Releasing the source code would allow anyone to copy AND modify or extend the game as they see fit
So just like when you buy a bicycle irl and you are allowed to customize it and set it up as you want. Are you saying we shouldn't be allowed to modify goods?
Reddit mods also work for free as volunteers. Don't underestimate internet popularity and power over communities, not so many days ago there were stories about mastodon instances admins getting invited for talks at meta. Lemmy is an open source and decentralized alternative to reddit, using discord for announcements misses the whole point