Interview: Black Desert Online Devs' Community Efforts Show Its Passion For Its Players

mmorpg.com:

Community is the lifeblood of an MMORPG. The strength of a community can retain players during content droughts and attract new ones. Part of helping that community along is on the developers, engaging with them in meaningful ways.

For some, this is down to in-game events, while some host regular live streams with familiar community team members to interact with community members. Other developers host player gatherings or support player-created ones, from small events to large affairs like EVE Fanfest, TennoCon, or BlizzCon. 

Since the pandemic lifted across the globe, Pearl Abyss has supported community events wherever there is a community to support. From small gatherings like the Adventurer’s Oasis gatherings that have taken place across the states this year to larger events such as the Calpheon Ball last December, Pearl Abyss is engaging their community in meaningful ways.

During TwitchCon Las Vegas over the weekend, Pearl Abyss held the first community event focused on content creators. Makes sense, with the deluge of content creators making the pilgrimage to the Las Vegas Valley for TwitchCon proper. Thus, under the lights of the nearby Las Vegas Strip, creators gathered at TopGolf Las Vegas for some food, drinks, and conversation with each other and the developers — as well as some golf, of course.

Content creators have become an integral part of engaging a community over the years, especially with live service games like MMOs and ARPGs. Through content creators, new players learn about a game, existing players stay engaged with a game, and the developers have another avenue to reach players of all levels by working with the creators themselves.

When Pearl Abyss America CEO Jeonghee Jin (JJ) joined the company