Discord restructuring costs 40 employees their jobs

Discord, the popular chat app, has recently undertaken a restructuring exercise resulting in the termination of approximately 40 employees, which accounts for about 4% of its total workforce.

Discord restructures, cuts staff amid growth focus - 4% impacted. (Bloomberg)

Discord, the popular chat app, has recently undertaken a restructuring effort resulting in the termination of approximately 40 employees, which accounts for about 4% of its total workforce, according to reports.

Former employees of Discord have taken to social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn to share their experience about being laid off. There was an outpouring of sympathy for those saxked as is clear from the responses. The cuts have primarily affected teams in marketing, design, and entertainment.

Discord's Commitment to Long-Term Growth

In response to inquiries, a spokesperson from the company confirmed the staff reduction to Business Insider and emphasised that their main focus is on achieving long-term growth. They stated, "Discord can confirm that approximately 4% of our team have been let go as part of the reorganisation of some business units, and we are ensuring that those impacted are being supported. We are focused on the long-term growth of the business and delivering on our mission."

Recent Platform Updates

In recent months, Discord has made several noteworthy updates to its platform, including the introduction of the Family Center, an optional tool designed to provide parents and guardians with insights into their children's activities on the app. Additionally, they have allowed users to directly stream Xbox gameplay to servers and DMs, a feature that garnered significant interest from the community. In another update, the company integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT technology into their Clyde bot, enabling users to seek suggestions during group chats.

Recently, investment firm Fidelity raised the valuation of some of its holdings, including Discord and Reddit, signaling positive growth. This comes after a valuation decrease in June when Fidelity marked down its Discord holdings to $1.7 million, representing a 47% drop from the original investment of $3.3 million in 2021.

New Feature: Stream Xbox Gameplay Directly to Discord

Moreover, Discord has announced a forthcoming feature that will allow users to stream their Xbox gameplay directly to the platform, a highly requested addition. This new capability will make it easier for Xbox players to connect and interact with friends while sharing their gaming experiences on Discord. The feature is currently available to Xbox Insiders.

To utilise this feature, users will need to link their Xbox Profile to Discord by navigating to User Settings > Connections on Discord for desktop or mobile, clicking on the Xbox logo, signing into their Microsoft account, and completing the setup process.

Once the connection is established, users can easily start streaming their gameplay by pressing the Xbox button on their controller, opening the Parties & Chats tab on their Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, selecting Discord, choosing a server, and joining a Voice channel within that community. When ready to begin streaming, users can simply select "Stream your game."