Discord is pivoting away from games to become 'your place to talk'

Discord is pivoting away from video games to reimagine itself as a bona fide chat platform.

Largely viewed as a space for video game communities, Discord found its feet after becoming popular with esports fans, Twitch streamers, and other player communities. Now, however, the company is attempting to broaden its horizons by becoming, simply, "your place to talk."

"Games are what brought many of you on the platform, and we’ll always be grateful for that. As time passed, a lot of you realized, and vocalized, that you simply wanted a place designed to hang out and talk in the comfort of your own communities and friends," said company CEO and founder Jason Citron in a blog post.

"Today, many of you use Discord for day-to-day communication. You’re sharing thoughts about books, music, and art, creating servers to just be yourself and share moments with friends."

While game communities will still be welcome on Discord, Citron explained he wants to eliminate the misconception that "Discord is only for gaming." For those who've been paying attention, the change in messaging won't come as a surprise. 

Back in September 2019, Discord cut games from its paid 'Nitro' subscription plan after realizing that users simply weren't playing them. A few months later, the decision was made to remove Discord's ability to double as a game launcher and pull video game news from the platform's Activity Feed so the company could focus on its "core chat experience."

The platform even loosened streaming limits in March to help teams work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, turning it into a useful tool for professionals around the world. 

Moving forward, the reworked Discord will include a host of accessibility features such as a streamlined user onboarding experience and added server video. Voice and video capacity have also been increased by 200 percent, while new server templates should make it easier for newcomers to set out their stall. 

"This is just the beginning of Discord’s journey to be a place for all of your communities to talk and build relationships," added Citron. "We’re around for the long haul.

"Many of you have already signed up for Nitro, which has taken off over the last couple of years, and our recent $100 million in additional funding will help accelerate our investment in the community, new features, and the company. We’re deeply thankful to everyone who has supported us to get where we are today."