Discord

Discord was founded in 2015 by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, initially built specifically to serve video game players who needed reliable, low-latency voice chat while gaming together, an experience that existing communication tools of the time handled poorly, with Discord's servers organized around topic-based text and voice channels that let communities of any size organize discussions around specific games, topics, or interests within a single persistent community space. Discord's usage expanded considerably beyond its original gaming-focused audience over time, with many communities unrelated to gaming, including hobbyist groups, professional and educational communities, and various online creator communities, adopting Discord as their primary online gathering space, reflecting the underlying flexibility of its server and channel structure for organizing many different types of community interaction beyond gaming specifically. The company has explored various monetization approaches beyond its original Discord Nitro premium subscription, including features letting server communities and content creators generate revenue directly from their communities, while navigating content moderation challenges common to platforms hosting a very large volume of user-generated community content and conversation across a huge number of independently operated servers. Discord has raised substantial venture funding from investors including Tencent and Index Ventures, reaching a valuation exceeding $15 billion at its peak, and has been the subject of periodic acquisition interest and reported public listing consideration given its very large and highly engaged user base.

News

10/23/2026

Discord enhances Markdown previews and introduces new features

Discord's latest update improves Markdown file previews, streamlines server organization, and allows Nitro members to upload larger files, enhancing user experience and functionality.

The Verge

10/22/2026

La Roche-Posay and Discord Launch Interactive Gaming For Cause Campaign

The collaboration aims to raise funds for skin cancer prevention through an engaging livestream event featuring gamer Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, building on last year's $230,000 fundraising success.

PR Newswire

10/20/2026

NC AI Launches VARCO Sound, Offering 50% Discount for New Users

The launch of VARCO Sound, a generative AI audio production service, includes promotional discounts and community events on Discord, enhancing accessibility for developers and producers.

PR Newswire

9/29/2026

Discord Develops New Game Mode to Enhance Gaming Performance

Discord is creating a Game Mode feature to optimize gaming performance by reducing visual effects, addressing user complaints about resource usage during gameplay.

The Verge

9/29/2026

Discord Launches 'Game Mode' to Optimize Resource Usage for Gamers

Discord introduces a 'Game Mode' next week to reduce CPU and GPU usage, enhancing gaming performance and resource efficiency for users.

Engadget