What you need to know
- WSJ reports that Microsoft and Discord are in exclusive talks to acquire the chat service.
- A deal could be agreed as soon as next month.
- Discord is looking to sell for more than $10 billion.
A new report from Wall Street Journalis claiming that Microsoft is in exclusive talks to acquire Discord for $10 billion, and that a deal could be agreed as soon as next month. The news comes just days after it was revealed that Discord was looking to sell, and that Microsoft was a potential buyer alongside Epic Games and others.
Discord would be an incredibly valuable asset for Microsoft's continued Xbox efforts, which has seen the company acquire many big name Game Studios in the last couple of years to boost its successful Xbox Game Pass subscription. Microsoft could use Discord as a backbone for the Xbox network, allowing gamers to communicate across Xbox and PC platforms in and out of games.
Microsoft has been trying to acquire a community driven platform for some months. Last year, the company was in the running to acquire TikTok, and more recent rumors suggested the company was interested in acquiring Pinterest too. Discord is an incredibly popular community driven platform, and would fit right in with Microsoft's gaming portfolio.
Discord is rumored to be looking to sell for more than $10 billion. If true, this would make Discord one of Microsoft's more expensive acquisitions, with LinkedIn coming in at number one with a sale price of $26.6 billion.
Although the two companies are in exclusive talks, nothing is set-in-stone until a deal is actually made. We may not have to wait long for a result, as the Wall Street Journal claims that the deal could be closed as soon as next month. The deal would then need to get approval from regulating bodies before it could be deemed "official."
In the meantime, what are your thoughts on Microsoft acquiring Discord? Let us know in the comments.
