14 DAY TRIAL // Discord is once again listed for sale, according to people familiar with the matter, and unsurprisingly, one of the parties currently involved in takeover talks is none other than Microsoft.
The Redmond-based tech giant seems to be on a shopping spree lately. After taking over Bethesda, Microsoft has also tried to purchase the U.S. operations of TikTok, the Internet sensation that former President Donald Trump wanted to ban in the country.
The deal failed, as ByteDance eventually decided to go for a partnership with Oracle, but now Microsoft is back on the market looking for potential takeovers.
And according to Bloomberg, the software giant has set its eyes on Discover, with Xbox chief Phil Spencer himself negotiating a potential takeover as we speak. The only problem for Microsoft is that it’s obviously not the only company planning to buy Discord, though, at the first glance, it’s one of the ones ready to spend big on such a deal.
The report claims Microsoft is willing to pay over $10 billion just to make sure it’s getting its hands on Discord.
The future of Discord under Microsoft’s umbrella
Of course, it’s way too early to discuss how Discord would change once Microsoft takes it over, but it’s not hard to imagine the platform would end up more deeply integrated into its platforms.
For example, offering Discord pre-loaded with Windows is something totally possible, especially as Microsoft positions its operating system as a platform aimed at all audiences, including gamers. And lately, Microsoft has focused a lot on gaming as far as Windows 10 is concerned, so Discord becoming part of this offering certainly makes sense.
Needless to say, Microsoft has remained completely tight-lipped on the whole thing, so for now, it’s better to take everything with a healthy dose of skepticism.