Discord has announced it will refocus its efforts on gaming after attempting to expand its user base during the pandemic. CEO Jason Citron stated that 90% of Discord’s monthly users utilize the platform while playing games. “After taking stock of the world now that the pandemic is largely behind us, we’ve recognized the need to narrow our focus from broadly being a community-centric chat app,” Citron said. Discord aims to redesign features such as group messages, voice chats, and video calls to enhance the experience for its core audience of gamers. The company plans to make Discord faster and easier to use across various platforms. Citron shared that Discord users contribute to a “combined 1.5 billion hours” with the app running while gaming. Most users tend to hang out in small groups of five to 15 people rather than in larger communities.

Discord’s renewed gaming focus

To meet the anticipated demand for cross-platform play, Discord intends to improve its voice, video, and streaming technology and bring these capabilities to more devices. While these changes may not significantly impact users who already primarily use Discord for gaming, it marks a shift in the company’s focus. Discord is aligning itself more closely with the needs and behaviors of its core user base. By narrowing its focus, Discord hopes to bolster the platform’s usability and appeal in the ever-evolving landscape of online gaming. The company aims to make it easier for gamers to connect before, during, or after playing a game. This move reverses Discord’s earlier pivot toward becoming a more general chat app, influenced by the increased need for messaging platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite challenges such as rapid headcount growth and concerns about child safety, Citron emphasized the company’s renewed commitment to gaming. “Going forward, we are very focused on gaming as our core use case — group chat around gaming,” he said.