Discord

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discord2 min readCurated summary

How to Set Up Your Server’s Roles for Members, Mods & Admins

Discord recommends organizing server permissions into three tiers: members, moderators, and administrators. Members receive essential communication and activity permissions, moderators get tools to manage conversations and users, and admins receive powerful server-management capabilities. Permissions should be tailored to each community and granted selectively, especially at the administrative level. ## Permissions for Server Members Members need permissions that support ordinary participation: - **General:** View channels, send messages, create public threads, send messages in threads, create invites, and change their own nickname. - **Voice:** Connect, speak, use video for webcams or screen sharing, use external sounds, use voice activity, and set voice-channel statuses. - **Apps:** Use application commands, Activities, and external apps. These permissions enable text chat, voice communication, streaming, games, and app-based interactions. ## Permissions for Moderators Moderators receive tools for keeping discussions and community activity orderly. - **Message and thread management:** Manage messages and threads, including deleting content, pinning messages, and archiving or renaming threads. - **Community management:** Create custom expressions, use broad mentions such as `@everyone`, kick or approve/reject members, ban members, apply timeouts, and manage other users’ nicknames. - **Oversight:** View the audit log to review actions taken on the server. - **Voice moderation:** Use Priority Speaker, mute or deafen members, and move participants between voice channels. - **Events:** Create, edit, manage, and delete community events. Most moderator actions can be reversed, though bans and large-scale mentions require particular care. ## Advanced Permissions for Server Administrators Administrative permissions affect major parts of the server, including messages, emojis, channels, and server settings. - Admin permissions should be enabled only when they are relevant to the community. - They should be assigned to a very limited group of trusted users. - **Manage Server** allows administrators to change core server settings, including the server name. The post’s main recommendation is to use the least amount of access necessary for each role, scaling permissions as the server grows and carefully restricting the most powerful controls.

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discord1 min readCurated summary

Gift Nitro and Earn A Flavorful Splash for your Avatar

Discord announced a limited-time promotion rewarding users who gift Nitro to friends. From June 13 through June 23, 2025, anyone purchasing a monthly or annual Nitro gift through the desktop app receives the permanent “Freshly Picked” Avatar Decoration. The recipient gets Nitro benefits, while the purchaser gains a summer-themed profile accessory. ## Promotion Details - The offer runs through June 23, extended from the original end date due to popular demand. - Eligible purchases include: - Monthly Nitro gifts - Annual Nitro gifts - Purchases must be made through Discord’s desktop app. - The Avatar Decoration is awarded permanently. ## Benefits for Nitro Recipients Gift recipients gain access to Nitro features such as: - Using custom emoji anywhere on Discord - Higher-quality streaming - Other standard Nitro benefits ## Gift Inventory Option - Gifts can be sent immediately to a friend. - Buyers can also store the Nitro gift in their Gift Inventory and redeem or send it later. Users interested in the promotion should purchase an eligible Nitro gift through Discord’s desktop app before June 23 and consult the Help Center for additional questions.

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Discord Patch Notes: June 3, 2025

Discord’s June 3, 2025 patch focuses on performance, reliability, media playback, and cross-platform consistency. Major improvements include ARM infrastructure migration, faster video startup, better mobile image compression, persistent voice-message playback, and early adoption of shared Rust components. The release also includes framework upgrades and a broad set of UI, navigation, billing, accessibility, and platform-specific bug fixes. ## Infrastructure and Performance - Discord is migrating parts of its infrastructure to ARM hardware. - The change has reduced per-core load and improved latency. - ARM machines also lower energy consumption. - Keyframe-generation changes reduced video and stream startup latency by more than 10% on average. - Discord migrated one core store to a shared, multi-platform Rust implementation. - Early results showed improvements in memory and CPU usage, crashes, and other reliability metrics. - More stores and APIs are planned for migration. - Desktop clients were upgraded to Electron 35. - Mobile clients moved to React Native 0.78, while all clients upgraded to React 19, with incremental performance improvements and no significant regressions. ## Voice, Images, and App Links - Voice messages on desktop and web now support playback-speed controls. - Playback position is preserved when users close the app or navigate away. - Mobile image compression now adapts to source resolution. - Lower-resolution images receive higher-quality embeds. - Median upload latency has decreased across platforms. - Discord revamped app-link handling to resolve Android linking failures and improve compatibility with modern apps. ## General Bug Fixes - Fixed an iOS Billing Settings issue involving an empty entry field and moved Manage Nitro to the top of the page. - Fixed Android poll results that could not be swiped horizontally. - Soundboard uploads now work correctly in Firefox. - Corrected mobile profile scrolling that exposed blank space. - Fixed multi-line status rendering, Custom Status emoji alignment, and unreadable light-mode text. - Starting a Desktop settings search with “M” no longer freezes the application. - Mac popouts now correctly render Unicode emojis in full-screen mode. - Fixed duplicate server entries caused by lurking through Discovery. - Corrected server settings save prompts, profile badge previews, folder rendering in Safari, and profile banner updates on iOS. - Fixed Soundboard picker placement, event-link copying, Shop navigation, 2FA login-state messaging, and Expression Picker spellcheck replacement. - Removed a redundant Linux title bar and corrected channel-list alignment for servers with many channels. - Profile edits now prompt consistently for saving across platforms. - Fixed stale forwarding-search results, invite-modal corner rendering, light-mode member text, overlay popups, privacy-page dividers, folder mention badges, and stream-invite display names. - Improved Discovery scaling for different window sizes. - Fixed “Go to Shop” links from avatar decoration and profile-effect previews. - Corrected rendering issues involving passkey backup codes and several additional interface elements. The changes had been merged but might still be rolling out by platform. Users encountering remaining issues can report them through Discord’s community bug megathread or test upcoming iOS builds through TestFlight.

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discord3 min readCurated summary

Discord Social SDK Updates & Integrations

Discord’s Social SDK, launched in March 2025, gives game developers free Discord-powered social features directly inside their games. The post highlights new SDK capabilities, early results from Rust, and GDC presentations showing how developers use Discord for communication, community building, and player growth. Early integrations suggest that seamless social tools can increase in-game engagement and strengthen player communities. ## New Discord Social SDK Features - Rich Presence now supports custom buttons on activity cards. - Unreal and Unity console support has improved through better packaging and documentation. - New guidance covers integrating and managing content moderation. - Players have more granular controls over in-game direct messages and communication preferences. - Webhook notifications alert developers when users unlink accounts or revoke application authorization. - Configurable request timeouts provide greater control over SDK integrations. - Partner feedback also led to improvements around online visibility, account access, and consistent experiences for players without Discord accounts. ## Rust Integration: Unified Communication Facepunch Studios partnered with Discord to test the SDK in *Rust*, which has sold more than 20 million copies and has over one million weekly active users. - The primary goal was to improve communication between players inside and outside the game. - Rust integrated the Unified Friends List and Cross-Platform Messaging features. - Players could communicate with their Discord friends without leaving the game or switching applications. - Facepunch and Discord offered an exclusive in-game reward to encourage account linking. - The reward helped drive initial adoption, while continued use of the social features increased in-game chat activity. - Facepunch reported that more friends were forming squads and playing together. ## Lessons from Early Integrations - Incentives can encourage players to try new social features. - Once players experience seamless communication, retention and engagement can improve. - Developers need controls for visibility, messaging, account linking, and authorization. - Testing with established game communities helps identify usability issues and improve the SDK before broader adoption. ## GDC 2025 Developer Examples Discord used GDC 2025 to showcase its tools and partnerships with game studios. - Discord emphasized its scale: 200 million monthly active users spend more than 2 billion hours gaming each month. - Theorycraft Games presented its development strategy for *SUPERVIVE*, including open development and community-led playtesting through Discord. - Discord served as the central platform for *SUPERVIVE*’s feedback and community strategy. - The Social SDK helped *SUPERVIVE*: - Extend its in-game social graph with Discord friends. - Enable game invitations through Discord Rich Presence. - Improve communication and party coordination. - Connect social features more closely to gameplay. Game developers looking to add communication, friend discovery, invites, or community features can use the Discord Social SDK as a way to provide these experiences without requiring players to leave the game. Early examples such as *Rust* and *SUPERVIVE* indicate that thoughtful integration, clear player controls, and incentives can make adoption more successful.

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Thank You for Ten Years (opens in new tab)

Discord is celebrating its tenth anniversary, marking a decade of evolution from a niche gaming communication tool into a global social platform for 200 million monthly active users. The milestone report highlights how the platform has shifted the social media paradigm away from algorithmic feeds toward intimate, "digital living room" environments. Ultimately, the data shows that integrated voice and video features are the primary drivers for long-form engagement, significantly increasing both session duration and user retention. ## Gaming Ecosystem and Engagement Metrics * Discord’s reach has expanded to 200 million monthly active users, with over 90% of the user base having played a PC, console, or mobile game within the last 30 days. * The platform supports a massive variety of content, with users engaging in more than 8,000 unique titles per month on PC alone. * Total monthly gaming time on the platform exceeds 2 billion hours, highlighting its role as a central hub for the global gaming community. * Technical integration of voice chat acts as a force multiplier for engagement; users stay in gaming sessions three times longer when connected via Discord voice. ## Social Dynamics and Multimedia Co-consumption * Social influence drives discovery and play, as 28% of users launch a specific game within one hour of watching a friend stream it via the platform. * The presence of a social circle dramatically impacts performance and endurance, with gameplay sessions lasting seven times longer when users play with friends. * The platform has successfully transitioned into a general-purpose hangout space; after gaming ends, 66% of users remain to watch videos, 59% listen to music, and 49% watch movies or shows together. * 92% of users utilize voice channels simultaneously while gaming, indicating that the platform functions as a secondary layer to the primary gaming experience. ## The Architecture of Small-Scale Socializing * Discord has redefined digital interaction by prioritizing "micro-communities" over mass broadcasting, with 90% of all activity occurring in small, intimate servers. * Communication remains focused and personal, evidenced by the fact that the average voice call consists of only four participants. * Users are increasingly tribal but focused, typically rotating their time between three different friend-based servers per month. * This structure replaces traditional social media "doomscrolling" with active participation, mimicking the feeling of physical presence through low-latency voice and video communication. As Discord enters its second decade, its trajectory suggests that the future of social tech lies in facilitating high-quality, small-group interactions rather than massive public feeds. For developers and creators, the takeaway is clear: community stickiness is best achieved by building tools that allow users to seamlessly transition between active tasks, like gaming, and passive co-consumption of media.

discord2 min readCurated summary

Checkpoint 3: Leveling Up Discord Quests with Orbs and Advanced Measurement

Discord is expanding Quests into a more flexible, measurable advertising platform. It is testing Discord Orbs, a virtual reward users can exchange for Nitro credits, profile cosmetics, and other Shop items, while partnering with Kantar to measure campaign effects on awareness, recall, and purchase intent. The company also plans to broaden game-focused Play Quests to support more brands and games. ## Discord Orbs as Flexible Rewards - A limited group of users can earn Orbs by completing Quests. - Orbs can be spent in Discord’s Shop without requiring a payment method. - Rewards include: - Nitro credits - Profile cosmetics - Other first-party Shop items - The system gives users more choice, including a way for non-subscribers to try Nitro. - Advertisers no longer need to provide their own rewards or predict which incentives will appeal to their audience. - Discord plans to add more Orb-based rewards and offer enhanced deals to Nitro subscribers. ## Kantar-Powered Brand Measurement - Discord is partnering with Kantar to provide brand lift studies for Quests campaigns. - Advertisers will be able to measure: - Brand awareness - Ad recall - Purchase or brand intent - The partnership is intended to show whether Quests produce meaningful changes in brand perception, not just engagement. - Kantar describes Quests as a natural fit for gaming audiences because they connect advertising with how users already play. ## Expanding Advertising Opportunities - Discord positions itself as a social space where gaming communities build relationships and engage with friends. - The company plans to expand its Play Quest format, which rewards users for playing selected games. - Future expansion will support more brands and advertisers while encouraging discovery and growth for participating games. - Discord says these efforts are still early and that additional details will follow. Discord’s strategy combines user-controlled rewards with stronger advertising analytics. By making rewards more relevant through Orbs and improving campaign measurement through Kantar, Quests could become more attractive to both users and advertisers while preserving a game-centered experience.

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How to Use the Discord Soundboard & Add More Sounds

Discord’s Soundboard lets users play short audio clips during voice calls, with built-in sounds available everywhere they have permission. Users can upload custom MP3 clips to servers, favorite frequently used sounds, adjust playback volume, and—if they have Nitro—use accessible sounds across servers and DMs. Server moderators can also restrict who may use the Soundboard or sounds from outside the server. ## Using the Soundboard - **Desktop:** Join a voice channel or DM call and click the 🎉 button in the voice control bar. - **Mobile:** Join a voice call, swipe up on the call panel, and select **🎉 Soundboard**. - Soundboard access depends on server permissions, but it is also available in direct and group direct calls. - Everyone receives six default sounds: - Quack - Airhorn - Cricket - Golf Clap - Sad Horn - Da Bum Diss ## Adding and Removing Custom Sounds Custom sounds are stored at the server level, similarly to emojis and stickers. - Go to **Server Settings > Soundboard** and select **Upload Sound**. - Uploaded sounds must meet these requirements: - **Format:** `.MP3` - **Maximum size:** 512 KB - **Maximum length:** 5 seconds - **Name:** Describes the spoken phrase or sound - **Related emoji:** A default or custom community emoji - **Volume:** An optional default playback level - The post explains how to add sounds but does not provide further removal instructions in the supplied text. ## Favoriting Sounds Favorites make frequently used clips easier to access. - **Desktop:** Hover over a sound and click the ⭐️ button. - **Mobile:** Long-press a sound and choose **Add to Favorites**. - Favorites appear in a dedicated category at the top of the Soundboard. - Favorites synchronize across platforms. ## Adjusting or Muting Soundboard Volume Users can control how loud Soundboard clips are personally. - Navigate to **User Settings > Voice & Video > Soundboard**. - Use the volume slider to adjust all Soundboard sounds. - Setting the volume to **0%** mutes the audio completely. - Even when muted, associated emojis still appear when others play sounds. ## Nitro Features Discord Nitro provides additional Soundboard capabilities. - Nitro members can use any Soundboard sounds they have access to in other servers and DM calls. - Nitro users can configure a favorite sound to play automatically when joining a server voice channel. - Different entrance sounds can be selected for different servers. ## Moderation and Permissions Large communities may want to limit Soundboard usage. - Server administrators can restrict roles from: - Using sounds from outside the server - Using the Soundboard entirely - These controls are accessed through the server’s role settings. Discord’s Soundboard is designed for quick reactions in voice calls, while its upload, favorite, volume, Nitro, and moderation controls let communities tailor the experience to their needs.

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Go Beyond, Plus Ultra! with the My Hero Academia Collection (opens in new tab)

Discord has officially launched its first anime-themed collection in collaboration with Crunchyroll, featuring the popular series *My Hero Academia*. Released in anticipation of the 2025 Anime Awards, the collection introduces eleven new customization items that leverage character-specific "Quirks" and iconic gear. This partnership represents a direct response to high user demand for anime-centric profile aesthetics and immersive digital collectibles. ### Hero Gear and Avatar Decorations * The creative team focused on "Hero Gear" as the primary design element to ensure decorations remain instantly recognizable while avoiding excessive obstruction of the user’s avatar. * The production process followed a three-step workflow: conceptualizing the gear, applying color to establish mood and richness, and adding custom animations to bring the characters' unique Quirks to life. * The collection features eight distinct decorations, including Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Shoto Todoroki, Endeavor, Hawks, All Might, and Tomura Shigaraki. ### Dynamic Profile Storytelling * Designers utilized the larger surface area of profile effects to move beyond simple gear, focusing instead on "signature moves" and iconic moments from the anime. * The effects are designed for immediate impact, aiming to tell a story in seconds through high-energy animations like Deku’s electrifying "Full Cowling" and Bakugo’s "Cluster" explosions. * Three specific profile effects were created for this launch: Full Cowling, Cluster, and a dedicated League of Villains theme. Fans can now access the *My Hero Academia* collection through the Shop on both desktop and mobile platforms to personalize their digital identity with these limited-edition hero and villain aesthetics.

discord2 min readCurated summary

Introducing the Discord for Business Newsletter, Vol. 1

Discord’s first *Discord for Business Newsletter* highlights the company’s expanding advertising, developer, and entertainment initiatives. It reports strong results from Quests, introduces mobile video advertising and the Social SDK, and marks Discord’s tenth anniversary with a new CEO. Overall, Discord is positioning itself as a business platform built around authentic gaming communities and player engagement. ## Quests Advertising Reaches Its First Anniversary - Discord launched its first advertising product, Quests, one year ago. - **Video Quests** deliver branded video content and average more than 80% view-through completion. - **Play Quests** reward users for playing or streaming games, emphasizing active engagement over passive impressions. - More than 70 Quests have launched, generating millions of rewards. - **Mobile Video Quests** will begin a pilot in June 2025, expanding Discord’s advertising reach beyond desktop. ## Discord Social SDK for Game Developers - Announced at GDC 2025, the Social SDK lets developers add Discord-powered features directly to games. - Supported features include: - Friend lists - Game invites - Messaging - Voice chat - The SDK is free and can support players who do not have Discord accounts. - Discord says the tools can improve game discoverability and encourage longer play sessions. - Early users include Theorycraft Games, Facepunch Studios, and Scopely; the SDK is now available to all developers. ## Discord Turns Ten Under New Leadership - Discord now reports more than 200 million monthly active users and over 1.5 billion hours of monthly gaming activity. - Co-founder Jason Citron appointed **Humam Sakhnini** as CEO. - Sakhnini brings more than 15 years of gaming-industry experience, including leadership roles at Activision Blizzard and King Digital Entertainment. - The transition is intended to support Discord’s next stage of growth. ## Partnerships, Press, and New Promotions - Recent coverage has focused on Discord’s mobile advertising plans, Quests, gaming discovery, and its emphasis on authenticity. - Entertainment partnerships include: - A *Mission: Impossible* Quest offering a day of Nitro for completing a puzzle. - A Star Wars collection in the Discord Shop released around May 4. - Discord directs businesses to its Quest success stories and advertising solutions for further examples. Discord’s business strategy centers on rewarding users and integrating brands into existing gaming communities rather than relying solely on conventional ad impressions. Businesses interested in reaching gamers can explore Quests, mobile video campaigns, and Discord’s developer tools.

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Staff Picks, May 2025: The Games That Brought Us to Discord

Discord’s May 2025 Staff Picks reflects on the games that first brought several employees to Discord and the titles they currently enjoy with friends. The stories show Discord’s role as a social bridge: it helped college students connect during quarantine, friends maintain relationships across time zones, and console players transition to PC gaming. Across the examples, shared play and conversation matter more than winning. ## Christina: Among Us, R.E.P.O., and VALORANT - Christina, a Product Marketing team member and former college ambassador, first used Discord extensively during the 2020 quarantine period. - **Among Us** became her entry point because it was easy to organize for casual hangouts and college club events. - She created a server connecting friends from different colleges, eventually hosting multiple full lobbies and forming new friendships. - Her current favorite is **R.E.P.O.**, a cooperative horror game featuring proximity chat and chaotic physics. - She also regularly plays **VALORANT**, mainly in five-person groups. She began as a Neon player and has recently played more Clove, valuing the group’s humor and camaraderie even during losses. ## Emi: PUBG, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Warzone - Emi recalls playing **PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)** with friends in 2017 after moving back from Japan. - Discord helped the group coordinate across Japan and other time zones, supporting weekend gaming sessions that continue roughly every other week. - Emi’s friends are revisiting **Baldur’s Gate 3**, taking advantage of additions such as mod support and new subclasses. - The game has become a relaxed “coffee time” activity, with players either starting new campaigns or returning to unfinished saves. - The group has also returned to **Call of Duty: Warzone’s Verdansk map**, enjoying its mixture of social downtime, exploration, and combat. - The release of Ranked Play is expected to encourage even more Warzone sessions. ## Jeremy: League of Legends and the Move to PC - Jeremy originally played exclusively on console before friends introduced him to **League of Legends** and Discord in 2018. - Watching friends stream normal matches in their shared server helped him become part of the group. - The experience shifted him almost entirely toward PC gaming. - He previously specialized in Brand support but now plays champions such as Nasus and Illaoi in the top lane. - The shared Discord server remains an active weekend gathering place for the group. The post’s examples suggest that Discord’s lasting appeal comes from making games more social and accessible. Whether through quarantine-era party games, long-distance battle royales, cooperative horror, or persistent gaming communities, the platform helps friends keep playing and staying connected over many years.

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STAR WARS™ Makes Its Way to Discord (opens in new tab)

Discord has partnered with Lucasfilm to introduce a new Star Wars themed collection of Avatar Decorations and Profile Effects to the platform's Shop. This collaboration draws inspiration from iconic cinematic moments, such as Darth Vader’s appearance in *Rogue One*, to offer high-quality customization options for fans. The release allows users to personalize their profiles with animations that celebrate the legacy of both the light and dark sides of the Force. **Collaborative Design and Inspiration** * The collection was developed through a direct collaboration between Discord’s in-house creative team and Lucasfilm to ensure authentic representation of the franchise. * Visual designs are intended to evoke specific emotional responses, such as the tension of a Sith Lord’s presence or the inspiration of heroic Jedi. * The "Darth Vader Arrives" profile effect specifically references the ominous red glow of the hallway scene from *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*. **Available Decorations and Effects** * **Avatar Decorations**: The shop now includes specific frame animations such as two variants of Lightsabers, R2-D2 on Tatooine, a Space Battle, the Millennium Falcon Hyperdrive, Yoda on Dagobah, and a BB-8 animation. * **Profile Effects**: These full-profile animations feature specialized visuals including two variants of Lightsaber Mastery, Entering Hyperspace, and the Darth Vader Arrives effect. * These items are designed to fit seamlessly over standard Discord profile layouts to enhance user presence in group chats and servers. **Platform Integration and Access** * The Star Wars collection is accessible via the Discord Shop on desktop or through the "You" tab on the mobile application. * Discord Nitro members receive a specialized discount on all items within the collection, and these discounts also apply when purchasing decorations or effects as gifts for others. * Users requiring technical assistance with these new assets can refer to the platform's dedicated support documentation for troubleshooting. To explore these new customization options, users should navigate to the Discord Shop on their preferred device. Nitro subscribers should ensure they are logged in before purchasing to take advantage of the member-only pricing available for this limited collection.

discord3 min readCurated summary

How Discord Indexes Trillions of Messages

Discord’s original Elasticsearch-based search system worked well for billions of messages but became fragile as message volume and cluster size grew. Redis queues could drop messages, bulk operations failed too broadly, large clusters were difficult to operate, and individual indices could hit Lucene’s roughly two-billion-document limit. Discord’s response was to modernize the platform with Kubernetes, the Elastic Kubernetes Operator, and a multi-cluster “cell” architecture built from smaller clusters. ## The Original Search Architecture - Messages were stored in Elasticsearch indices distributed across two clusters. - Data was sharded by Discord server (guild) or direct message, keeping each guild’s messages together for efficient queries. - Messages were indexed lazily because not every message is searched. - Redis-backed queues supplied workers with message batches for Elasticsearch bulk indexing. ## Problems with the Existing System ### Redis Queue Message Loss - The realtime indexing queue relied on Redis. - When Elasticsearch failures caused the queue to back up, Redis CPU usage could reach its limit. - Once overloaded, Redis began dropping messages, making the indexing pipeline unreliable. ### Fault-Intolerant Bulk Indexing - A batch could contain messages belonging to many different Elasticsearch indices and nodes. - A batch of 50 messages might fan out to dozens of nodes. - If one message failed because its target node was unavailable, Elasticsearch treated the entire bulk request as failed. - All messages were then re-enqueued, increasing queue pressure. - In a 100-node cluster with batches of 50 messages, a single failed node gave each batch roughly a 40% chance of encountering a failure. ### Large-Cluster Overhead - Adding nodes and indices enabled horizontal scaling but increased coordination overhead. - Bulk operations fanned out across more nodes, slowing indexing. - Larger clusters also had a higher probability that some node would fail. ### Difficult Upgrades and Restarts - The system lacked sufficient resilience to individual node outages, making rolling restarts unsafe. - Clusters exceeding 200 nodes and containing terabytes of data would have taken too long to drain gracefully. - Discord therefore remained on outdated operating-system and Elasticsearch versions. - Addressing the Log4Shell vulnerability required taking the entire search system offline while every node was restarted. ### Oversized Indices - Some indices accumulated messages from extremely large guilds. - Each Elasticsearch index is backed by a Lucene index with a limit of approximately two billion documents. - Once that limit was reached, all further indexing failed. - Discord temporarily recovered by identifying and deleting guilds created primarily for message spam, but this was not viable for legitimate high-volume communities. ## Moving Elasticsearch to Kubernetes - Discord chose Kubernetes to improve operational flexibility and resource efficiency. - The Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK) Operator could define cluster topology and configuration declaratively. - Kubernetes would automate operating-system upgrades. - ECK provided tools for safer rolling restarts and Elasticsearch upgrades. - This marked Discord’s first move toward managing stateful Elasticsearch infrastructure on Kubernetes. ## Smaller Multi-Cluster Cells - Discord planned to replace very large clusters with a larger number of smaller Elasticsearch clusters. - Smaller clusters reduce coordination overhead and limit the impact of individual node failures. - A cell-based design also provides a more manageable scaling and operational boundary than clusters with hundreds of nodes. Discord’s experience demonstrates that scaling Elasticsearch is not only a matter of adding nodes. Reliable operation requires isolating failures, avoiding oversized indices and fan-out-heavy batches, and designing deployment infrastructure that supports upgrades without taking search offline.

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Discord Patch Notes: May 1, 2025

Discord’s May 1, 2025 patch focuses on performance, usability, reliability, and bug fixes across platforms. Notable changes include faster Android video uploads, improved animated emoji support, and new Markdown links for phone numbers and email addresses. The release also resolves a wide range of interface, profile, moderation, permissions, and mobile issues, though some fixes may still be rolling out. ## Performance and Media Improvements - Android video transcoding improvements increased average upload speeds by about 5.6%. - Lower-performance Android devices saw average upload times improve by roughly 10.5%. - Animated emojis can now be uploaded in WebP and AVIF formats. - Supports true alpha transparency. - Provides greater color depth. - Produces smaller files. - Enables smoother playback. ## Markdown Links for Contact Information - Phone numbers and email addresses can now be formatted as links by placing them inside angle brackets: `< >`. - This allows users to tap or interact with contact information directly instead of copying it into another app. ## Notifications, Search, and Forum Usability - macOS notifications were redesigned to be cleaner and less cluttered. - Tapping text enclosed in backticks now copies it on mobile. - Forum searches now support choosing between AND and OR behavior for multiple tags. - Emoji autocomplete was improved for narrow Discord windows. - AutoMod system direct messages now appear correctly in mobile search results. - Server Insights graphs now update with the latest engagement data. - Keyboard behavior was improved when layout changes obscure content, particularly in Forum Channels; further improvements are ongoing. ## Profiles, Friends, and Statuses - Friend-request context menus now say “Accept Friend Request” instead of “Add Friend.” - Friend-request settings were reworded for greater clarity. - Mutual servers now appear correctly in mini profiles and update without requiring a restart. - Custom emojis in statuses animate properly when combined with text. - Non-animated custom-status emojis now display hover tooltips. - System emojis no longer appear clipped in Android statuses. - The Settings label “User Profile” was renamed “Main Profile.” - Accidental status changes from the Nitro preview in profile settings are no longer possible. - Long role lists in profiles can now be scrolled. - Server-specific profile role padding and role color previews were corrected. ## Moderation, Roles, and Server Management - Clicking a member in the Members tab now opens Mod View instead of closing the tab. - Mod View correctly renders messages from age-restricted channels. - Role color changes and slightly edited AutoMod regex rules now save properly. - Roles in Advanced View channel permissions are sorted by hierarchy. - Community Onboarding tasks can now be deleted reliably. - The “More” button on Student Hub server cards now works. - Users can once again move servers into the first position in a folder. - The server member-list border on iOS was reduced to restore usable space. ## Emoji, Reactions, and Embeds - Animated emojis now animate correctly in the full reactions list. - Reaction hover text is properly formatted even when many users participated. - Desktop now displays a clear upload-result toast for GIF emojis. - Invite links ending in a period now embed correctly. - Embeds and bot messages scale more effectively with font sizes and image dimensions, reducing overly narrow layouts. ## Mobile, Platform, and Visual Fixes - Quest and Account panels now align correctly. - Text in Voice for Stage Channels renders properly on foldable devices. - Mobile server headers use consistent colors across non-standard themes. - macOS capitalization for “Quit Discord” was corrected. - A Russian translation error affecting the “Mention the User” button was fixed. - Discovery now shows only one error when a user has reached the server limit. - Android users can side-scroll through server invite options. - Profile reaction coachmarks are positioned correctly. Discord recommends reporting remaining issues through the community bug megathread. Users who want early access to iOS changes can also join the Discord TestFlight program.

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Passing the Torch (opens in new tab)

Discord CEO and co-founder Jason Citron has announced his transition out of the chief executive role, moving into a position on the Board of Directors and acting as a strategic advisor. Humam Sakhnini, a veteran of the gaming and live-services industry, has been appointed as the new CEO to lead the company through its next phase of growth and its eventual transition into a public company. This leadership shift is intended to align Discord’s executive expertise with the demands of public market operations and large-scale business expansion. **Leadership Transition and Strategic Rationale** * Jason Citron will step down as CEO and move to a Board Member and Advisor role to focus on long-term strategy. * Humam Sakhnini is scheduled to officially begin his tenure as CEO on Monday, April 28. * The transition is framed as a proactive move to "hire out of a job," placing a leader with specific experience in public markets at the helm as Discord prepares for an eventual IPO. * Co-founder Stan Vishnevskiy and the existing executive team will remain in place to ensure continuity during the onboarding process. **Humam Sakhnini’s Industry Background** * Sakhnini brings over 15 years of experience in the gaming sector, specifically in scaling high-growth businesses and managing live services. * He previously served as the Chief Strategy Officer at Activision Blizzard, where he provided strategic guidance for massive franchises including *World of Warcraft* and *Call of Duty*. * He later led King (the creators of *Candy Crush*) as President, succeeding the original founders and overseeing the company’s growth and performance within the public market. * His leadership style emphasizes long-term value creation, collaborative creative environments, and a focus on the user experience. **Future Outlook and Operational Focus** * The company will continue to prioritize its core mission of connecting users through games while exploring and growing new business lines. * Leadership remains committed to maintaining Discord's culture of "giving a shit" about craft and customer experience while navigating more complex corporate milestones. * The transition aims to stabilize the platform’s infrastructure for hundreds of millions of users while building the financial and operational rigor required for a public listing. This transition marks a significant evolution for Discord as it moves from a founder-led startup to a mature organization eyeing the public markets. By installing a CEO with deep experience in the Activision Blizzard and King ecosystems, Discord is signaling a focus on professionalizing its operations and scaling its revenue models to meet the expectations of institutional investors.

discord2 min readCurated summary

Worthy of a Plaque: Nameplates Land in the Shop

Discord introduced **Nameplates**, a new Shop item that lets users personalize how their display name appears across Discord. Nameplates appear behind names in server member lists, DM list hover cards, and the User Settings bar, making profile customization visible in more places. They launched on April 22, 2025, with eight designs inspired by themes such as Cyberpunk, Galaxy, and Anime. ## Nameplate Features and Placement - Nameplates extend beyond the standard Discord profile. - They appear: - Behind display names in server member lists - When hovering over a name in the DM list - On the User Settings bar - Everyone can see equipped Nameplates on both desktop and mobile. ## Shop Availability and Designs - Nameplates are available through Discord’s Shop alongside Avatar Decorations and Profile Effects. - The initial collection includes eight designs based on popular Shop themes. - Users can preview Nameplates before purchasing to compare them with their existing profile style. ## Purchasing Details - Nameplates can be purchased through the desktop app or desktop web browser. - Nitro members receive a discount on all Shop items, including Nameplates. - Mobile purchasing support was planned for a future update, although purchased Nameplates remain visible on mobile. Users interested in expanding their Discord profile customization can browse and preview Nameplates in the Shop, with Nitro offering discounted purchases.

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