Make GameDev.net Yours: Avatars, Badges, and Founding Supporters

Much of the latest GameDev.net updates shares one theme: making GameDev.net feel more like a place where you can build an identity, be recognized for what you contribute, and make your corner of the site your own.

Build your own avatar

You can now create an avatar directly from your profile settings instead of uploading a photo. Choose a style, customize it, shuffle until something clicks, and change it again whenever you want.

You can also add frames, backdrops, effects, and identity accents around either a built avatar or your own uploaded image.

Some cosmetics come with GameDev Pro, but many are earned through reputation, participation, and time in the community. When you unlock one, we'll let you know. Earned items remain available to everyone. Pro gives you more creative options.

Try it from the Avatar section of your profile settings.

AI Studio and Shader Studio

Pro members can now generate personal avatar backdrops and profile banners by describing a theme. We've also added animated banners and subtle motion options.

And because this is GameDev.net, eligible Pro members can write actual GLSL fragment shaders for their avatar, backdrop, or banner. Shader Studio includes live previews and several samples to start from, or you can write your own. See my own profile as an example.

This probably isn't something most communities would build. Fortunately, GameDev.net is not most modern day communities.

Badges that mean something

The badge system has received a major overhaul.

The new Badge Gallery shows what you've earned, what's still locked, and your progress toward upcoming badges. We've also adjusted milestones for participating in discussions, sharing work, and helping other members.

You can pin up to three earned badges as your personal showcase. They'll appear alongside your identity in places where you contribute. They represent your contributions to the community and are always earned. They can't be bought.

Introducing Founding Supporters

Many of you have already chosen to support GameDev.net, and I'm grateful. Your support directly helps keep the site running and lets me continue building things like these.

For those who want to go further, we've added a Founding Supporter option. It's $75/year and includes everything in GameDev Pro, along with a permanent FOUNDER badge, exclusive identity items, and a place on our Supporters page.

The badge marks that you helped support GameDev.net during this stage of its relaunch. Once the Founding Supporter window closes, it won't be available again.

Become a Founding Supporter →

A more useful Community Pulse

The Community Pulse has grown from a short activity summary into a better way to catch up with the community.

It now brings together discussions, projects, portfolios, tutorials, open questions, milestones, and relevant industry news. When you're signed in, it can also show activity relevant to you and summarize what's happened since your last visit.

Pulses now have permanent pages at /community/pulse/, along with RSS and JSON feeds and an optional email digest. We hope it can be a quick answer to: what is happening right now, and where can I contribute?

More to come

There's been just as much happening across news, research, search, and our new industry directories. I'll cover that work in a separate update soon.

For now, try the new avatar tools, take a look at the badge gallery, and let me know what you think.

And if GameDev.net has been useful to you, becoming a supporter is the most direct way to help us keep building.