Discord | Techlist.io

discordMar 24, 20253 min readCurated summary

Announcing Discord’s Social SDK, Helping Power Your Game’s Social Experiences

Discord’s Social SDK brings Discord-powered social features directly into games, allowing players to connect whether or not they have Discord accounts. Available at no cost for C++, Unreal Engine, and Unity developers, it supports unified friends, invitations, rich presence, and account linking. Discord says the SDK is designed to improve discovery, retention, and multiplayer communication, with expanded messaging, channels, and voice features available through a closed beta. ## SDK Availability and Purpose - Released on March 17, 2025, during the Game Developers Conference. - Available for: - C++ games - Unreal Engine - Unity - Currently supports Windows 11 and macOS. - Console and mobile support is planned. - Designed to bring Discord’s social infrastructure to games while preserving a seamless player experience. ## Core Social Features - **Unified Friends List** - Players can view Discord friends in-game. - In-game friends can also be surfaced through Discord. - **Deeplink Game Invites** - Players can invite Discord friends directly into a specific party, lobby, or session. - This reduces friction for joining multiplayer games and may improve retention. - **Rich Presence** - Displays a player’s game activity in Discord. - Supports one-click joins from Discord profiles. - Available across PC, console, and mobile. - Helps games gain visibility and attract additional players. - **Flexible Account Requirements** - Players can use the integrated social experience without owning a Discord account. - Optional account linking connects their in-game and Discord identities. - Provisional accounts support players who do not sign up for Discord. ## Closed-Beta Communication Features Several features are available to developers with limited access and can be fully enabled through Discord’s closed beta: - **Cross-Platform Messaging** - Enables conversations between in-game players and Discord users. - Direct messages can persist across both environments. - Discord accounts are not required for every participant. - **Linked Channels** - Connects in-game chat to selected Discord server channels. - Supports persistent communication for guilds, squads, and other groups. - **Discord Voice Chat** - Brings Discord’s voice technology directly into games. - Intended for guilds, matches, and in-game lobbies. ## Early Developer Integrations Discord tested and refined the SDK with developers including Facepunch Studios and Theorycraft Games. - Facepunch Studios reported that the Unity sample made integration straightforward and provided reusable examples for adapting the SDK to *Rust*. - Discord used partner feedback to improve: - Online visibility controls - Provisional-account behavior - Consistency for players without Discord accounts - Theorycraft Games highlighted direct messaging, lobbies, session invites, and provisional accounts as valuable features in *SUPERVIVE*. Game developers can begin using the freely available Social SDK today, while teams seeking cross-platform messaging, linked channels, and integrated voice should apply for the closed beta.

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Voice Chat Account Linking Discord Social Sdk C Plus Plus+4

discordMar 19, 2025Original article

Discord Announces First Mobile Ad Format, Broadening Advertising Opportunities (opens in new tab)

Discord is set to expand its rewarded advertising ecosystem to mobile devices with the pilot launch of Video Quests on Mobile in June 2025. This strategic evolution aims to connect advertisers with Discord’s 200 million monthly active users across platforms, leveraging a full-screen, opt-in format designed specifically for brand awareness. By transitioning these advertising tools to mobile, Discord provides a performance-driven channel for partners to engage a highly active community through high-quality video content and incentivized rewards. ### Mobile Integration and the 2025 Pilot * The initial pilot program for Video Quests on Mobile is scheduled to begin in June 2025. * The format utilizes a full-screen, premium user interface tailored for mobile consumption while maintaining Discord’s commitment to opt-in, non-intrusive advertising. * This expansion marks Discord’s first mobile-specific ad offering, targeting a cross-platform audience that spans PC, mobile, and native console integrations. ### Evolution of the Quests Framework * Discord currently offers two primary rewarded formats: Video Quests for awareness (trailers and announcements) and Play Quests for engagement (requiring users to play or stream a game). * The platform has shifted from a gaming-exclusive focus to a broader Media and Entertainment strategy, catering to diverse brand partners including streaming services and movie studios. * Play Quests generate authentic connections by rewarding players with exclusive in-game items for meeting specific gameplay or streaming milestones. ### Proven Campaign Performance and Metrics * **miHoYo (Genshin Impact):** Utilizing high-value in-game rewards through Play Quests, the developer saw an 80% increase in playtime during the campaign week. * **Max (Dune: Prophecy):** The first-ever Video Quest featured a long-form trailer (2:38) that achieved a significantly high completion rate of 85%. * **Nexon Games (The First Descendant):** A Video Quest campaign generated over 1 million completions, with 10% of that engagement occurring organically through peer-to-peer sharing. ### Strategic Outlook for Advertisers Brands and developers looking to capitalize on this expansion should consider participating in the June pilot to secure early access to the mobile player community. This format is particularly recommended for titles launching new updates, downloadable content (DLC), or major media premieres where high-impact video awareness is a primary objective.

Video Streaming Cross Platform Ad Tech Mobile Advertising+3

discordMar 16, 20253 min readCurated summary

Modern Image Formats at Discord: Supporting WebP and AVIF

Discord modernized its image pipeline to support animated WebP and AVIF attachments, embeds, and emojis. The change improves animation quality while significantly reducing file sizes compared with GIFs. Discord chose WebP as its primary delivery format because it offers broader platform support and more predictable performance, while converting AVIF sources—including tone-mapping HDR images to SDR when necessary. ## Benefits of WebP and AVIF - **Better transparency:** Both formats support full alpha channels, allowing smooth edges and animations that blend naturally with Discord’s light and dark themes. - **Greater color depth:** - GIF supports only 256 colors. - WebP supports roughly 16 million colors through 8-bit color channels. - AVIF supports up to 12 bits per channel. - **Improved visual quality:** Higher color fidelity reduces banding, produces more accurate colors, and better supports photographic and HDR content. - **Smaller animations:** Modern video-style compression provides: - Inter-frame compression - Advanced prediction - Configurable quality levels - Millisecond-precise frame timing - In the example provided, a GIF was **302 KB**, while the equivalent WebP animation was **43 KB**. ## Cross-Platform Image Processing - Discord processes and resizes every attached or embedded image to provide consistent behavior across: - Web browsers - Windows, macOS, and Linux - iOS - Android - Supporting new formats required coordinating inspection, conversion, decoding, and rendering throughout the media infrastructure. - Discord selected WebP as its preferred transformation target because it offers: - Near-universal platform support - Faster encoding and decoding than AVIF - Mature tools and ecosystem support - More predictable performance ## Tradeoffs Between WebP and AVIF - WebP is less capable than AVIF for: - 10- or 12-bit color - HDR content - Maximum compression efficiency - AVIF can produce smaller files for some content, but its platform support and performance are less consistent. - Discord converts AVIF images to WebP while preserving as much visual quality as possible. - HDR AVIF sources are tone-mapped to SDR because WebP is limited to 8-bit color depth. ## iOS Decoding Challenges - Discord uses SDWebImage to render images on iOS. - Its default WebP implementation relies on Apple’s ImageIO framework, available in iOS 14 and later. - Testing revealed that ImageIO decoded animated WebP files with increasingly inconsistent timing, especially for large or frame-heavy animations. - In a 10-second 480p30 comparison: - `libwebp` decoded the animation in real time. - ImageIO fell more than three seconds behind, with the delay increasing throughout playback. Discord’s move to WebP and AVIF demonstrates how modern formats can deliver higher-quality animations with substantially smaller files. For broad compatibility and reliable playback, WebP serves as the practical default, while AVIF remains useful as a high-efficiency source format.

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iOS Image Processing Webp Avif+4

discordMar 16, 20252 min readCurated summary

The Game Developer Playbook: Three Incredible Game-Focused Communities

Discord’s Game Developer Playbook argues that successful communities should be inspired by other servers rather than follow rigid “best practices.” Engagement matters more than raw membership, and Server Discovery can help teams find useful ideas. The post highlights Fortnite, Rocket League, and Deep Rock Galactic as strong examples, with the provided section focusing on Fortnite’s organization and immersive community campaigns. ## Designing Around Community Needs - Discord servers evolve as their communities and marketing goals change. - Effective layouts should be easy for new members to understand and should clearly communicate the server’s purpose. - Server Discovery is recommended for studying both gaming and non-gaming communities. - Engagement and conversation rates are more meaningful measures of success than member count. ## Fortnite’s Server Structure At the time discussed, Fortnite’s server had more than 750,000 members while maintaining healthy engagement. Its categories were organized around common player needs: - **News:** Aggregates Fortnite updates, separating Discord-specific announcements from automated posts drawn from social media. - **LFG:** Divides matchmaking channels by playlist and game mode, allowing players to find teammates and join related voice channels. - **Discussion:** Uses broad, practical topics without overwhelming new members with too many channels. - **Bug Information and Reporting:** Provides known-issue information, reporting instructions, and game-mode-specific channels. Submission templates help standardize feedback. - **Community Help:** Enables members to support one another, while bots and integrations such as Zendesk or Helpshift can answer common questions and route support requests. ## Discord as an Extension of the Game Fortnite treated its Discord server as part of the game’s universe rather than merely a communication tool. During the Chapter Two Season Two “Top Secret” campaign: - Server artwork was updated with mysterious Agency branding. - A “redacted” role was secretly assigned to members who came close to correctly predicting details about the new season. - A custom Agency bot announced when selected members had been “activated.” - Activated members appeared separately in the member list, creating curiosity and fear of missing out. - The campaign connected Discord activity with Fortnite’s existing lore and marketing narrative. ## Practical Takeaway A strong game community server should provide clear utility—news, matchmaking, discussion, bug reporting, and support—while also creating experiences that feel unique to the game. Thoughtful structure combined with lore, events, and custom automation can make Discord feel like an extension of the game itself.

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Discord Game Development Webhooks Community Management+1

discordMar 16, 2025Original article

Announcing Discord’s Social SDK, Helping Power Your Game’s Social Experiences (opens in new tab)

Discord has launched the Discord Social SDK, a free toolkit that allows game developers to integrate Discord's social infrastructure directly into their titles to drive player engagement and discovery. The SDK enables features like friends lists and messaging for all players, regardless of whether they have a Discord account, while offering deeper integration for those who choose to link their profiles. By tapping into Discord’s ecosystem of over 200 million monthly active users, the tool aims to help developers overcome discovery challenges in a market where a small number of franchises dominate total playtime. **Solving Discovery Through Social Connectivity** * With 20,000 games launching annually, Discord aims to leverage the fact that 50% of its users discover a new game on the platform every month. * Internal data suggests that playing with at least one friend increases gameplay session lengths sevenfold. * The SDK facilitates "friend-to-friend influence," where 28% of users launch a game within an hour of watching a friend stream it on the platform. **Core SDK Integration Features** * **Unified Friends List:** Synchronizes in-game and Discord friends lists, allowing players to maintain connections both inside and outside the game environment. * **Deep-linked Game Invites:** Enables players to send invites from their in-game list that allow Discord friends to join a specific party, lobby, or session with a single click. * **Rich Presence:** Displays real-time gaming activity on Discord profiles across PC, console, and mobile, serving as a passive discovery tool for a player's social circle. * **Flexible Account Requirements:** Developers can provide a unified social experience to all players without requiring a Discord login, though account linking unlocks more persistent social features. **Advanced Communication Tools in Beta** * **Cross-Platform Messaging:** A closed beta feature that allows players to continue game-related conversations across desktop, console, and mobile devices. * **Linked Channels:** Enables developers to sync in-game chat with specific Discord server channels, providing persistent messaging for guilds and squads. * **Integrated Voice Chat:** Grants developers access to Discord’s proprietary high-quality audio technology to power in-game voice communications. **Technical Specifications and Partnerships** * The SDK is currently available for C++, Unreal Engine, and Unity developers. * Initial support covers Windows 11+ and macOS, with console and mobile support listed as coming soon. * Early adoption partners include major studios such as Theorycraft Games, Facepunch Studios, 1047 Games, and Scopely. By providing these social tools for free, Discord is positioning itself as the foundational social layer for the gaming industry. Developers looking to capitalize on existing social graphs and improve player retention should consider integrating the SDK to bridge the gap between their game and the "digital living rooms" where players already spend their time.

Voice Chat Discord Social Sdk Rich Presence Unity+4

discordMar 10, 20253 min readCurated summary

Discord Patch Notes: March 11, 2025

Discord’s March 11, 2025 patch focuses on reliability, media processing, sharing, and broad bug fixes across desktop and mobile. Major improvements include safer API deployments, more accurate HDR-to-SDR conversion, faster and more reliable Spotify embeds, a redesigned Android sharing flow, and an Electron upgrade. The release also addresses numerous issues affecting chat, profiles, search, notifications, emoji pickers, and mobile rendering. ## Reliability and Platform Improvements - Discord changed its API deployment strategy to isolate critical services and reduce the impact of reliability incidents. - Desktop clients were upgraded from Electron 33.0.0 to 33.4.0. - HDR-to-SDR tone mapping was improved for more accurate colors in HDR images and videos converted for SDR display. - Spotify embeds now have approximately: - 83% lower p95 latency - 88% fewer failures - Android’s share interface was redesigned to resemble Discord’s message-forwarding experience. - Fixes may continue rolling out across platforms after the patch’s publication. ## General Interface and Account Fixes - Fixed Soundboard previews that could loop indefinitely after an upload was canceled. - Improved iOS performance when opening search and collapsing long channel topics. - Restored functionality for favorited GIFs and corrected poll avatars to use server-specific profiles. - Fixed iOS animation rendering failures and inconsistent Rich Presence display in member lists. - Improved mobile modal, emoji picker, GIF picker, and keyboard behavior. - Corrected several profile, server profile, custom status, pop-out, and profile preview issues. - Fixed server creation, friend request notifications, invite-link dropdowns, and Add Friends interface problems. - Improved desktop User Management sizing, Server Settings search, and member-search placeholder text. - Corrected mobile and desktop alignment, padding, hover states, button sizing, and masked channel-topic links. - Fixed duplicate known-device entries during two-factor authentication setup. - Message reaction notifications should now respect Do Not Disturb on mobile. ## Chat and Messaging - Empty Group DMs no longer display undefined users. - Fixed Server Guide popups that could obscure message editing. - Improved truncation and reliability for typing indicators. - Fixed iOS reply views where message text or input could become hidden. - Android users can now rename Group DMs. - Corrected Android reply themes and Emoji Confetti menu rendering. - Closing an unread DM on mobile no longer leaves an empty unread space in the server list. - Deleted messages can once again be acknowledged, preventing stale notification indicators. - Corrected Android permission interactions between sending messages and creating threads. - Fixed 24px chat font sizing, mobile DM alignment, and missing “Mark as Read” or “Reply” notification actions. ## Activities and Apps - The patch also begins addressing Activity behavior on iOS, including an issue involving Activity open and close sounds; the supplied post ends before the full Activities and Apps section is provided.

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Android iOS Electron Spotify+2

discordMar 6, 20253 min readCurated summary

Supercharging Discord Mobile: Our Journey to a Faster App

Discord’s mobile performance work focuses on making power-user workflows faster and more reliable, especially on lower-end Android devices. The team improved memory usage and frame rates through virtualization, native UI optimizations, recycling, and better media formats. When React Native could not meet performance needs, Discord chose targeted native implementations despite the added maintenance burden. ## React Native and Performance Priorities - Discord uses React for desktop and React Native for mobile. - Android moved to React Native in 2022 after improvements in device capabilities and the Hermes JavaScript engine. - The transition initially affected startup performance, but median startup times were cut in half during 2023. - Recent work targets heavily used features and users with large servers, busy chats, and extensive emoji collections. ## Virtualized Server List - The old server list kept every server view and icon—including animated icons—in memory. - The rewritten virtualized list retains only information for servers currently visible on screen. - The change also enabled improved drag-and-drop animations. - Users with more than 100 servers saw: - 14% lower startup memory usage - 10% faster overall startup time ## Native Chat Performance Improvements - Discord profiled its already-native chat list and found opportunities to improve loading, scrolling, and memory use. - Application Components and Media Mosaics now use recycling mechanisms. - Infrequently used elements, including spoilers and upload overlays, are loaded lazily. - Message containers and reactions were made faster to measure. - Recycling pools are pre-filled with common chat elements before a chat is opened. - Results included up to 60% fewer slow frames and approximately 12% lower chat-list memory usage. ## Rebuilding the Android Emoji Picker - Large servers can provide hundreds of custom emojis, many of them animated. - The previous React Native picker produced blank frames—and sometimes crashes—on budget Android devices during rapid scrolling. - Discord rebuilt the picker natively for Android rather than applying incremental optimizations. - Stress tests involving emojis from 200 servers eliminated blank frames and delivered smooth scrolling on low-end hardware. - Discord accepted the cost of maintaining separate Android and iOS implementations, while planning to reassess the decision with React Native’s New Architecture. ## Animated WebP Emojis - Discord’s media proxy added animated WebP support. - Replacing GIFs with WebP enabled animated emojis to render at up to 60 frames per second on low-end devices. - The team plans to publish more details about its animated-image improvements. ## Eliminating ChannelList Blanking - Discord initially replaced its homegrown React Native FastList with Shopify’s FlashList. - FlashList simplified development because components did not require precisely accurate dimensions. - In practice, FlashList blanked more frequently on low-end Android devices. - Discord restored and refactored FastList, eliminating blanking even on a $50 phone. Discord’s approach combines broad React Native development with native solutions where performance is critical. Virtualization, recycling, lazy loading, and efficient image formats provide general improvements, while platform-specific rewrites remain justified for demanding experiences such as emoji browsing.

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Android JavaScript React Native Webp+4

discordMar 6, 20252 min readCurated summary

December Staff Picks: It’s Giving Games

Discord’s December Staff Picks explores the games employees have been playing recently and the gifted titles that shaped their lives. The contributors highlight a mix of MMORPGs, JRPGs, cozy multiplayer games, card games, and narrative adventures, emphasizing how games create lasting connections with friends and family. ## Scott’s Current Games - Scott, a member of Discord’s Quests team, recently introduced his husband to **Final Fantasy XIV**, a long-running personal obsession. - He is also playing: - **Metaphor: ReFantazio**, reflecting his enthusiasm for JRPGs and Atlus games. - **Marvel Rivals**, while trying to resist spending heavily on cosmetics. ## Games That Changed Scott’s Life - Scott identifies **NieR: Automata** and **Persona 5**, gifted by his best friend in 2018, as his most meaningful gifts. - **Persona 5** rekindled his interest in JRPGs and led him to explore more Atlus titles. - **NieR: Automata** stood out for its excellent gameplay, complex lore, tragic story, and emotional impact. ## Emi’s Cozy Multiplayer Lineup - Emi has been playing relaxed, social games such as: - **Kallax** - **WEBFISHING** - **Jigsaw Puzzle Dreams** - She is also progressing through **Yakuza Kiwami**. - Many of these games serve as a backdrop for chatting with friends. - Emi has recently played **Jackbox Party Pack 3** and **Jackbox Party Pack 6** with friends and family, using voice chat to stay connected across different states. ## Pokémon Blue and Family Memories - Emi’s most memorable gifted game is **Pokémon Blue**, which she and her brothers received alongside their Game Boys. - They spent time outdoors battling and trading Pokémon with link cables. - The game became an early foundation for shared gaming experiences with her family, a tradition that continues today. ## Cody’s Current Games - Cody has shifted from **Marvel SNAP** to the daily routine of **Pokémon TCG Pocket**. - He appreciates being able to open packs quickly without committing to a full match. - When playing competitively, he relies heavily on **Marowak EX**. - He is also playing **Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy** and working through the wider Ace Attorney series. - The games’ exaggerated characters, unexpected twists, and bizarre humor have produced reactions ranging from laughter to shock. ## Continuing Through Ace Attorney - Cody plans to play the remaining entries, including: - **The Great Ace Attorney** - **Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth** - He estimates that he is nearly halfway through the full series. The post presents gaming as more than entertainment: gifted games can inspire lifelong interests, while multiplayer and family games preserve relationships across time and distance.

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Video Games Multiplayer Gaming Steam Jrpg+2

discordMar 4, 20253 min readCurated summary

Discord Patch Notes: February 3, 2025

Discord’s February 3, 2025 patch focuses on faster startup, more reliable infrastructure, improved notifications, and extensive usability fixes across desktop and mobile. Major changes include a roughly 20% improvement in median Android launch times, a Rust rewrite of the Media Proxy service that reduced aggregate latency by about 22%, and substantially improved push-notification delivery. The release also adds desktop DM Apps, redesigns Privacy & Safety settings, and addresses numerous platform-specific bugs. ## Performance and Reliability - Android app initialization improvements reduced launch times by approximately 20% on the median Android device. - Discord rewrote its Media Proxy service from Go to Rust and modernized its infrastructure: - Aggregate latency improved by about 22%. - Latency at the 90th percentile improved by more than 40%. - Service reliability also improved. - Push-notification reliability increased across server sizes: - Servers with fewer than 2,500 users now achieve a 99.98% delivery rate within 30 seconds. - Discord can notify approximately 20 million users on large servers such as Midjourney within 15 minutes of an `@everyone` mention. - Android 13 and earlier received fixes for layout failures caused by device rotation and incorrect screen-size calculations. ## New Features and Interface Updates - Desktop users can now launch Apps directly in DMs. - A quick-launch bar displays recently used Apps at the top of the DM list. - Privacy & Safety settings were redesigned with: - A new tab structure. - Better grouping and clearer descriptions. - Improvements intended to support future Trust settings. - macOS desktop notifications now use native operating-system APIs: - Message sounds respect Focus and Do Not Disturb modes. - Multiple notifications from the same channel can be grouped. - Desktop search now autocompletes `from:me` and `mentions:me`. - Linux now supports Soundshare and Wayland screen sharing, including video and audio support on Ubuntu 22 and later. - Mobile users can edit server invite links while inviting someone. - Push notifications now include user nicknames. ## General Bug Fixes - Fixed UI and layout problems involving: - Forum channel tag editing. - Overlapping channel-topic modals. - Incorrect friend-request layouts at narrow desktop widths. - Misaligned images, padding, borders, and animations across Shop, Quests, profiles, and reaction pickers. - Resolved Android issues involving duplicated channel-name letters, hidden confirmation dialogs, incorrect toast positioning, keyboard overlap, and navigation-bar padding. - Fixed mobile and iOS issues affecting: - Search-result counts and back-swipe navigation. - Text-entry scrolling during channel searches. - Excessive zooming. - Animated Emojis stopping after interaction. - Nitro Home back-swipe navigation. - Corrected problems with Privacy & Safety tabs being cropped or nonfunctional. - Improved reliability for the Claimed Quests interface, especially for users with many completed Quests. - Fixed profile customization issues related to Nitro Credit. - Corrected custom status duration behavior. - Resolved issues with mutual-friend and mutual-server views getting stuck loading. - Fixed Emoji picker server filters and enabled editing of Emoji forum tags whose associated Emoji had been deleted. - Corrected several Shop, tablet banner, profile-effect, and mobile DM layout issues. Overall, the patch combines measurable backend performance gains with a broad collection of cross-platform fixes. Users should see faster Android launches, more dependable media uploads and notifications, improved desktop and mobile navigation, and fewer layout and interface failures.

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Android Rust Go Linux+3

discordFeb 27, 20253 min readCurated summary

Discord Patch Notes: December 5, 2024

Discord’s December 5, 2024 patch focuses on performance improvements, mobile design updates, compatibility, and bug fixes across the platform. Major changes include refreshed mobile profiles, a 90%+ faster iOS Media Picker, Unicode 15.1 emoji support, animated WebP embeds, and Webhook Events for apps. Discord noted that updates may still be rolling out and that Patch Notes would pause until early February. ## Major Product and Platform Updates - Mobile user profiles, including profile editing, were redesigned to more closely match the desktop experience. - The iOS Media Picker now loads images over 90% faster in most cases, with significantly less blank UI while content loads. - Unicode 15.1 emoji are supported; users may see placeholder or inconsistent emoji until they update their clients. - Desktop and web apps now support animated WebP content in embeds and favorites. - Animated emojis are requested in WebP instead of GIF to improve performance. - Webhook Events allow apps to receive events without maintaining gateway connections, which is useful for apps that do not require low latency. ## General Fixes and Usability Improvements - Bluesky URLs now receive proper embed support. - Fixed profile banner cropping, profile button rendering, shortened URL unfurling, streaming activity titles, and role-name display issues. - Mobile profile notification dots, Android button icons, localization, Nitro gifting themes, and server profile menus received various fixes. - Blocking a user from their profile now requires confirmation. - Adding roles through “Add Members” is capped at 30 users to prevent silent failures. - Fixed notification content, share-screen layout, poll-result indicators, and channel permission prompts. - Android incoming call notifications now show display names instead of usernames. ## Chat and Messaging - Message drafts now remain associated with the correct DM instead of moving between DM notifications. - Fixed emoji autocomplete in full-screen Text in Voice, user mentions displaying IDs, and iOS handling of text following an “@” symbol. - Thread creation, attachment layouts, typing indicators, chat input spacing, onboarding bars, and message forwarding themes were corrected. - Fixed unread mention indicators affecting surrounding background colors. - On iOS, opening certain threads no longer incorrectly navigates to the thread creator’s profile. ## Activities and Apps - Fixed username rendering problems in Activities on some servers. - App authorization widgets no longer incorrectly ask users to scroll when no scrollbar is present. ## Audio and Video - Corrected missing circular backgrounds on voice controls and sizing problems with Activity buttons in calls. - Switching between Push to Talk and Voice Activity now reliably reactivates Voice Activity. - Fixed Android microphone failures when sharing another application. - Resolved an iOS screen-sharing failure affecting app version 253; updating is required for affected users. - Fixed the mobile post-call feedback dialog and adjusted call-status icon styling. - On iOS speaker mode, the proximity sensor should no longer turn off the screen unexpectedly during calls.

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Discord Android iOS Webhooks+4

discordFeb 27, 20252 min readCurated summary

November Staff Picks: When One Door Closes…

Discord’s November Staff Picks features employees sharing games they are currently playing and recommending accessible titles for newcomers. The discussion spans Metroidvanias, JRPGs, cozy games, mobile games, and multiplayer party experiences. Overall, the contributors emphasize that there is a suitable entry point for every kind of player and platform. ## Veronica’s Current Games and Recommendations - Veronica, who works on Discord’s Quests team, has been playing: - **Ender Lilies**, praising its art direction and story while pursuing all three endings. - **Hollow Knight**, revisited while waiting for news about *Silksong*. - Her recommendation for new players is **Animal Crossing: New Horizons**: - Relaxing and low-pressure. - Can be played at the player’s own pace. - Has no definitive ending, making it approachable for beginners. - Roald is her favorite villager. ## Emi’s Current Games and Recommendations - Emi is continuing through **Yakuza Kiwami**, completing substories and earning money for abilities. - She is also playing: - **Pikmin Bloom**, which combines walking with growing Pikmin. - **Pikmin 4**, inspired by seeing Pikmin in the mobile game. - **Call of Duty: Warzone**. - **Among Us**, despite occasionally forgetting the game’s task list while playing as the Impostor. - Her recommendations depend on platform and interests: - **Genshin Impact** for mobile open-world exploration. - **MARVEL SNAP** for card-game fans. - **Pokémon GO** for an interactive mobile experience. - **Snipperclips** for Nintendo Switch puzzles. - **Animal Crossing: New Horizons** for relaxation and building. - **Mario Kart 8 Deluxe** for accessible racing. - **The Jackbox Party Pack** for playing varied party games with friends using phones. ## Tyler’s JRPG Playthroughs and Beginner-Friendly Games - Tyler is still playing **Metaphor Re:Fantazio**, recommending it to JRPG and *Persona* fans. - He is replaying **Rogue Galaxy**, a PS2-era JRPG he never finished as a child. - He reflects humorously on how older games such as *The Lion King*, *Aladdin*, and *Toy Story* can be unexpectedly difficult. - For newcomers, Tyler recommends choosing games based on interests in other media: - **Ori and the Blind Forest** helped introduce his wife to gaming through its beautiful presentation and engaging gameplay. - Mobile games can also be a good starting point. - Suggested examples include **Marvel SNAP**, **Pokémon TCG Pocket**, and puzzle games such as **Monument Valley**. The article’s practical takeaway is to match a game to a player’s interests, preferred platform, and desired level of challenge. Cozy games, mobile titles, simple multiplayer experiences, and visually engaging adventures can all provide welcoming introductions to gaming.

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Video Games Multiplayer Gaming Mobile Gaming Jrpg+2

discordFeb 27, 20253 min readCurated summary

Measuring Product Impact Without A/B Testing: How Discord Used the Synthetic Control Method for Voice Messages

Discord used the Synthetic Control Method to measure the impact of Voice Messages when network effects made traditional A/B testing unreliable. Because users’ behavior is interconnected, randomizing individuals could contaminate treatment and control groups, while country-level comparisons could introduce geographic bias. Synthetic controls offered a stronger alternative by constructing a weighted “synthetic” comparison region from multiple untreated countries. ## Why Traditional A/B Testing Was Difficult - Discord launched Voice Messages in 2023 for text channels, DMs, and Group DMs on mobile. - The feature inherently involves networks: one user sends a message and another receives it. - Network effects violate the assumption that treatment and control users behave independently, known as SUTVA. - Randomizing entire networks would be ideal, but Discord’s testing platform did not support cluster randomization. - User-level A/B testing risked cross-group interactions. - Country-level testing could reduce network contamination, but comparing countries directly would conflate the treatment with differences in language, culture, history, and user behavior. ## How Synthetic Controls Work - Synthetic controls compare one treated unit, such as Brazil, with a weighted combination of untreated units. - Instead of comparing Brazil only with Argentina, Discord might construct a synthetic Brazil from: - 50% Argentina - 30% Uruguay - 20% Chile - The weighted combination is designed to better reproduce the treated country’s pre-treatment outcomes. - This approach addresses omitted-variable bias more effectively than selecting a single “similar” control country. - It also produces a result that may be more representative than learning only how users in one specific country respond. ## Benefits and Evaluation - Synthetic controls can account for both observable and unobservable differences between regions. - They require: - Outcome data for the treated unit before and after treatment - Data from multiple untreated control units over the same periods - An analytical library, such as `Synth` in R or `SyntheticControlMethods` in Python - Discord evaluates the fit using Mean Squared Prediction Error (MSPE). - A close pre-treatment fit indicates that the synthetic control is a credible counterfactual. - A substantial increase in MSPE after rollout suggests that the feature changed outcomes in the treated region. - Additional placebo checks can test whether the method tracks outcomes accurately during periods without an intervention. Synthetic controls are a practical choice when network effects prevent conventional experimentation. For geographically distributed products like Discord, constructing a weighted counterfactual from multiple untreated regions can provide a more credible and generalizable estimate than either user-level A/B tests or simple geo-tests.

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Python Ab Testing Causal Inference Statistical Analysis+3

discordFeb 26, 20253 min readCurated summary

October Staff Picks: Monster Season

October’s Discord Staff Picks frames the gaming backlog as the season’s real monster, while Discord employees share their recent games and favorite creatures. The recommendations range from long-form JRPGs and precision platformers to cozy building games, action games, and survival horror. Together, they emphasize making time for varied gaming experiences—even if the backlog keeps growing. ## Tyler’s JRPGs and Speedrunning - **Metaphor: ReFantazio** - A high-fantasy RPG with Persona-like systems. - Its “Bonds” feature lets players build relationships with NPCs to unlock and improve classes. - Tyler is about 15 hours into an expected 80-plus-hour adventure. - **Gravity Circuit** - A Mega Man-inspired indie platformer with tight controls. - Movement options include wall jumping, a hookshot, divekicks, and super moves. - Tyler is practicing the “Dog%” speedrun category, which requires rescuing and petting two hidden robot dogs. - The game’s music is memorable enough to linger outside of play. - **Favorite monster: Tonberry** - Tonberries appear cute and harmless but can defeat players in a single hit. - Their combination of adorable design and deadly attacks makes them ideal monsters. ## Serena’s Cozy Creativity - **Tiny Glade** - A relaxing building game with an animated fantasy art style. - Players freely create castles, landscapes, book-inspired settings, and D&D campaign maps. - Favorite features include decorating with flowers, participating in the “Theme of the Day” challenge, and interacting with sheep and ducks. - Serena discovered it through Steam’s Cozy section after friends could not join a *Baldur’s Gate 3* session. - **Favorite monster: Owlbear** - Serena’s favorite is the Owlbear from *Baldur’s Gate 3*, contrasted humorously with her own “scarier” broom-wielding presence in *Supermarket Together*. ## Yakuza, HELLDIVERS 2, and Horror - **Yakuza series** - After completing *Yakuza 0*, the contributor moved on to *Yakuza Kiwami*. - They particularly enjoy the series’ substories, including errands, puzzles, and other optional activities. - **HELLDIVERS 2** - Continued play includes dealing with both bug and bot missions. - Experimental mine use has created more accidental squad deaths. - **Alien: Isolation** - The Alien remains a favorite video game monster because of the contributor’s admiration for the *Alien* films. - Although they are reluctant to play the horror game themselves, they enjoy watching streams and gameplay clips. - They also note that a sequel is reportedly in development. ## The Backlog as the Seasonal Monster - The article treats unfinished games as a recurring “backlog monster.” - The staff’s selections show several ways to approach it: - Commit to a massive RPG. - Master a short, mechanically focused platformer. - Relax with a creative sandbox. - Continue a long-running series. - Enjoy frightening games vicariously through videos and streams. The practical recommendation is to embrace the backlog selectively: choose games that match your current mood, whether that means an ambitious adventure, a cozy creative outlet, or a terrifying game best experienced through someone else’s playthrough.

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Discord Video Games Steam Jrpg+3

discordFeb 26, 20252 min readCurated summary

Find Wumpus in the WEBTOON Universes & Be Rewarded with a Nitro Trial

Discord partnered with WEBTOON to place Wumpus inside the first ten episodes of *School Bus Graveyard*. Readers who find and report Wumpus twice can receive a one-month Discord Nitro trial, provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The promotion ran from December 4 through December 25, 2024. ## How the Wumpus Hunt Works - Download the WEBTOON app and open *School Bus Graveyard*. - Explore the first ten episodes and look for Wumpus hidden in episode panels. - Click Wumpus each time they appear to report the sighting. - Find Wumpus twice to qualify for the Nitro reward. - The promotion is available through the linked WEBTOON campaign page. ## Discord Nitro Reward - Successful participants receive a one-month Discord Nitro trial for themselves or an eligible friend. - Nitro benefits mentioned include: - Higher-resolution screen sharing - Larger file uploads - Messages up to 4,000 characters - The article presents the reward as compensation for helping Wumpus return from the *School Bus Graveyard* universe. ## Eligibility and Deadline - The offer is limited to users in eligible regions. - Participants must not have: - Had an active Nitro membership - Redeemed another Nitro trial - Accepted a Nitro gift during the previous 12 months - The promotion ended on December 25, 2024. - Discord directs users to its support article for additional terms and questions. To participate, eligible readers needed to search the first ten *School Bus Graveyard* episodes before the deadline, report two Wumpus sightings, and claim the available Nitro trial.

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Discord Mobile App Discord Nitro Webtoon

discordFeb 26, 20253 min readCurated summary

Discover More Ways to Play with Apps – Now Anywhere on Discord!

Discord is expanding access to apps so users can play, create, and socialize from virtually anywhere on the platform. The App Launcher now works across desktop and mobile, in voice calls, text chats, servers, and DMs, while supported apps can be added to an account for use across Discord. The goal is to make interactive experiences easier to discover and launch, whether users are alone or with friends. ## Apps for Entertainment and Utility - Discord apps provide games, media, music, creative tools, and utility features within chats. - Examples include: - **Gartic Phone** for party drawing games - **YouTube Watch Together** for shared video viewing - **Rythm** for music - **Stat Tracker** for game statistics - **Midjourney** for image generation - Apps can help fill downtime before friends join a call or add activities to an existing conversation. ## The App Launcher - The App Launcher is available on desktop and mobile. - It appears: - Next to the chat bar in text chats - At the bottom of voice calls - Users can access both Activities and bots from the same interface. - On mobile, a visual command interface lets users select app commands without typing them manually. - Apps can be launched directly from text chats, allowing activities such as chess or mini-golf outside voice calls. ## Image Editing in Chats - Users can select the App Launcher from a shared image to access image-related commands. - Apps can describe images, turn them into stickers, animate them, or add captions. - For example, the esmBot app can add a humorous caption to an uploaded image. - Results appear as new messages in the chat. ## Using Apps Across Discord - Supported apps can be added directly to a user’s account rather than being restricted to a single server. - Users can add an app from its profile in a chat or member list by selecting **“Add App.”** - Launching and authorizing an eligible app through the App Launcher can also add it automatically. - Account-level apps appear in the App Launcher’s **Recents** section for quick access in servers and DMs. ## A Growing App Ecosystem - Discord says its developer community is continually creating new apps. - Users can explore thousands of apps for games, social activities, creative work, and practical tools. - Developers can learn how to build Discord apps through Discord’s developer resources. Discord’s updates make apps more portable and easier to use, reducing the need to search for commands or remain in a particular server. Users can start by opening the App Launcher in a chat or call, adding useful apps to their account, and exploring the broader app directory.

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Discord Voice Chat Mobile Apps Desktop Apps+2

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