Discord – Gaming and Community Chat Platform

History

Discord launched in 2015 as a communication platform originally designed for gamers to connect while playing video games. Founded by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, it evolved from a simple voice chat tool into a comprehensive social platform supporting text, voice, and video communication. By its ninth anniversary in 2024, Discord has grown into a major global platform serving diverse communities.​

What It Does

Discord provides real-time communication through customisable servers with channels, supporting text, voice, and video messaging. The platform enables communities to organise conversations around topics, host voice calls, share screens, stream content, and conduct live events through Stage Channels. Key features include Discord Nitro subscriptions, server discovery, custom roles, and rich media sharing.​

Key Features

Screen sharing, video calls, server-based organisation, activities with in-app purchases, server subscriptions for creators, and Discord Rewind (year-end recap feature). Available on iOS, Android, and desktop with seamless cross-platform synchronisation.

Future Plans

Discord is expanding beyond gaming into universal communication, focusing on AI integration, enhanced creator monetisation options, business solutions, and improved cross-platform experiences. The platform is launching new Nitro tiers (including Nitro Basic at $2.99/month), an App Directory for native app browsing, Premium App Subscriptions for developer earnings, Verified Roles for Connections (PayPal, etc.), and continued development of Activities.​