock surprises.
As mentioned above, live ops isn’t about producing a large volume of content or lots of events – it’s all about consistency. Players value regular updates that build on their existing experiences.
Instead of overwhelming players with too much content that could burn them out or leave content droughts, focus on delivering well-timed updates with a fair amount of content that works for both your team and your audience.
Keeping consistent helps build trust with your audience and allows you to gather meaningful feedback over time to help evolve your content.
In the long term, keeping a steady flow of updates helps to keep a loyal community and creates and sustains anticipation for future events.
Collaborating with developers
The key element to bringing your event to life is effective teamwork.
Firstly, when working with developers, you need to be clear about timelines, resources, and any constraints.
This needs to be a two-way conversation that aligns the creative vision with what’s achievable. Be careful not to overpromise – it’s better to set realistic expectations upfront and then expand on this later.
Define roles early. Be clear on ‘who does what’, and make sure each department knows who to talk to about any particular concerns.
Encourage creativity and collaboration – everyone has something to bring to the table, and making sure everyone is involved in the creative process can foster [a better] environment. Allow space for everyone to contribute their thoughts and ideas.
Define roles early. Be clear on ‘who does what’, and make sure each department knows who to talk to about any particular concerns.
For example, who on the marketing team should focus on promotions and socials, whilst the developers will need to focus on implementing in-game content and technical support. There are many areas where interplay between teams is essential, such as developers providing behind-the-scenes content for marketing use.
Establish goals and KPIs, but be practical. What are your aims for this event? Do you want to boost active player numbers or sales? These goals should translate into KPIs that you can use as a metric to track the performance of your event. Defining these KPIs early on can help you design your in-game event with a specific target.
During this process, it’s important to think about communication. Consider how best to set this up so that everyone stays in the loop and to streamline the collaborative process.
Every department plays a key role in making sure the event runs smoothly – from QA and dev ops to legal and community
A breakdown in communication between departments can cause issues later on down the line, so it’s always best to consider how to mitigate this early. It’s crucial that when changes occur (and they will!), all stakeholders are informed about what happened and how it affects them. For example, even when deliverables are reduced, it’s important to adjust the messaging accordingly.
When planning a live event, it’s essential to think about the whole team, not just the core development and marketing teams. Every department plays a key role in making sure the event runs smoothly – from QA and dev ops to legal and community. For example, QA needs ample time to thoroughly test any new builds or content for bugs, whilst dev ops needs to ensure the servers can handle increased traffic.
Legal may need to review any new content and promotions for compliance, and marketing will need the build and any related materials in good time to produce trailers and promotional materials and to begin pre-promotion activities. It’s also important to brief any community volunteers or moderators who may be involved.
Proper coordination and planning ensure everyone on the team is aligned and prepared, reducing the risk of last-minute issues and helping to ensure a smooth experience.
Maximizing storefront visibility
Maximizing your visibility on storefronts is a great way to attract new players and bring back returning ones. This applies to PC, Console, and Mobile. It also helps players who don’t follow your socials but have wishlisted or played your game.
Keep your game’s news section updated with announcements about your live event. This can be done with Steam’s community hub, Apple App Store events section, or Xbox clubs, for example.
This should be a multi-faceted approach with phases – a lead-up/hype phase, a release phase, an engagement/mid-event phase, and an ending phase. Each phase should have a slightly different aim, and you should adjust your strategy to fit that – e.g. during the hype phase, you should be hinting at your event and showing ‘sneak peeks’ of incoming content – just enough to grow intrigue without giving too much away.
Maximizing your visibility on storefronts is a great way to attract new players and bring back returning ones.
Take advantage of Steam’s broadcast feature. Broadcasting builds a sense of anticipation and connection and creates a direct connection with your audience. You can use this feature to stream gameplay, developer commentary or even a live Q&A. You should aim to keep this moderated where possible to ensure players are responded to if they are chatting. Using steam’s broadcast function can lead to enhanced visibility on the store front.
Visibility rounds on platforms like Steam offer an amazing opportunity to get your game in front of new and returning eyes. If you time these carefully, you can maximize the reach. This reach can expand beyond people who have played and wishlisted your game. It is a powerful tool, but it needs to be used carefully.
Planning your live event around sales and tie-ins. While some platform sales can help boost your views, others can bury your visibility.
Executing an event
Ensuring a strong launch comes down to careful planning and timing. Make sure all systems are adequately tested beforehand to ensure a smooth rollout. There are a lot of moving parts in running a live event, so all the previous planning comes into play here.
Back up your efforts with your social media platforms, and make sure to do this early. You can generate excitement and cross-promote your event on social media with themed content, reminders, countdowns and behind-the-scenes content. You should also aim to tie this in with influencer outreach, as your social media strategy plays a critical role.
Manage your budget wisely. Ensure that you’re spending your budget on the right channels, track which channels are performing best with analytics, and adjust as necessary. You should also keep some budget for contingencies.
It’s also essential to have a system in place to handle complaints and technical issues. For example, having a ticketing system (such as Zoho or Zendesk) in place can help you to efficiently manage player support.
Having a clear and structured workflow for handling complaints ensures that nothing ‘slips through the cracks’, and can help your team resolve issues faster. Having a proper setup for tracking player feedback and pain points over time can help you improve the game experience, as well as build trust and loyalty in the long term.
Upkeep and engagement
After launching your live event, don’t just immediately sit back and relax! Keep engaging with your audience – You need to keep proving that your team is actively involved and responsive.
Listen to player feedback and take it seriously, but make sure to balance it with your vision and aims for the event and the game. Not all player feedback and suggestions will align with your goals – you need to find the balance between making players feel valued and heard whilst staying true to your vision.
Track social media engagement, player numbers, and in-game activity during every stage of your event.
Monitor data and key data points. Track social media engagement, player numbers, and in-game activity during every stage of your event. This will help you understand how your event is performing and how to tweak your strategy in the future to build on success.
Responding to player reviews quickly is essential for maintaining positive community relations. This applies to all platforms – on Social media, game storefronts such as Steam, and community support platforms. Storefronts like Steam often factor in developer responsiveness when determining the ranking and visibility of games, so addressing concerns quickly is essential for maintaining your game’s standing.
A prompt and thoughtful response to a player’s concerns shows them (and any others who view it) that you care about their experience and are still actively supporting your game, which can help build up trust. Even when dealing with very negative feedback, engaging correctly can turn a bad experience into a positive one, which can ultimately strengthen your community in the long term.
Contingency planning
‘Contingency Planner’ isn’t just a card in the board game pandemic; it’s an important mindset to adopt when planning any live event.
Ensure everything is ready before the event starts. Test all setups, double-check schedules and dates, and double-check content. Make sure there are backups in place for all critical components and that you know how to use them.
Issues such as technical problems, server crashes, or even lower-than-expected player turnout can happen.
The key is not just checking but being methodical. Having a two-step system with someone else can help, as well as having a checklist on a platform such as Trello, by which an event cannot go live unless everything is checked off.
Expect the unexpected. I like to live by the rule of ‘hope for the best, but prepare for the worst’. The aim of this is always to prepare as much as possible in advance and have a plan b.
Issues such as technical problems, server crashes, or even lower-than-expected player turnout can happen. The goal is to anticipate these potential challenges and be ready to adapt quickly when things don’t go as planned. Having contingency plans for different scenarios, like adjusting in-game rewards, extending timelines, or increasing marketing efforts, can help mitigate disruptions.
Assign clear responsibilities for crisis management in the event of an emergency.
You must be prepared to pivot quickly and communicate clearly with your audience and team. Whether you’re dealing with a minor or major issue, transparency will help build trust and keep everyone on the same page as you work to resolve it.
Assign clear responsibilities for crisis management in the event of an emergency. If something goes wrong, everyone should know who to contact, who’s responsible for fixing it, and who to contact about specific issues, whether technical, community, or gameplay. This also shouldn’t all fall on one person – it’s a team effort.
Different tiers of support should be in place when managing feedback and complaints to manage the escalation process efficiently. For example, tier 1 support can handle initial triage, answering common questions (that could also be handled with an FAQ) or passing more complex issues to tier 2.
Tier 2 takes a closer look, diagnosing the problem and deciding if it needs further escalation or passing back to production to put into the backlog.
Tier 3 involves bringing in platform specialists to resolve the most urgent issues, e.g., server restarts and managing legally impactful customer complaints or toxicity issues. By having a well-structured support system, along with clear roles and responsibilities, your team can respond quickly and effectively, minimizing the impact on players and ensuring the event stays on track.
