The official Sonic Discord channel was launched by Sega, and the internet responded exactly as expected, with 50,000 people joining in six hours. Now the company has locked everything down in response.
Late last night, Sega posted the announcement across its official social media accounts. The message begins with these words: “Looking for a place to chill and chat all things Sonic the Hedgehog? Maybe find people to race in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds? We are excited to welcome you to the official Sonic Discord server!”.
Today, Eurogamer found that the server has channels set aside for talking about Sonic games, movies and comics, along with an off-topic channel that appears questionable. Strict moderation tools were already active when the site looked into the server.
The Moderation Tools
The server is running at a reduced pace right now, which has cut down the number of posts appearing in each channel. People who have not been around long enough to gain posting rights are barred from posting entirely, except for those who pay for a Discord Nitro boost.
The rules page carries a request to “keep it family friendly”. The moderators put up a launch day Q&A that sets out extra ground rules for the wave of Sonic fans arriving. They confirmed that more than 50,000 people joined the server in roughly six hours, and that a fan-art channel is planned.
Posting images has been disabled by default. An “aggressive” auto filter is removing messages written in all-caps.
Cheeky Messages Sneak In
Most of the Discord server remains steady for the moment, despite the fact that cheeky messages keep finding ways to show up throughout the chat channels.
The same Discord sticker featuring the Sonic mascot running toward the screen is being spread around a lot, and it’s harmless fun compared to other gifs that could be posted.
The State of Sonic
The recent recruitment of staff for important positions across several teams suggests Sega may be developing new Sonic titles. No announcement has been made to confirm this.
The newest game in the series, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, has done well for itself, passing 1m in sales within a brief period.
What Happens Next
The two biggest unknowns concern the future of the Sonic Discord itself and the duration of its moderating team. Eurogamer extends warm wishes to the moderators as they move through the weeks ahead.
The moderation tools at play include:
- Slow mode, drastically reducing post quantity
- Chat limitations preventing newcomers from posting
- A Nitro requirement for new posters
- Disabled image posting
- An aggressive auto filter removing all-caps messages
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Slow mode | Enabled |
| Newcomer posting | Blocked, except with Nitro |
| Image posting | Disabled by default |
| All-caps filter | Aggressively enabled |
Sega’s invitation to chaos has brought chaos itself to the Discord, which remains stable for now, while the sticker-spam is harmless. The real test is whether the moderators can match the pace of it.
Source material: “"Keep it family friendly" – Sega's official Sonic Discord swarmed by 50,000 people in six hours, as understandably strict moderation is put in place,” Eurogamer.
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