Amid ongoing speculation about Discord moving toward an initial public offering, the company has appointed former Activision Blizzard Vice Chairman Humam Sakhnini as its new Chief Executive Officer. This leadership change marks the departure of co-founder Jason Citron as CEO, who has led the company for the past thirteen years.
From its origins as a communication platform dedicated primarily to online multiplayer gamers, Discord has rapidly evolved into a widely used social platform with more than 200 million monthly active users. However, the decision to bring aboard Sakhnini, a prominent executive from the gaming industry, appears to indicate Discord’s intention to concentrate again on its gaming roots. Under this new direction, the company seeks additional monetization avenues through in-platform advertising and microtransactions, areas where Sakhnini brings considerable experience.
Yet such revenue-focused strategies might face resistance within Discord’s community, historically averse to invasive advertising and pervasive monetization efforts. The selection of Sakhnini, previously CEO at King—a division of Activision Blizzard famously known for games such as Candy Crush, a title reliant heavily on ads and continuous microtransactions—has potential to heighten these concerns among users about the future direction of the company.
Despite stepping down, Jason Citron will remain closely associated as an advisor to Sakhnini and maintain his position on the company’s board of directors. In recent comments, Citron conveyed enthusiasm about taking some personal time after managing Discord through years of remarkable growth, stating that he intends to take a break and finally spend some time with games he’s wanted to play, including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Blue Prince, and Baldur’s Gate III.
