Discord (software)
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Discord Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | March 6, 2015 |
| Stable release |
5.3.17 / May 3, 2017
|
| Development status | Active |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux |
| Type | VoIP communications, instant messaging and social media |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | discordapp |
Discord is a freeware proprietary VoIP application designed for gaming communities. Discord runs on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and in a web browser. In December 2016, the developers announced that Discord had over 25 million users.
Developer Hammer & Chisel, now called Discord Inc, moved from supporting their mobile MOBA game Fates Forever to creating Discord in 2015, releasing in May. Gaining initial support and funding through YouWeb's 9+ incubator, the company then raised funding through Benchmark capital and Tencent. The developers aimed to create a program with low latency communication that incorporated what they considered as the best aspects of other VoIP software such as Skype and TeamSpeak.
The service was popularized by eSports and LAN tournament gamers, including popular users on the Twitch.tv streaming service and game communities like that of Star Citizen. The company, which shares the same name as the service, was founded by OpenFeint founder Jason Citron, who intends to keep the company independent.
The company raised an additional $20 million USD in funding for the software in January 2016.
The Discord client is built on the Electron framework using web technologies, which allows it to be multi-platform and run on personal computers, mobile devices and the web. All versions of the client support the same feature set. The Discord application for personal computers is specifically designed for use while gaming, as it includes features such as low-latency, free voice chat servers for users and a dedicated server infrastructure. Discord's developers plan to add video calling and screen sharing. Direct calling was added in an update on July 28, 2016, with support for calls between two or more users. The company introduced its GameBridge API in December 2016 that allows game developers to directly support integration with Discord within games. The git repository documentation for the Discord API is hosted on GitHub under Discord API Docs
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