Discord has decided to remain independent, ending talks with Microsoft over a deal that would have seen the company sell up to the corporation for a massive $10 billion. The news first broke last month and sent shockwaves through the gaming community, but as per The Wall Street Journal, Discord has opted out of any talks regarding the sale of the platform, despite Microsoft’s hugely lucrative offer.
However, the news comes with the caveat that discussions could be rekindled at some point in the future, so it might not be the last we hear about Discord ceding ownership to a major outfit, especially after Epic Games and Amazon were also named in the initial story as other potential buyers.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer was said to have become heavily involved in the discussions, which is no surprise given how beneficial the acquisition of Discord could have been to the console’s vast online community. Discord may have only launched in 2015, but it’s already become a firm favorite among gamers around the world, as well as generating $130 million in revenue last year and earning a $7 billion valuation as a result.
Discord’s voice-over-Internet technology, instant messaging, and forum-based structure would have been a huge get for Microsoft and Xbox, with the latter constantly on the lookout for new methods to expand its gaming empire. Dozens of smaller games studios have fallen prey to the tech giant’s deep pockets over the last decade, with Bethesda the latest to become part of the Microsoft empire in a $7.5 billion deal, giving the company access to iconic franchises like Doom, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout in the process.
The two parties have worked together in the past, with Xbox users having the ability to link Discord accounts, and it would have continued Microsoft’s business method of making its games accessible to as many people as possible across consoles, PC, and mobile, with the addition of Discord, in theory, creating a more social and interactive environment than ever before.
The possibility of talks restarting remains on the table, as does Discord going public, and there’s going to be a lot of interest from some seriously heavy hitters within the gaming industry as to what happens next now the Microsoft deal is officially dead for now.