Player participation has somewhat declined, especially in submitting fan art. The forum is much quieter, many people don't update their old dealer's den threads much, and less people who find the site for the first time seem to stick around for more than 2 days. A lot more players became lurkers, though there are players who seem content playing chill-style - they're still around! And ofc there are dedicated end-game players who seem like they'll continue in the same stream. Commissioning decor, pets, and staying active on the market.

The last time I saw a lot of activity on-site was when the Shiroking and Jade Beads came out. After most people obtained the Shirokings and Albino Noo-Longs they wanted the player-base became more quiet, save for dedicated players, and there's slight resurgences of activity when new content comes out, although the forums still stay mostly quiet, because some people don't post there much, instead they lurk, play the game alone, and are only seen when they bid on auctions or buy from usershops.

When adventure comes out, things will likely change.

Don't know anything about Discord, but I know the Discord_Giveaway account is still operating, even if you have to wait a few days before they accept your items.