Microsoft has rebranded Xbox Live as Xbox Network, and is also looking to acquire Discord for more than $10 billion.
Gamers have long used Discord to communicate while they play, and the platform broadened its focus last June to include book clubs, study groups, and more. In September, the Sacramento Kings became the first sports team with an official Discord channel.
Discord, which has over 140 million monthly active users, raised $140 million in December at a $7 billion valuation.
In another move to lure in more users for its services, Microsoft reportedly plans to drop the Xbox Network subscription requirement for free-to-play games, including the megahit “Fortnite.” It purchased LinkedIn and collaborative coding network Github in recent years as well.
Much of its attention has turned to gaming, with the $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax Media, which owns multiple gaming studios including Bethesda. Microsoft’s gaming division topped $5 billion in revenue for the first time in the last quarter of 2020.
However, Microsoft is reportedly not Discord’s only suitor, and the platform may also opt to go public and let a different community — investors — determine its value.
