Microsoft Corp. and the video game chat company Discord Inc. ended takeover talks after Discord turned down a $ 12 billion offer, according to people familiar with the matter.
The discord is now focused on a potential long-term public listing, people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private.
Also Twitter Inc. expressed interest in buying Discord, said people with knowledge about the matter. Other companies have discussed a takeover or investment in Discord in recent weeks, with some discussing the chat company valued at $ 15 billion to $ 18 billion, two people said.
Discord, Microsoft and Twitter declined to comment.
Place to talk
Discord, based in San Francisco, is best known for its free service that allows players to communicate via video, voice and text. People who stayed home during the pandemic increasingly used their technology for study groups, dance classes, book clubs and other virtual gatherings.
He expanded his communication tools to turn it into a “Place to talk”, rather than a gamer-focused chat platform.
Bloomberg News initially reported the Microsoft-Discord talks and that Discord was it is more likely to make an initial public offering. Discord also held talks with Epic Games Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. In the past, people familiar with the matter have said so.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on the conclusion of sales negotiations.
Microsoft remains busy on the front. Earlier this month, she said it will buy the speech recognition pioneer Nuance Communications Inc. in a $ 19.6 billion cash transaction.
Last year, he tried to buy the social networking app TikTok and held talks to buy Pinterest Inc. because he was looking for assets that would provide access to thriving user communities, people familiar with the matter said. Microsoft’s Xbox company has also expanded the suite of benefits it offers as part of its Game Pass offering.
– With the assistance of Kurt Wagner
(Updates with Twitter discussions, evaluation in the third paragraph)