Microsoft is in talks to buy the social messaging app Discord, Bloomberg reports.
What’s happening?
Microsoft is looking to purchase Discord — which has pioneered video game chat messaging — for more than $10 billion, according to Bloomberg.
VentureBeat previously reported that Discord was looking for a sale. The report suggested Discord had found a buyer and was in the final talks of the sale.
- Discord would be a “strategic asset, as it connects game companies with their biggest fans in audio and text chat communities,” according to VentureBeat.
What is Discord?
Discord is a massive messaging service that is primarily used by gamers. You can talk through voice, chat and text — similar to WhatsApp or iMessage — with a group. But you can also join “servers” — which are essentially public Slack-like channels. Companies and groups often create Discord servers to share information.
- People can set up their own private servers, which allow communities to chat through text, calls and video. You can also stream yourself playing video games if you want, too.
Will Discord sell?
However, it’s unclear if Discord will be bought out. Bloomberg reports Discord would likely go public before it sold itself as a private company.
One source told VentureBeat that the company might not sell because the demand could be higher than the $10 billion offer.
- “I know they are in active discussions with a select few parties,” one unnamed source told VentureBeat. “The market is in a state where they could command strong double-digit billions of dollars.”