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Discord CEO Jason Citron has stepped down from the role 10 years after the messaging platform was first launched.
He’s been replaced with former King president and Activision Blizzard vice chairman Humam Sakhnini, who will officially start on April 28th. Citron will continue on as a member of the board of directors and advisor to the new chief exec.
Discord has been linked with an IPO, with one recent report stating it could happen as soon as this year. Citron notably stated that Sakhnini helped with “substantially growing the King business in the public market”.
“Next phase of growth”
Discord serves more than 200 million monthly active users worldwide.
The company said its current focus is on pursuing opportunities beyond its core consumer subscription service, including advertising, microtransactions, and providing social infrastructure to developers. It claims to have positive adjusted EBITDA for the past five quarters.
“Building Discord over the last decade has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” said Citron.
“From the very beginning, our mission has been about bringing people together around games. It’s a mission I’ve dedicated my career to, and I’m confident that passing the torch to Humam is the right evolution for Discord’s future.
“His deep gaming industry expertise and proven track record of scaling businesses while fostering genuine friendships through play and shared experiences positions us perfectly for our next phase of growth.
“I believe this transition will accelerate our momentum and unlock even greater possibilities for Discord, our consumers, partners, and the overall gaming ecosystem in the years ahead.”
Sakhnini added: “I’m incredibly excited to join Discord at such a pivotal moment. Discord stands as a massive, foundational part of the gaming ecosystem that millions of players, developers, and publishers rely on every day.
“What Jason and Discord co-founder and CTO Stan Vishnevskiy have built is truly remarkable — a platform with an undeniable product-market fit where hundreds of millions of people connect around their passion for gaming and shared interests.
“I look forward to working with Stan and Discord’s talented team to scale our business while staying true to the company’s core mission and the special connection it has with player communities.
“We’re still at the beginning of gaming’s impact on entertainment and culture, and Discord is perfectly positioned to play a central role in that future.”
