A month after it appeared that Microsoft was looking to buy the hot voice chat application Discord, those discussions are disabled, a source familiar with the TechCrunch confirmed agreement.
Discord is considering plans to remain independent, probably pursuing a path to its own IPO in the not-too-distant future. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the business had been shut down.
The two companies participated in acquisition talks that valued Discord at about $ 10 billion before Discord moved away. According to the WSJ, three companies are exploring the possible acquisition, although only Microsoft has been named.
Discord’s rating doubled in less than six months last year, and its stock only seems hotter in 2021. A much-loved voice chat app originally built for gamers, Discord was in the right place long before the current voice chat trend on which Clubhouse lit up. As Facebook-to-Twitter companies struggle to build voice-based community tools, Discord launched its own support for audio events held last month.
Discord’s decision to move away from a sale makes sense for a company eager to keep its unique DNA, rather than being introduced into an existing product to a larger company. The choice could also keep the company away from the prolonged antitrust headache, as lawmakers reflect legislation that could block large technology transactions to prevent further consolidation of the industry.