Gaming giant discord slashes 17% of workforce

Discord, a leading communication platform tailored for the gaming community, has recently announced substantial job cuts, reducing its workforce by 17%. Discord CEO Jason Citron confirmed the layoff of 170 staff members as part of a strategy to streamline operations and enhance organizational agility. The layoffs are indicative of the broader trend of workforce reductions throughout the tech and gaming sectors, following similar actions from companies such as Twitch and Unity. The affected Discord employees will receive five months of severance pay, extended health benefits, and other support services during this transition. Moreover, the staff cuts come after the company experienced rapid growth quintupling its size since 2020, leading to an expansive scope of projects and decreased efficiency across its operations.

Discord is providing the laid-off employees with a "sizable runway" which includes five months of their current salary, continued benefits for the same period, access to mental health services through Modern Health for the rest of the year, and additional compensation dependent on their tenure in the company.

Background Information: Discord has been a key player in the gaming industry as a platform for gamers to communicate and collaborate. Since its launch in 2015, it has expanded beyond gaming to become a general-use communication platform. Discord's growth spiked during the pandemic as users sought digital means to stay connected. Despite this recent event, Discord remains a staple tool for gaming communities, and its impact on how players interact will likely continue strong into the future.