GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Community Management Summit: Rise of a Cult: Impact of Community on Unreleased Games
Karan Chhabra (Associate Director - Community, SuperGaming)
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Summits Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Business & Marketing
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
In this session, Karan Chhabra - SuperGaming's Associate Director of Community explores the powerful impact a dedicated community can have on an unreleased game, using Indus Battle Royale as a case study. Attendees will discover how the team built a 300,000+ player base before launch, leveraging Discord, exclusive beta access, and referral programs to drive organic growth. The talk covers how community-driven development accelerated game iteration cycles by 30% and led to faster, more relevant gameplay updates. Through programs like Indus Insiders and Indus Prime Squad, the community not only shaped the game but also created career paths for players as ambassadors and content creators. This session offers practical strategies for developers looking to harness their community's potential to enhance game development and marketing momentum before release.
Takeaway
Attendees will learn how to build and engage a large community for an unreleased game, using examples from Indus Battle Royale. The presentation details how community-driven development accelerated iteration cycles, while structured referral programs and exclusive content boosted organic growth, offering actionable insights for developers and community managers.
Intended Audience
The target audience includes community managers, game developers, and general audience seeking to enhance player engagement. Attendees will benefit from understanding grassroots community-building techniques and best practices for fostering inclusivity. A foundational knowledge of community management and gaming dynamics is helpful but not strictly required for grasping the session's content.
