Discord, the popular chat and community platform, has announced its plans to refocus on gaming with a new redesign. The company aims to enhance key features such as group messages, voice chats, video calls, and more as part of its new look. This decision comes after Discord took stock of the world post-pandemic and learned directly from its users about how the platform can be even more useful.
CEO Jason Citron highlighted the need to narrow Discord’s focus from being a community-centric chat app to a place that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests. While gaming has always been at the core of Discord’s roots, the company is now leaning into the needs of its predominantly gaming audience. Out of Discord’s 200 million monthly active users, over 90% are gamers.
To cater to this audience, Discord plans to improve the speed, reliability, and functionality of its app across various platforms, including PC, consoles (PlayStation and Xbox), and mobile. The aim is to create a seamless gaming experience for users.
In addition to technical improvements, Discord also wants to keep gamers engaged even after their play sessions end. The company has already developed and launched mini-games and other activities, but it now plans to open up the platform to third-party developers. Discord’s Embedded App SDK will soon allow these developers to bring their games to market on the platform. Furthermore, Discord has introduced Quests to encourage players and their friends to try new games, providing an opportunity for traditional game developers.
Discord’s decision to refocus on gaming comes at a time when the platform is experiencing some challenges. Despite raising nearly $1 billion in funding since 2013 and being valued at $15 billion in 2021, the company’s profitability remains unclear. CEO Jason Citron has reportedly considered an IPO but has yet to make a definitive decision.
To address its capital concerns and improve efficiency, Discord made the difficult decision to lay off 17% of its employees in January 2024. Additionally, the company has faced regulatory scrutiny, with Citron testifying in a U.S. Senate hearing about online child safety.
Despite these challenges, Discord believes that refocusing on gaming is key to its profitability. By catering to its predominantly gaming audience and providing a platform for developers to bring their games to market, Discord is positioning itself as the go-to destination for gamers looking to deepen their friendships and engage with like-minded individuals.
Overall, Discord’s plans to refocus on gaming demonstrate its commitment to meeting the needs of its users and creating an engaging and immersive gaming experience. With improvements to the platform’s functionality and the introduction of third-party games, Discord aims to solidify its position as a leading community platform for gamers.