Sega created a Discord server just for Sonic fans — and it wasn’t long until it descended into chaos, forcing its moderators to take sweeping action in an admittedly unexpected, if somewhat amusing, turn of events.

On October 5, Sonic rolled out an official Discord server for fans of the blue blur to mix and mingle. As with most large servers, the Sonic team preemptively laid out rules for its community to follow (which, hilariously, included a bit about AI-generated art involving an Eggman dating simulator), but it wasn’t long before those rules were flagrantly flaunted.

Mere hours after launching, things got so hectic that the moderators removed most users’ ability to chat, locking it behind a members-only role and requiring fans to boost the server — and while order was eventually restored and these restrictions were mostly lifted, the ordeal left a lasting impression on the internet.

According to firsthand reports of fans who were in the server at the time of its launch, there was some pretty wild fanart getting shared, on top of other rule-breaking behavior that needs no description. (We imagine you get the gist.)

Now that the dust has settled, one of the minds behind creating this server has spoken out. Aaron Webber, the director of strategy, studio, and community relations at Sega of Japan, gave curious onlookers a glimpse behind the curtain at what actually happened and how the moderation team managed to handle such a massive influx of fans all at once.

In a tweet thread, Webber disagreed with framing the ordeal as chaotic, saying that, while there was certainly a lot of action that needed to be taken straight away, it wasn’t nearly as bad as some fans were making it out to be.

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