A lot has happened since the last blog post, so I want to start by revisiting a few subjects we brought up in recent blog posts before moving into some of the newer progress being made on the website and the competitive infrastructure we are building in the background.
How we’re working
Over the last month and a half, we have accomplished quite a bit. One of the main reasons I have not updated the blog after every completed task or fixed issue is simple: once something was finished, we moved straight on to the next item on the to-do list. Sometimes, getting buried in the work is exactly what helps goals get finished. At the same time, it can become addictive in its own way. You finish one thing, immediately ask, “What else can I improve here?” and before long, the community blog updates fall behind.
The reality is that we have not yet seen the old traffic return to GWL in the way we had hoped. However, there is a positive side to that. The lower traffic has given us room to work directly on the live site, fix problems, and test both old and new features without disrupting a large number of active users.
Normally, we would handle this kind of work through “staging” websites, and we have done that at different points of our progress. The problem is that every time a new staging site is created, it also needs to be updated with all the other features, fixes, and files that have already been completed. That creates a constant loop of uploading files, backing up the site, syncing changes, testing one feature, and then preparing the staging site all over again for the next one. It takes more time than people might realize just to get everything ready for proper testing.
Because GWL is still in a rebuilding phase, the current level of traffic has allowed us to test many of these improvements live on the site while keeping the risk low for current users. That said, we are starting to see traffic increase slowly, and more visitors are finding their way back. The daily articles on the front end have been an important part of that, and I want to give a shout-out to our contributors for helping keep that steady piece of the site active.
With that said, let’s move on to the updates.
Discord and Replacement Comms
We have several updates on the communications front, ranging from changes to the GWL Discord server to the addition of team-created private forums here on the site. There is a lot to cover, so we will go through each part separately.
Discord
We have seen some interest in the GWL Discord server, but in reality, we have started to wind it down a bit. For a while, we were boosting the server with Discord Nitro so it could offer more visual and structural features, along with better sound and video quality.
However, without an active community using those features regularly, it started to feel like money that could be better used elsewhere. Between the cost of Nitro, the extra boosts, and the fact that very few people were taking advantage of the server right now, it became hard to justify continuing that expense at the same level.
That is not a criticism of the community, either. With no active competition currently running on the site, there is not much reason for players to be heavily active in the Discord yet.
On top of that, Discord’s recent policy changes, including age verification concerns, combined with their data leak issues, made us take another serious look at how we want to handle sitewide communications moving forward.
The GWL Discord server is still available, and it is not going anywhere. Anyone who wants to use it is welcome to do so, whether they need a server for competitive needs, team coordination, or just casual conversation. We also purchased the lifetime license of the MEE6 bot for the server, so most of the features and commands we previously set up through that system are still available.
The server itself contains information about those commands and features, and anyone interested can also find related posts here on the site.
The main change is with the server boosts. When we were personally providing the boosts, the server had access to higher-tier Discord features. Going forward, the server can still regain those features, but that will depend more on community support. The more boosts the server receives from Discord Nitro users, the more features Discord unlocks for the server. That includes improved banners, emojis, audio quality, video quality, and other server-level perks.
We have also set up a reward system for anyone who boosts the server. If you choose to boost the GWL Discord, you essentially unlock more features for yourself because you are helping support the server. Boosting has been treated similarly to a first-tier support subscription option, and that will continue. However, some features may be diminished until the server reaches the seven boosts that were previously being provided by the admin staff here.
We have decided to redirect the money that was being poured into Discord boosts toward server migration and long-term infrastructure instead. More on that to come.
GWL Comms and Possible App: Matrix
If you read our last blog post, you already know that we have been looking into Matrix as a possible long-term communications platform.
Matrix would allow us to build our own communication system and eventually expand it into an app, which is something we are thinking about for the future. Unlike Discord, Matrix can be tied directly into our website and self-hosted on our own server. That means we would be able to control the backend, customize the experience, and integrate it more deeply with the GWL platform.
This is still in the planning stage, and Discord will remain available for the foreseeable future. We are not rushing this change.
Matrix has its pros and cons. The biggest advantage is ownership. Instead of renting our communication layer from a third-party platform, we could build and control our own. Matrix is fully customizable, can be self-hosted, and would reduce our reliance on outside companies changing rules, limiting APIs, adjusting policies, or restricting communities.
Long term, Matrix could become part of the GWL platform rather than just a side tool. That opens up some very interesting possibilities, including:
- Site-based user account integration
- Team chats connected to the GWL database
- Match lobbies created for specific events
- Tournament channels generated automatically
- Communication tools built around ladders, teams, and competitions
Discord does not really allow us to build that kind of deep integration in the same way. With Matrix, we would not be locked into Discord’s interface, rules, or limitations.
That said, there is some friction in using Matrix. Almost everyone already has Discord, so joining a Discord server is quick and familiar. Matrix would require users to create a new account, learn a different interface, and adjust to a communication system that may feel unfamiliar at first.
There is also a larger administrative burden. Chat history can grow quickly, which means storage becomes an issue. Spam protection, moderation, backups, performance, and scaling all become our responsibility. Matrix can be powerful, but running it properly takes planning and resources.
Because of that, we are moving slowly. Going 100% Matrix would be a major step, and we want to make sure we understand the technical and community impact before committing fully.
For now, the GWL Discord server will remain available. Matrix is still something we expect to bring into the future of GWL, and we are continuing to research and work on it in the background.
Team-Only Private Forums
While most of our competition-related work so far has focused on solo ladders, we have also made progress on team communication.
All Warfighters can now create teams, and each team can have its own forum. This gives teams a built-in communication layer directly on the GWL website. It is not tied to Discord or Matrix, which means teams have a way to organize themselves without needing to rely on an outside platform.
Team leaders have control over how their forum works. They can make the forum publicly visible and allow site users to join the conversation, or they can restrict participation to team members only.
There is also an additional privacy option. Team leaders can decide whether any site user can view the team forum conversations, or whether the forum should be completely private and visible only to team members. That means privacy is not just about who can participate, but also who can see the discussion in the first place.
This gives teams more flexibility depending on how they want to operate. Some teams may want open conversations, public recruitment, or community interaction. Others may want private strategy discussions and internal planning.
This feature has been tested and appears to be working well so far.
Steam Curation
We’ve set Global Warfighter League up as a “Steam Curator“. Our users are invited to follow us there. We’ll be reviewing games and creating lists based on our games within our community and what our community might be interested in. We’ve setup a dedicated page for this community feature at our own site and our initial curator list for the games (GWL Legacy Competitive Classics) that we originally supported at our league and are still available on Steam. We’ll continue to dcreate pages for those new lists that will be created.
We initially started the list to put a foothold in the curator space, but as we work on the site and it’s features, the curator reviews will be slow coming until things slow down on the backend here. We’re currently looking for multiple community members that may be interested in contributing reviews or managing the content that will represent the Global Warfighter League through the “Steam Curator” section. Those interested should be a member of our league and make contact through our Contact Page.
In Conclusion
I want to thank current staff. Great job in getting all this done. Your contributions are invaluable. My thanks and the thanks of the community can’t be said enough. Keep up the great work. Cheers.
Thanks for reading.
