Discord says no to Microsoft and $ 12 billion …

After a month of rumors of Discord being acquired by Microsoft, the popular discussion platform for Players Around the world they turned down a $ 12 billion bid, according to Bloomberg. The goal will now be to roll it out to the public.

Microsoft’s acquisition of Discord won’t happen today. Discussions between the tech giant led by Satya Nadella and the chat program, popular in particular by the video game community, would virtually end up turning down Discord for a $ 12 billion acquisition, according to Bloomberg.

To apply for a scholarship

Today, Discord prefers to focus on an IPO in the future. Six years after its inception and a few months after raising $ 100 million in donations, the current goal will already be to develop the platform and monetize its 140 million active members. The user base has increased particularly since 2020 and the successive confinement periods applied around the world. The strategy can thus be realized in the financial markets, by raising new funds in the process.

Discord, which offers its users a paid version and a free version to chat in written, audio and video, or via chat rooms, has also been said to have been in discussion with Twitter, in addition to other companies like Amazon or Epic Games. Some of the proposals were in the range of $ 15 billion to $ 18 billion.

Stay independent

In 2018, Discord was already in discussions with other companies about a potential acquisition, before it finally turned down the offers. At that time, performances $ 2 billion to $ 6 billion It was placed on the table. Potential buyers wanted to change the platform’s economic model, directing it toward advertising for example, which Discord was reluctant to do. What do we assume Microsoft’s offering wasn’t a good fit for the values ​​and goals (or the amount demanded) from Discord as well.

Beyond the realm the gamesDiscord today is also used for studies, entertainment, fitness … and journalism: recently, several journalists and editors gathered on Substack for example to launch a server called Sidechannel, And is reserved for subscribers who pay.

For Microsoft, such a process was an opportunity to emphasize the synergies between the two (Discord was integrated into Xbox Live Since 2018) and to pressure other companies in the video game sector by taking control of a very popular platform Players. It could also have enabled LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary since 2016, to offer a platform closer to Club House. Redmond was also in good shape, with recent acquisitions of Nuance Communications ($ 19.7 billion) and ZeniMax Media ($ 7.5 billion).