There goes the neighborhood.
Chat platform Discord is reportedly exploring an initial public offering (IPO), according to sources speaking to The New York Times.
The report claims that Discord leadership has been meeting with investment bankers in recent weeks to discuss early preparations for an IPO that could happen as soon as this year. At last valuation in 2021, Discord was estimated to be worth around $15 billion.
In a statement provided to The New York Times, a Discord spokesperson said: “We understand there is a lot of interest around Discord’s future plans, but we do not comment on rumors or speculation. Our focus remains on delivering the best possible experience for our users and building a strong, sustainable business.”
Discord’s popularity has surged over the years, especially in the gaming community, for its numerous gaming-friendly features, and its relatively robust moderation and community tools compared to other similar platforms. The platform has since been integrated into both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles as an easy and convenient voice chat option while gaming, and more recently has integrated streaming options as well. And critically, Discord is free to use, though it does have various monetized options that allow access to a greater suite of customizable features.
Already though, users have expressed concern that an IPO would ultimately be a detriment to Discord’s functionality longterm. The most up-voted comment on the relevant thread in r/Discordapp reads, “Whelp! It’s been fun, but anytime someone decides they want to ‘make a public offering’ then the company *everything* goes to shit. What’s the next communications platform promising to not sell out, like all the others?”
Meanwhile, over in r/technology, it’s “Rip Discord, brought into the cycle of infinite growth at any cost.”
These IPO reports shouldn’t come as too much of a shock, as we’ve known Discord was considered this for a while. Back in 2021 it was reported that Discord was in talks with at least three different companies to purchase it, including Microsoft. A month later, reports came out that the company had decided to stay independent and instead focus on an IPO.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
