Community Team Update | 2025 Recap

[Smol 2229]

COMMUNITY TEAM UPDATE

[Posted January 2026]

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Hey there! 

 

Another year has come and gone, and it has certainly been an interesting one, to say the least. I hope everyone has had a wonderful festive season and a happy New Year so far. For those who don’t celebrate either, I hope you all enjoyed the well-deserved time off. 

 

I would like to take a quick moment to thank everyone who contributes to making this team what it is. No matter how big or small their role is, their efforts are deeply appreciated, even if they are not always recognised or seen.

 

With that being said, I’ll get straight into what this update will be covering. It will cover a look at applications over the last year, quick updates from the projects CT has been working on, alongside some focus group updates and as well some things the team has been working on over the last year. With this in mind, as the Scots say, nae mair delay, I’ll let you all read on.

 

 

 

CURRENT ROSTER

We’ve had a few people depart the team, as well as welcoming a few new additions. Thank you to those who departed for all their hard work & a huge welcome to those who have recently joined us.

 

 

 

We are currently recruiting, so if you want to know what CT does, look here, and if you wish to apply, you can apply here if interested!

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION - APPLICATIONS
 

Applications have always been a crucial part of the server, as they are how all players initially enter. Throughout this year, the team has reviewed over two thousand applications and worked hard to go through them all. In turn, some of those handling applications have set out this year to improve the existing systems we have in place, such as the new application format project and the New Player Experience: Wiki. Once more, we have also sought to be more communicative when providing feedback on the application status to the applicant, and since setting that goal in the previous year, we have continued to work on it. With that in mind, let's recap the application data we've collected over the year.

 

Over the past year, applications have varied from quarter to quarter. For instance, during the first quarter from January to March 2025. In January, A total of  245 Applications were submitted and reviewed. In February, a total of 213 applications were submitted and reviewed. In March, A total of  207 applications were submitted and reviewed. So the period of January to March 2025 saw a total of 665 applications submitted and reviewed in the first quarter of 2025. Finally, out of these, 415 New players were accepted. 

 

Overall, in January, we observed a rise in the number of individuals applying to be whitelisted onto the server. However, this trend led to a slight downturn in February as the holiday period was over, and such a downturn followed us through to the end of the first quarter. While the trend observed in the first quarter of 2024 was somewhat similar, there was an overall decrease in applications in 2025. During that period, only 671 applications were processed in 2024, compared to just 665 in the same quarter of this year.

 

Moreover, in the second quarter from April to June 2025, it was observed that in April, A total of  219 Applications were submitted and reviewed. In May, A total of 235 applications were submitted, and applications were submitted and reviewed. In June, a total of 149applications were submitted and reviewed. So the period of April to June 2025 saw a total of 603 applications submitted and reviewed in the first quarter of 2025. Finally, out of these, 362 New players were accepted. 

 

Overall, in April, we noted a slight increase in applications compared to the previous month, and this trend continued into May. However, in June, we experienced a significant drop in applications, resulting in the lowest monthly total we had for 2025. While the trend when compared to the second quarter of 2024 is similar, there was a notable increase in applications during this period compared to 2024. During that period, only 544 applications were processed in 2024, compared to just 603 in the same quarter of this year.

 

Furthermore, in the third quarter from July to September 2025, it was observed that in July, A total of  208 Applications were submitted and reviewed. In August, a total of 217 applications were submitted and reviewed. In September, a total of 280 applications were submitted and reviewed. So the period from July to September 2025 saw a total of 705 applications submitted and reviewed in the first quarter of 2025. Finally, out of these, 705 New players were accepted. 

 

Overall, in July, there was a slight rise in applications compared to the previous month, which carried on through the summer months, through August and September. Resulting in some of the strongest application months of the year, at least in the latter half of the quarter, especially in tailend of the summer break period when more applicants were available. While the trend when compared to the third quarter of 2024 is very much the same, though it does vary just slightly by 20 applications. During the same period, only 725 applications were processed in 2024, compared to just 705 in the same quarter of this year.

 

Lastly, in the final quarter from October to December 2025, it was observed that a total of 167 Applications were submitted and reviewed in October. In November, a total of 251 applications were submitted and reviewed. In December, a total of 274 applications were submitted and reviewed. So the period from October to December 2025 saw a total of 692 applications submitted and reviewed in the first quarter of 2025. Finally, out of these, 395 New players were accepted. 

 

Overall, in October, there was a significant decline in applications, resulting in the second-lowest monthly total for 2025. However, applications increased notably in November and continued to rise in December, making December one of our strongest months compared to the beginning of the quarter. This increase coincided with the festive break, when more applicants were available. When comparing this trend to the final quarter of 2024, the overall total number of applications is similar, with only a slight increase of six applications during the fourth quarter. It does showcase a downturn in applicants applying within October when compared to 2024 numbers. During the same period, only 686 applications were processed in 2024, compared to just 692 in the same quarter of this year.

 

With that being said, please find below the in-depth application data for 2025.

__________

 

APPLICATIONS - 2025

 

During 2025, we saw a total of  2,665 applications submitted and reviewed. Out of these, 1,596 New players were accepted! 

 

Please note that the Racial & Timezone Data shown will only be shown for Accepted Players.

 

 - Accepted/Denied Ratios - 

 

 

 

- Race-Specific Data -

 

 

 

- TimeZone Data - 

 

 

- Referral Data - 

 

 

- Raw Application Data -

- Racial Data -

- Humans -

Total: 866

Adunian: 79

Heartlander: 54

Highlander: 120

Farfolk: 90

No Subrace: 523

 

- Elves -

Total: 502

Wood: 145

Dark: 138

High: 122

No Subrace: 97

 

- Dwarves -

Total: 100

Cave: 20

Mountain: 38

Forest: 14

No Subrace: 28

 

- Orcs -

Total: 76

Orc: 51

Goblin: 25

 

- Halflings -

Total: 52

 

- Timezone Data -

Oceania: 84

America: 949

Europe: 563

 

- Referral Data -

Through a Friend: 732

minecraft-server.net: 224

minecraftservers.org: 267

topg.org: 11

minecraftservers.biz: 3

minecraft-server-list.com : 75

minecraft-mp.com: 86

planetminecraft.com: 94

minecraftforum.net: 11

TikTok: 26

YouTube: 98

Twitter : 1

Google: 268

Reddit: 184

PC Gamer: 11

Bluesky: 0

Other: 22

 

- Accepted/Denied Ratio -

Total: 2665

Accepted: 815

Pending-Accepted: 781

Pending-Denied: 657

Denied Then Accepted: 90

Denied: 412

 

__________
 

APPLICATION MONARCH

 

The title of Application Monarch for 2025 goes to @Cheese.

 

With the most applications reviewed during this period, @Cheese is our reigning Application Monarch of 2025, followed by @Lortime  and @Smol.

 

 

 

COMMITMENT UPDATES

- Media Team -

 

As usual, in 2025, our main focus for the media team was on YouTube, with TikTok close behind, and Instagram and Reddit coming up with more posts than usual. The focus for the next year will be an increase in posts across the board, with a focus on more posts on our less-covered social media, like Reddit, Instagram, and potentially Bluesky.

 

During the last year, we also ran several collaborative projects with the ST, covering everything from lore to history, and event trailers and recaps. Over the next year, I hope that we can extend the collaborative projects to the other staff teams, working together on mutually beneficial projects.

 

On Youtube we posted 18 videos and 7 shorts, with a combined 32,363 views across the whole channel. On TikTok, we posted 19 shorts, which got us a collective 33,000 views across our account. On Instagram, we made 6 posts, which got us a total of 3035 views. This will be one of our focuses for the new year. 

 

Reddit was a newer experiment that I started up this year, a less public one, as it turns out that sharing your posts to a large group of people counts as vote manipulation and is what had gotten all our previous accounts banned. Over the previous year, I made 4 posts and 2 comments on Reddit, which got us a combined total of 17,965 views on the platform. Further expanding our posts on Reddit is another focus of the teams for the upcoming year. We will seek ways to publicise our posts in our community without breaking any of Reddit's TOS.

 

If you have any interest in helping with Media Team work, and have experience in video editing, script writing, etc. or have ideas for posts that could be made on any of the platforms, feel free to reach out to me directly on the forums or via Discord, @saviourmeme on both.

 

 - Wiki -

General Update

 

Although we are currently facing several roadblocks in terms of working on the wiki (can't make new accounts, image upload doesn't work except in rare circumstances, etc), and there is no set date when these issues may be resolved, the work on the wiki has not stopped, from within the team itself and from our various helpers in the community! The wiki receives thousands of edits every month, covering everything from history, helpful server guides, war coverage and a variety of useful information in general.

 

This is where I would usually talk about requesting an account if you have any interest in helping with the wiki, but as previously mentioned… new accounts can't be made. So I am here to talk about something different.

 

The Wiki Helpers project (final name to be decided) is something that we have begun cooking up recently to help with ongoing and future work on the wiki, and hopefully bridge the gap until the needed fixes can be done! And to potentially keep the project going even after the fixes have been made, using it as a system for strategic and focused updates and fixes to the wiki.

 

- Community Services (Map Art) -

 

Over the past year, the community services have been working diligently to process and distribute Map Art. During 2025, a total of 881 Map Art requests were processed, accounting for 2,314 individual files, which is about 231,400 mina worth, which is surely just enough to buy some Carb!

 

If you would like to request a Map Art, the cost is 100 minas per a 1x1 map, 200 mina for a 1x2 map, with the price increasing based on the size of the Map Art. Please remember to submit a /creq when you receive the notification that your Map Art has been uploaded and is ready for pickup.

Map Art Form:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forms/60-map-art-submissions/?ct=1723391038 

 

If you have any questions about Map Art, feel free to reach out to @Smolor @SaviourMeme via the forums or directly on Discord.

 

- Events -

 

Over the last year, the Event’s focus group has been hard at work producing events for those within the community, as well as working on some things behind the scenes to work towards improving the Event's Focus Group for the long term. After February’s Valentine's Day events, the events focus group went on a brief hiatus, which is continuing at this time, but we were able to run some events in November and December, respectively. We are excited about the potential to produce more events in the coming year. Here’s a summary of our achievements this year:

 

 In February, we ran our Valentine's event, where monks handed out bouquets of roses and sweet delights to the citizens that they visited. As well as these gifts, the monks also gave out affirmative notes of love and gratitude through song or dance. 

 

In November 2025, we ran a nations mine contest conjoined with the announcement of increased nation-owned tile resources and the return of Nation Mines; the winners for such can be seen here.  

 

In addition, we also ran the Crunchiest Canvas contest, which we had players utilise the "Crunishest Canvas" plugin, which came out in October with the 10.0 map launch. We invited players to create their own custom paintings. With the voting concluded, we are happy to announce the winners, who are the following:

 

1st Place
Ihateroleplay

 

 

 

2nd Place
king_kunuk

 

 

3rd Place
Little_Kitty84

 

 

More recently, we held our Annual CT Secret Santa, which saw 150 players partaking in the gift exchange. This marks a significant increase from the last two years we ran the event, which in 2023 saw 87 participants, and 2024 saw 64 participants, respectively. This was held on our new Christmas Island, which was built in collaboration with @calise11 to include a boat drifting track, a space for the secret Santa exchange, alongside some other hidden surprises. With the boat drifting track, @Smol and @Calise11 organised a couple of races within the community and the staff teams themselves, which were enjoyed by all.

 

 

 

 

PROJECT UPDATES
- New Player Experience: Application Format -

Project Lead: @Cheese
 

Hi everyone! You all might recall that earlier last spring, the application team and I had begun to format a new whitelist application format for future players to fill out. By June, we had finished it and are now waiting for admin implementation! The major changes we made are how our questions regarding powergaming and metagaming are worded in hopes that it’s more straightforward (because we know it was worded confusingly before for a lot of applicants). Additionally, we also separated the character backstory & trial roleplay response, and now require one piece of our lore to be referenced in the backstory or roleplay response. We hope this will help players better integrate into our world upon acceptance.

 

We look forward to fully implementing this project in the coming year!

 

- New Player Experience: Wiki -

Project Lead:  @Lortime
 

One exciting project undertaken by the Community Team this year was the New Player Hub on the LOTC wiki. This hub was a revitalised and updated portal for all the necessary and important information for new applicants and new players. Featuring essential links to basic lore, racial information, and simple but appealing graphics, the new hub was completed earlier this year.

 

The project was also contributed to by other members of the Community Team, such as Cheese1sgrater and SaviourMeme. New players will have a much easier time learning the core knowledge necessary to apply and enjoy the vast and varied roleplay our server offers, thanks to this new hub!

 

- New Player Experience: Tutorial Island -

Project Lead: @Smol

 

Hey there, after months of hard work, we have finally finished the build for the Tutorial island. We are just waiting for our lovely tech team to be able to finish the plugins for us to fully implement them, but this doesn’t mean nothing has been implemented yet! We have been able to utilise some of what has been done already during the 10.0 launch to replace the final island, making it more accessible for new players. This should hopefully make them a little less lost and better informed about the realms the server has to offer.

 

We look forward to hopefully being able to utilise the whole build with some fancy new plugins in early 2026.

 

 - New Player Experience: Monk Guidance - 
Project Lead: @Smol

 

Hello again, the monk guidance project has been put on the back burner for some time. But with a new year comes new chances to get things going, so we are planning to properly push what we can out within the coming months without a proper plugin.  This has/will include contacting nations for updated mentor lists, spring cleaning the stewards in the main Discord, and a potential for us to discuss with nations a couple of starting tasks to engage new players more retroactively in an attempt to tackle one of the areas of issues when it comes to retention.

 

- Community Featured Media & Social Media -
Project Lead: @SaviourMeme

 

This was a project that was ultimately started in the previous year, mostly finished and then put on the back burner for some time. With the start of the new year, this project has been revitalised and will be made public very soon, so stay tuned! Much of the work has already been done and now only requires final touches and reviews.

 

 

 

TEAM DIRECTION & CONCLUSION

 

- Goals Over the Last Few Months -

 

Over the past few months, we’ve set a couple of goals for the team. One of these is the ongoing improvement of application review times, something we’ve been consistently working on. I’m happy to say we’ve brought them down to a more predictable level when it comes to reviewing applications at this time. Another goal was to improve the wiki to ensure pages meet our new Rules & Guidelines, which we set at the start of the year. I’m happy to say we’ve managed to complete this task despite the present technical issues with Wikipedia itself. In relation to the media goal we also set for the team at the start of the year, we’ve successfully focused on experimenting with making videos explicitly for shorts, and we’ve also looked at turning small snippets from some of our long-form content into shorts, as can be seen from the Media Focus Group update above. In June, we set an additional goal to evaluate and update the guides for both new players and the wider player base. I’m pleased to announce that we’ve successfully undertaken this task and are gradually uploading it to the forums. An example of this is our most recent iteration of the New Players Hub.

 

- Future Goals -

Moving forward, we have several goals for the upcoming year for the team to pursue: 

 

1. New Player Experience Projects: Our top priority will be to complete and progress the outstanding items for the New Player Experience Projects. 
2. Wiki Helper Project: We aim to fully establish the wiki helper project, with details available above. 
3. Community Outreach: We will focus on strengthening community outreach and fostering more community-wide discussions.
4. Multi-Team Collaborative Projects: Another priority is to focus more on multi-team collaborative projects, which we have already, in part, worked on with Story Team and can be seen through the most recent lore breakdown video on Cosmology, which we have produced in collaboration with them.
5. Non-Video Server Advertising: The main focus of this goal will be further expansion of our media projects on platforms such as Reddit, as well as other advertising projects beyond that as well.
6. Return of Community Events: We’ll be looking into the return of more community events, which have shown considerable success in recent months.
7. Application Review Times: This is a standard goal we often set for ourselves, and one we will continually work towards improving.

 

- Feedback Form -

 

Since its inception, the Community Team has been dedicated to assisting wandering souls, whitelisting players, aiding new & old players alike, and much more. With the survey below, our goal is to gather valuable anonymous insights into what the Community Team excels at and where it could improve.

 

Please provide honest feedback so we may improve our team's performance.

 

You can find the survey below:

 

 https://forms.gle/JrUyvtrc1DkkgwR76  
 

- Conclusion -

 

We have had a productive and interesting couple of months, to say the least. It has been one hell of a year, with a lot of reshuffling of the team in all areas. With numerous projects being started, finished, some still in progress, and others being continuously worked on. While no team is perfect, I believe it’s important to be honest about what CT has been doing. Ultimately, the team exists for the community itself. In the small ways you may never notice, such as food tickets, to the biggest tasks, such as processing whitelist applications, the team is dedicated to serving the community. As we enter the new year, I hope that CT is able to improve upon our internal and external systems to ensure that all players, old and new alike, are supported to the best of our abilities.
 

As usual, if you have any feedback, make sure to utilise the CT feedback form above to provide us with some unfiltered anonymous feedback. I always take time to look through it and note down anything we can work towards improving or taking on board for future CT projects, and my Discord DMs are always open for a chat if you prefer to converse with me directly on anything CT-related.

 

Once again, I hope everyone has had a wonderful festive season and a happy New Year so far. Until then, haste ye back!

 

 

Need help? Feel free to contact a community team member via the forums, Discord, or you can use the command /creq in-game, and a member can help you out there!

 

Shout-outs

 

The Community Team - For their hard work over the past 12-months and for all the hard work they continue to do, as well as the assistance they provided in writing this update.

 

 

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me via Discord (@Smol_bean) or the forums, and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Cheers!

 

[Echo_42069 386]

Admin???

[myochii 899]

3 minutes ago, Smol said:

Bluesky: 0

 

[Truppler 124]

When Community Admin?

[lemonke 6014]

Everyone always asks... when Smol admin!! But never if Smol wants the position 😔

[PrinceTheDM 275]

CT Admin when?

[Ardory 2978]

Sooooo no admin?

[Blake0205 241]

I keep reading this over and over, cant seem to find the new admin section. 

[Two2the 365]

forgot to add that you got admin

[Cheese 8881]

cant spell community team’s lovely admin without smol

[TaraJess 2848]

@Daisyadmin pls lock in

[SaviourMeme 968]

MMM data

[Ulmus 21]

CT admin when?

[Two2the 365]

*insert remark here*

[nepir 472]

I was expecting the new CT admin to be pointed out here. sadge