I don't know about you, but a platform I've come to hugely rely on during the pandemic, is Discord. If you're on Discord, you've probably come to socialise with friends, meet new people, and find new interests on the app. Naturally, when its success boomed during the pandemic, Microsoft showed a lot of interest in an acquisition.
Microsoft has been buying property to make its gaming platforms as strong as possible, such as its acquisition of Bethesda/ZeniMax and its partnership with games for Xbox Game Pass. Discord would be a crown jewel in connecting Xbox players to one another, and probably creating special features like Nitro for Xbox Game Pass owners. However, it has now come to light that Discord has turned Microsoft down, and as such, it will remain independent.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Discord is official not selling itself to Microsoft after deal talks end. Despite rumours that Microsoft has been looking to spend upwards of $10 billion on the brand, Discord has decided to maintain an independent edge, though as WSJ reports, that doesn't mean it won't ever sell to someone.
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The original report states that some individuals close to the company have been saying there is still a possibility that one day Microsoft could come back with another enticing offer. I mean, it's probably pretty hard to say no to $10 billion as it is, but for now, Discord isn't selling to any other brand. The social app, however, is in some hot water at the moment following the ban of NSFW servers on Apple products.
Microsoft will inevitably continue hunting for properties to go after. It previously tried to get a hold of hot new social media app TikTok to no avail, but surely the Bethesda/ZeniMax deal has emboldened it to go after big gaming brands. Perhaps they'll begin buying into hardware brands, or they'll attempt to buy out an esports/content creation team. Either way, I'm sure it's not long before we hear about Microsoft bringing in other names for talks soon.
Featured Image Credit: Discord / Microsoft