“Microsoft and Discord are in exclusive negotiations and may close a deal next month, as long as the negotiations do not fall apart,” says the article. He also points out that the acquisition is apparently linked to Microsoft’s hope of reaching more consumers in games and social networks. A similar campaign saw Microsaoft pursue an abandoned acquisition of TikTok last year.
If you don’t know, Discord is a messaging platform used by online communities to get together, chat and play games together. It has existed since 2015 and has grown its user base considerably in the past few years, leading to revenue of $ 130 million in 2020 and a valuation of $ 7 billion. The WSJ report notes that Discord recently hired his first chief financial officer and is also considering an initial public offering.
Discord has previously partnered with the Xbox Game Pass to provide members with special benefits, such as access to Discord Nitro, their premium service. If the deal goes through, it will be another high-profile acquisition for Microsoft, which recently bought ZeniMax Media for $ 7.5 billion, pulling development studios like Arkane, Bethesda and id Software under its wing in the process.
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.