The Discord Microsoft Acquisition is Dead — For Now

Discord has reportedly halted negotiations for an acquisition by Microsoft, although that could change in the future.


Published: April 20, 2021 1:51 PM /

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Discord Microsoft Acquisition cover

The Discord Microsoft acquisition has died on the vine, easing any concerns that the voice and video chat service would fall under the control of the same company that runs Skype.

Discord is a free voice and video chat service that popped up a few years back with a specific focus on giving gamers access to easy voice chat. Accounts and servers are free, although there are options for premium add-ons if you'd like to buy them. Discord has built up an impressive service over the years — and that caught Microsoft's attention.

A report from The Wall Street Journal last month indicated that Microsoft had begun talks to acquire Discord as a way to expand its offerings to consumers. Microsoft already owns Skype and about a thousand other companies, but it's been expanding into more live services over the years with the debut of programs such as Xbox Game Pass. The deal was reportedly valued at $10 billion or more.

Now, it looks like that deal is dead. A new report from The Wall Street Journal (via ResetEra) says that the Discord Microsoft acquisition negotiations have been halted, and that's not all: Discord has reportedly stopped all talks about a potential acquisition from anyone. What this means is that Discord will continue to operate as an independent company — at least for now.

Discord Microsoft Acquisition slice

A Discord Microsoft Acquisition Could Still Happen

Although the Discord Microsoft acquisition is dead, that doesn't mean that some company snapping up the service is out of the question. Discord was apparently talking to a total of at least three companies (one of which was presumably Microsoft).

Discord has seen pretty strong growth over the last year, owing in part to a heck of a lot of people being stuck at home without much to do. It even expanded its focus beyond the gaming realm with the launch of Discord Communities last summer and has subsequently secured itself a pretty strong position as a communication tool.

For now, Discord will continue to operate as an independent company. Odds are that it will continue to grow, and that means that a bigger company might still present a tantalizing acquisition offer that Discord may be all too happy to take, although the company is also reportedly exploring going public via an IPO.

What do you think of the Discord Microsoft acquisition not going through? Is there any company that you think would be a good fit for acquiring Discord? Let us know in the comments below!

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