Communication platform Discord has secured $100m in funding to help it expand beyond the games audience.
In a blog post, the company said that it wanted to make its service useful for just more than just playing games. Forbes reports that this round of investment valued the company at $3.5bn.
Since Discord launched back in 2015, the company has focused on this audience. Speaking to PCGamesInsider.biz back at GDC 2018, CEO Jason Citron (pictured) said that the games audience was who it was designing Discord for when asked whether the fact it has a lot of very 'gamey' features that might put off a more mainstream audience.
Since 2015, Discord reports that it has more than 100m monthly active users. At last official count – in May 2019 – the company boasted 250m users.
"In asking you what you want Discord to be, we heard that you want Discord to be more welcoming, more inclusive, and more trustworthy so more kinds of communities can find a home here," Citron wrote.
"Many of you told us that the biggest misconception you hear about Discord is that it’s 'only for gaming,' but you feel Discord’s for 'literally everyone' and 'for anyone who likes to talk.'
"As you’ve used Discord for more and more than playing games, our branding didn’t keep up, and the way we talked about ourselves sent the wrong signal to the world, making it harder for you to bring your broader community on Discord. And we know that the first few interactions someone has with our service could be intimidating because Discord is complex with many features.
"Today, we’re inviting the world in to reveal what we’ve been working on, all designed to make it easier for you to invite your communities and friends to your Discord home. And this is just the beginning."
This is the latest change in focus for Discord. In 2018, the firm moved to become a one-stop-shop for people's games needs, launching a storefront where developers could sell their wares. This was quietly shelved in March 2019, with studios able to sell games directly to their consumers via official servers instead.
