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Microsoft Reportedly Considering Purchasing Discord

Discord

Microsoft is reportedly flexing its financial muscles once more as it eyes up a potential purchase of video game-centered chat interface Discord. According to Bloomberg’s report, the prospective deal could cost Microsoft in excess of $10 billion, significantly more than the $7.5 billion it paid for Zenimax Media.

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However, no deal has yet been signed, with one of Bloomberg’s anonymous sources saying that Discord is more likely to go public than be acquired. Microsoft is said to be only the latest in a line of suitors, following earlier discussions with Epic Games and Amazon.

Discord is best known as a hub for video game communities (including The Escapist) to gather and chat via text, voice, and video, but it has grown beyond just games, now counting more than 100 million monthly active users.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has shown a desire to break into the online community service market, last year teeing up prospective acquisitions of TikTok and Pinterest, though neither of those ultimately went ahead. This potential purchase might enable the company to bring Discord’s existing userbase into more direct contact with the Xbox ecosystem to grow its audience further, while simultaneously adding new perks to the ever expanding set of bonuses that users get with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

For now though, Discord remains independent.

About the author

Damien Lawardorn
Editor and Contributor of The Escapist: Damien Lawardorn has been writing about video games since 2010, including a 1.5 year period as Editor-in-Chief of Only Single Player. He’s also an emerging fiction writer, with a Bachelor of Arts with Media & Writing and English majors. His coverage ranges from news to feature interviews to analysis of video games, literature, and sometimes wider industry trends and other media. His particular interest lies in narrative, so it should come as little surprise that his favorite genres include adventures and RPGs, though he’ll readily dabble in anything that sounds interesting.
Damien Lawardorn
Editor and Contributor of The Escapist: Damien Lawardorn has been writing about video games since 2010, including a 1.5 year period as Editor-in-Chief of Only Single Player. He’s also an emerging fiction writer, with a Bachelor of Arts with Media & Writing and English majors. His coverage ranges from news to feature interviews to analysis of video games, literature, and sometimes wider industry trends and other media. His particular interest lies in narrative, so it should come as little surprise that his favorite genres include adventures and RPGs, though he’ll readily dabble in anything that sounds interesting.

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