Microsoft Corp. is currently talking with Discord Inc., a company that runs one of the most popular video game chat applications on the internet, with the hope of buying the company.
According to sources who are close to the matter, Microsoft is willing to pay a hefty price tag with talks of at least $10 billion for the application.
Discord is a platform that allows people to directly talk and instant message others. Users are able to connect to specific "servers" of their interests and connect with other groups of people who have similar interests.
Though Discord has been used in the past for those interested in video games, the pandemic saw more people flocking to the platform for a variety of different events, including study groups, yoga classes, school gatherings, and more.
The application has also seen a massive increase in profits with the release of Nitro, a feature in the service that allows players to have server benefits if they pay a monthly fee of $10.
The deal with Microsoft has yet to be finalized, and Discord has not said where they stand on the subject. There are also talks that Discord Inc. plans to go public instead of selling the company, though it is unclear where they stand on either option.
If the deal goes through, this would be a huge win for Microsoft Corp., which has been trying to gain a foothold in the gaming community for years. In late 2014, the technology company bought Mojang, the makers of the popular video game Minecraft, for $2.5 billion.
It appears that Discord may be worth more to Microsoft because of its strong rise in popularity. The application has amassed more than 100 million monthly users, and plans to continue this trend of growth for years to come.