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discord

Authenticity Matters: Discord's Pride Month 2025 (opens in new tab)

Discord’s Pride Month 2025 message centers on authenticity, belonging, and the continuing importance of LGBTQIA+ visibility. Drawing on Pride’s origins as a 1969 protest, Discord emphasizes that progress has been significant but equality and dignity still require ongoing effort. The company presents Pride as a year-round commitment rather than a celebration limited to June. ## Pride, Authenticity, and Belonging - Discord recalls the courage of LGBTQIA+ people who challenged discrimination and helped advance equal rights. - Its PRIDE Employee Resource Group (ERG) encourages employees to bring their whole selves to work. - The company argues that diverse perspectives strengthen Discord’s culture and impact. - The ERG is open to all employees, including LGBTQIA+ employees and allies. ## Support from the PRIDE ERG - ERG leaders emphasize that visibility and representation remain important. - They describe authenticity as valid whether someone shares their identity openly or keeps it private. - The PRIDE ERG aims to make inclusion and belonging lived experiences for every Discord employee. ## Pride Month Activities - Discord hosted weekly *RuPaul’s Drag Race* lunch watch parties. - Employees participated in a Pride-themed cocktail and mocktail event. - The PRIDE ERG partnered with the Black and African-American Movement ERG to screen *The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson*. - A mental health session was held with Point of Pride, an organization supporting LGBTQIA+ people worldwide. - Employees also joined a gaming hour with Discord’s VP of Core Technology. ## LGBTQIA+ Creators and Representation - Discord highlighted LGBTQIA+ creator Gianna Lee, who designed the month’s Pride artwork. - Her cozy café illustration featuring Wumpus uses soft pastels, rainbow accents, and inclusive imagery to represent belonging. - Discord connects the work of creators and nonprofit organizations with its broader goal of supporting spaces where everyone can thrive. ## Commitment Beyond Pride Month - Discord states that its inclusion efforts should continue throughout the year. - The company wants authenticity and belonging to be part of its everyday culture, not merely a June theme. - The post closes by reaffirming that LGBTQIA+ employees and community members belong at Discord. Discord’s practical message is to treat Pride as an ongoing responsibility: support authentic self-expression, amplify LGBTQIA+ voices, and build inclusive communities year-round.

gamingdiscorddigital-communicationonline-community
discord

Checkpoint 3: Leveling Up Discord Quests with Orbs and Advanced Measurement (opens in new tab)

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.

gamingdiscorddigital-advertisingdiscord-quests+2
discord

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.

gamingdiscorduxbusiness-strategy+1
discord

Checkpoint 2: Our First Year With Discord Quests (opens in new tab)

Discord’s first year with Quests shows how rewarded advertising can connect players, developers, and brands without interrupting gameplay. By placing campaigns in Discord’s gaming communities, Quests give users rewards while helping advertisers reach engaged audiences authentically. After 70+ campaigns, Discord reports strong repeat participation from users and returning advertisers. ## Quests as Player-Centered Advertising - Quests reward users for engaging with games or entertainment content. - More than 200 million monthly active users spend a combined 1.5 billion hours playing over 8,000 PC titles each month. - Users who accept a targeted Quest are three times more likely to accept another. - More than half of Quests partners have returned for a second campaign. - Campaigns have included franchises such as *Diablo*, *Street Fighter*, *World of Warcraft*, *Genshin Impact*, and *Dune: Prophecy*. ## Campaign Results - **Genshin Impact:** A Play Quest promoting a major update attracted millions of participants and increased playtime by 80% during the campaign week. - **Dune: Prophecy:** Max’s first Video Quest featured a 2-minute, 38-second trailer that achieved an 85% completion rate among users who engaged with it. ## Why Discord Reaches Players Effectively - Gaming audiences often reject traditional advertising, especially when it feels disruptive or inauthentic. - Discord reaches players in the “digital living rooms” where they already socialize with friends. - Campaigns can build on existing behaviors rather than interrupting gameplay. - Users are especially engaged socially: gameplay increases sevenfold when they play with at least one friend. ## Two Quest Formats - **Video Quests:** Designed to build awareness through trailers, season announcements, DLC promotions, and other video content. - **Play Quests:** Require users to play or stream a game to unlock rewards, directly encouraging gameplay. - Discord is expanding Video Quests to mobile to increase campaign reach and create additional advertising opportunities. Discord’s results suggest that rewarded, community-based advertising can be more effective than interruption-based formats for gaming audiences. Brands seeking to reach players should focus on authentic engagement and incentives that complement, rather than disrupt, the gaming experience.

gamingdiscordgame-discoverymobile+2
discord

Mental Health & Discord: Promoting Well-Being All Year Long (opens in new tab)

Discord’s Mental Health team describes its efforts to make the platform safer, more user-controlled, and better connected to mental-health support. The company highlights new research, crisis-resource partnerships, and initiatives exploring how gaming can support social connection and well-being. It concludes that Discord intends to use these findings to improve product design, policies, and partnerships. ## Discord’s Approach to Well-Being - Discord aims to provide a safe, welcoming place for people to connect around shared interests and gaming. - The platform emphasizes user control, allowing people to choose who they interact with and which communities they join. - Discord says it is not designed primarily to maximize engagement, but to support real-time interaction among friends. - The company plans to continue refining its products and safety efforts to better support users. ## Research on Users’ Mental Health - Over five months, Discord worked with research organization BSG to study users’ mental-health perceptions and the platform features that affect well-being. - The research included more than 1,200 participants aged 13 and older in the United States, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. - Participants generally viewed online gaming and social media as distinct, with gaming considered more positive for mental health. - Online gaming was the most frequently selected activity for supporting well-being, followed by exercise, in-person relationships, creative activities, and online connections with family and friends. - Users identified moderators, blocking, muting, and reporting as Discord features that support their mental health. - Participants expressed interest in more proactive mental-health tools and believed Discord cares about user well-being, while also acknowledging that more work is needed. - Discord intends to apply the findings to its policies, product development, and future partnerships. ## Crisis and Mental-Health Resources - Discord partnered with ThroughLine Care, a global network of vetted helplines. - At **discord.findahelpline.com**, users can find free, confidential support in more than 100 countries. - The directory supports chat, text, and phone services in 11 languages and provides topic filters, operating hours, and contact details. - In the United States, users can text **DISCORD** to **741741** to reach Crisis Text Line, a free, confidential, 24/7 service available in English and Spanish. - Discord defines a crisis broadly to include stress, anxiety, school difficulties, relationship problems, and other situations—not only life-threatening emergencies. ## Gaming and Mental Health - Discord cites industry research suggesting that gaming can improve mood, foster community, provide healthy outlets, and help people through difficult periods. - The company sponsored Safe In Our World’s inaugural Mental Health Game Dev Champions event. - The event supports developers and gamers creating personal games based on lived experiences with mental health. - Discord planned to host a master class on building healthy communities in Safe In Our World’s Discord server on October 17, 2024. - The post also highlights Hero Journey Club, which uses games such as *Stardew Valley*, *Animal Crossing*, and *Final Fantasy* to facilitate emotional support and track feelings. - Discord partnered with Xbox Game Studios’ *Gears of War* on the “Never Fight Alone” suicide-prevention initiative, raising funds for Crisis Text Line and Aqui Estoy Chat. Discord’s overall recommendation is to treat gaming communities as potential sources of connection while continuing to provide accessible, confidential professional support. Its research and partnerships are intended to make mental-health assistance a more integrated part of the Discord experience.

gamingdiscordcontent-moderationonline-communities+2
discord

Leveling Up Black Voices in Gaming (opens in new tab)

Discord is celebrating Black History Month 2025 by spotlighting the contributions of Black creators, developers, and communities within the gaming industry. Led by the Black and African American Movement (BAAM) Employee Resource Group, the initiative aims to foster inclusivity and recognize the profound impact of Black culture on gaming. Through these efforts, Discord highlights how diverse voices are essential to creating a more representative and welcoming global gaming landscape. **The BAAM ERG and Community Support** * The Black and African American Movement (BAAM) Employee Resource Group is driving this initiative by curating a selection of influential creators and innovators. * The focus spans the entire gaming spectrum, including competitive players, casual gamers, professional game developers, and community builders. * The initiative emphasizes the intersection of identity and representation, inviting the wider community to engage with experiences that honor the spectrum of Black involvement in tech and gaming. **Spotlighted Creators and Organizations** * Aurélia Durand: A French graphic artist who designed the event's header artwork, her work focuses on celebrating diversity, identity, and womanhood. * Black Girl Gamers: Founded by Jay-Ann Lopez, this organization advocates for diversity and inclusion while specifically amplifying the voices of Black women in the industry. * Brown Girl Gamer Code: Created by Brandii JaVia, this digital community supports women and femmes of color in both gaming and technology to ensure their stories and contributions are recognized. To support these efforts and help build more inclusive digital spaces, Discord encourages users to engage with these featured creators and explore professional opportunities through the company's career portal.

gaminggraphic-designcommunity-buildingdiversity-and-inclusion+2