Microsoft in talks to buy Discord messaging platform: Report

(Reuters) – Microsoft is in talks to buy Discord Inc, a messaging platform for gamers, for more than $10 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the prospects of gaming companies as people stayed at home and turned to video games for entertainment during lockdowns.

Discord, which was valued at around $7 billion as of December, is a platform on which users coordinate group activities such as games, discussions and even virtual parties.

Microsoft has been looking to own mass social media platforms, although its last big deal was the $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016 as it failed in its bid for short video app TikTok’s U.S. assets in September last year.