How To Become a VR Community Builder

Virtual Reality (an immersive, computer-simulated experience) comes in handy for many practical purposes like training, education, and physical therapy. But let’s be honest: Without a doubt, what gets people most excited is virtual reality video games.

That’s because playing games in virtual reality (VR) is absolutely amazing. It’s hard to explain why, but if you’ve tried it even once, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t tried it yet, just go to YouTube and watch a few videos of people playing a VR game. Their knees get weak when they walk near a VR cliff. They can’t help but scream when a VR zombie takes them by surprise. And they literally fall off the chair when a VR roller coaster takes an unexpected hairpin turn.

The reality may be “virtual,” but the emotions and adrenaline sparked by a great VR game are very, very real.

VR Community Builders

But virtual reality gaming is also very, very new compared to the game industry as a whole. That’s why there are people in the VR community who are passionate advocates for VR gaming and e-sports—they want to help you get started, so you can fall in love with VR like they did. These people are called VR community builders.

Today, we’re talking with Sonya Haskins, a pro VR community builder, for advice on breaking into the virtual reality gaming industry. Sonya is the VR Esports Editor at VR Fitness Insider, where she promotes VR games, developers, players, and others involved in the VR e-sports universe. She also founded VR Community Builders, an organization dedicated to building positive, inclusive environments in immersive reality and beyond.

What is a VR Community Builder?

Sonya Haskins: There are a few different aspects to what I do. As a games journalist, I write about VR e-sports news, events, human interest stories, etc.

Those things help inform people, but we also have a quickly growing VR ecosystem and I want to help build positive, inclusive communities so I spend a good portion of each day just helping others in game or on social media. I answer questions, encourage people, help players make connections with others, and promote a positive atmosphere.

A portion of my work also involves consulting, so I might help run an online tournament, help organize a LAN event, or moderate conference panels about VR e-sports.

How did you first discover VR?

Originally, I was pretty much opposed to technology—and especially gaming—before I tried an Oculus Rift in April 2017. I put on the headset, and it quite literally changed my world. I immediately saw the potential for immersive reality and, ironically, I started playing games for many hours every day.

Within a few months, I joined the beta for Ready At Dawn’s Echo Arena (now one of the most popular VR games on the market), I created a VR e-sports team with some new friends, and ended up flying to California later that summer because my team qualified for the national tournament!

What made you want to start advocating for VR?

I’m an older female who had some serious physical challenges—I had been wheelchair-bound in 2015, and although I was walking again in 2017, I still struggled to stand for long periods.

So it bothered me when I would try VR games and they’d say it was for standing players only. Or when people would say we should ignore toxicity directed towards women. Or when community members would be so toxic that it would make rookies hate the games I loved. 

During the first year of playing VR, I really felt like we needed more visibility for VR gaming and all the benefits it can provide to people. At the same time, it seemed like we needed to set a different standard for these communities so that we didn’t fall into some of the same negative practices seemingly acceptable in traditional video gaming.

With all that in mind, I fell naturally into a pattern of advocating through community-building. I love to help and encourage others, so I just started doing that in any way I could: writing articles highlighting positive things in the community, encouraging boot camps where veterans would train new players, helping manage communities and promote an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere.

Do you ever have to deal with “trolls” online?

Trolls. I seem to attract them and that’s not a good thing. At first some of my guy friends would just tell me to ignore them, but I’d literally be in a game for 30 minutes or more while the trolls continued doing the same inappropriate stuff and laughing hysterically.

Trolls tend to get bored when they’re bothering other guys, but it’s different for female gamers—even if you ignore them. Sometimes they just never go away. They’ll harass you in game, on social media, and even in physical reality.

We’re aware of the “don’t feed the trolls” rule, but the fact is that some people are simply insane. I never respond to trolls. These days I simply refer the issue to the proper “authorities,” whether that’s Discord or Reddit mods, blocking on Facebook or Twitter, or contacting the police if necessary.

What do you love most about community building?

There are so many things I love about this work! I have a lot of energy and I love the fact that I can literally do a dozen different things in a day (write an article, encourage a new player, answer questions on Discord, playtest a new game, etc.), but in the end I’m still helping build VR communities.  

I also love meeting people. This is a huge perk of what I do. People want to know that someone cares about them—that they exist and have something to contribute to the world.

One of the things I love most about building VR communities is knowing that I’m helping to create environments where people feel wanted. We can build communities in VR that take away the labels we so often assign in physical reality, and it lets us focus on the person behind the headset. We can see their gifts, talents, sense of humor, desires, and fears. We see their human-ness, and that connects us above all else.

For me, I love encouraging the people I meet to pursue their dreams, use their talents to bless others, and find others who let them know that they matter in this world. 

How much of your work is volunteer vs. paid?

In my case, I think most people would find it surprising that I do most of this for free. I’m paid for writing articles and I do consulting jobs, but over 90% of the work I’ve done for the past 3 years has been volunteer.

I’m trying to focus more on paid opportunities and writing more because I recently separated from my husband so now I need that income more than before, but building communities to me is a bit like nurturing a family. How can you really put a price tag on that? People and communities are precious.

Do you have to be an extrovert to build communities?

Honestly anyone can help build communities if they just take a moment to be kind to others, pass along a word of encouragement, or occasionally answer a basic question. But if you really want a career as any sort of community builder, then you’ll need a lot of determination, perseverance, and patience.

It also helps if you have a desire to elevate others, versus yourself. Because the focus should be on the ultimate goal of what’s best for building a positive community overall.

What’s a good first step to a community builder job?

First decide what your specialty is. Are you interested in being a journalist who writes about the industry? Or perhaps a community manager? A content creator who makes videos to promote the games and players?

I’d suggest that people follow their passion and do what excites them. Even if you make only a small amount of money, it’s more fulfilling to do something you love and build on that. The VR industry is still small, but it is growing, and that means opportunities are growing as well!

However, don’t do this just because you see an opportunity. There must be positive energy involved in community-building, and that comes from a true passion for the people, the games, and the possibilities for immersive tech.

What education is required for the job?

I actually think practice and experience provide the best education. Volunteer. Be involved in communities. Make note of what works and what doesn’t. Many times, volunteer experiences lead to paid job opportunities.

Create videos, write articles, offer to help at events (online or in physical reality). Learn from mistakes, make improvements, and move forward with that knowledge.

Always be willing to listen to constructive criticism. That costs nothing, requires no formal education, and it’s very helpful. As you move forward with your goals and build relationships, watch for mentors who will let you know what you’re doing right—or where you might improve. I have a mentor like that, and while the feedback hasn’t always been easy to hear, in the end it’s incredibly helpful.

Specific skills that will benefit anyone working in the field of VR e-sports and especially community building are teamwork, communication skills, and leadership skills. So courses in those areas would be helpful.

You can connect with Sonya Haskins at VR Community Builders, an organization dedicated to building positive, inclusive environments in immersive reality and beyond. 

Photo by Hammer & Tusk on Unsplash