What is r/place on Reddit?

The r/place renaissance has begun again, with countless Redditors flocking to the page to see what’s new and what’s the same. The iconic r/place environment is all about cohesion, teamwork, and friendship—but it’s not going to be easy.

Like all Reddit pages, sometimes millions of people join the same subreddit to discuss topics they can all relate to. R/place is essentially the same thing but with an added element of creativity. The collaborative Reddit experience initially began on April 1, 2017, and eventually made its way off the platform entirely. Now, it’s back.

What is r/place and how is it used? 

R/place is a subreddit where people can place an individual pixel on the top of the Reddit page to create whatever image they so desire. The catch is countless other people are trying to do the same thing, and you have a ‘no-pixel period’ after every one you’ve placed.

This ‘no-pixel period’ is a five-minute timeout period where you can’t place a single pixel on the r/place board. There is no limit to the amount of pixels you can place, it’s all about the time you have to place them.

This is the third time r/place has made its way onto Reddit. It first arrived six years ago, later returning on April Fools Day in 2022 and now today.

People can also find random communities throughout the canvas. Reddit allows users to scan for places they may want to visit on the platform by simply clicking the ellipses down the bottom of the canvas, and then pressing Scan for Communities.

Immediately, people began to use the canvas as a means of protesting Reddit’s treatment of moderators. The term “Fuck Spez” is littered throughout the new image, referring to Reddit chief executive Steve Huffman’s username, Spez.

Apart from methods of voicing opinions, the canvas will turn into an artwork covered in memes and national flags like in years past.