Discord
An instant messaging and VoIP platform for communities.
Discord is a social platform for instant messaging and VoIP, enabling voice calls, video calls, text messaging, and media sharing. Conversations can be private or take place in virtual communities called "servers"—collections of persistent chat rooms and voice channels accessed via invitation links. The platform is available on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Linux, and web browsers. By 2020, Discord reported 200 million monthly active users, and as of 2024, there were 19 million weekly active servers. While initially popular with gamers, the platform is seeing a growing share of users interested in other topics.
The idea for Discord came from Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy. Citron had previously founded the social gaming network OpenFeint, selling it to GREE in 2011 for $104 million. He used those funds to start Hammer & Chisel, a game development studio, in 2012. The studio’s first product was Fates Forever, a mobile MOBA released in 2014 that failed commercially. During development, Citron noticed his team struggled to coordinate tactics in games like Final Fantasy XIV and League of Legends using existing VoIP software. This led him to create a chat service focused on ease of use and minimal performance impact. The name "Discord" was chosen because it "sounds cool and has to do with talking," was easy to say, spell, remember, and was available for trademark and a website. Citron saw "Discord in the gaming community" as the problem he wanted to solve. Hammer & Chisel secured additional funding from YouWeb’s 9+ business incubator, which had also backed the studio’s startup, as well as from Benchmark Capital and Tencent.
Discord launched publicly in May 2015 under the domain discordapp.com. Citron said it didn’t target a specific audience, but gaming-related subreddits quickly began replacing their IRC links with Discord links. The platform became popular among esports and LAN tournament gamers, benefiting from relationships with Twitch streamers and subreddit communities for Diablo and World of Warcraft. In January 2016, Discord raised $20 million in funding, including an investment from WarnerMedia (then TimeWarner). WarnerMedia was acquired by AT&T in 2018, and its investment group shut down in 2019, selling its equity. In April 2018, Microsoft announced Disco
- Monthly active users (2020)
- 200 million
- Weekly active servers (2024)
- 19 million
Lore & Background
Discord was conceived by Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy. Citron founded the social gaming network OpenFeint, sold it to GREE in 2011 for $104 million, and used the funds to found Hammer & Chisel, a game development studio, in 2012. Its first product was Fates Forever, released in 2014, which Citron hoped would be the first MOBA on mobile platforms, but it was not commercially successful. During development, Citron noticed how difficult it was for his team to coordinate in games like Final Fantasy XIV and League of Legends using available VoIP software, leading to the development of a chat service focused on user friendliness and minimal performance impact. The name 'Discord' was chosen because it 'sounds cool and has to do with talking,' was easy to say, spell, remember, and was available for trademark and website. Additional funding came from YouWeb's 9+ business incubator, Benchmark capital, and Tencent.
Reader's Guide
Discord was publicly released in May 2015 under the domain name discordapp.com. It made no moves to target a specific audience, but gaming-related subreddits quickly replaced their IRC links with Discord links. It became widely used by esports and LAN tournament gamers, benefiting from relationships with Twitch streamers and subreddit communities for Diablo and World of Warcraft. In June 2020, Discord announced it was shifting focus away from video gaming to a more all-purpose communication client, with a new slogan 'Your place to talk.' In March 2021, Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal reported that several companies were looking to purchase Discord, with Microsoft named as the likely lead buyer at a value estimated at $10 billion, but Discord ended talks and stayed independent. In early 2023, Discord was used to publish classified United States documents in one of the most significant intelligence leaks in recent history. During the Gen Z protests of 2025, many demonstrations were organized on the platform, including the 2025 Nepal protests and Moroccan protests. In mid-January 2026, Bloomberg News reported that Discord filed plans in confidence for an IPO, supported by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan banks. Discord's significance lies in its evolution from a gaming-focused tool to a general-purpose communication platform, its role in organizing social movements, and its ongoing transition toward becoming a publicly traded company.
Did You Know?
- Discord was originally developed by Hammer & Chisel, a game development studio founded by Jason Citron after he sold OpenFeint to GREE for $104 million.
- In April 2018, Microsoft announced it would provide Discord support for Xbox Live users, allowing them to link their Discord and Xbox Live accounts.
- The CNIL fined Discord €800,000 in November 2022 for violating the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- On April Fools' Day 2024, Discord broke the record for the most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours after the client played the announcement video on loop, with more than 1.3 billion views removed two days later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Discord?
Discord is a communication platform that bundles text chat, voice calls, and video calls into a single app. It is organized around user-created communities called servers, where members gather in persistent text and voice channels rather than one-off group chats.
What exactly is a Discord server?
A server is a virtual community space that people join through an invite link. Inside, it holds multiple always-open text channels and voice channels so conversations can continue over time without the group dissolving after one message thread.
How many people actually use Discord?
The platform reported 200 million monthly active users in 2020, and by 2024 there were roughly 19 million servers with at least one weekly active member.
What can you do on Discord?
You can send text messages, share images and files, hop into voice or video calls, and participate in structured channel discussions. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and any modern web browser.
Is Discord only for gamers?
It originally took off as the default hangout for gaming groups, but the audience has broadened considerably since then. A growing share of members now use it for study groups, art and music communities, and all sorts of niche interests well beyond gaming.
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