discordAug 11, 2026

Discord Update: August 11, 2026 Changelog (opens in new tab)

Discord’s August 11, 2026 update focuses on profile customization, safer content discovery, and improved social features. It also expands Discord to Meta Quest, adds desktop game embeds, and continues a broader settings redesign. Behind the visible features, Discord upgraded its desktop client to Electron 42, bringing modest CPU improvements. ### Profile and Social Features - Desktop users can format their bios with a WYSIWYG editor instead of memorizing Markdown. - Profiles can now be set to private and shown to everyone, only members of smaller servers, or only friends. - Friend requests can include a note explaining why the request was sent. - New profile Frames are available in the Discord Shop for additional customization. ### Spoiler Channels - Servers can create spoiler text channels that require members to confirm they want to view the content. - This provides an alternative to marking an entire channel as Age Restricted. ### Game Sharing and Meta Quest - Desktop users can mention games with commands such as `@game Palworld`. - Discord embeds the selected game in the message when it has a Discord profile. - Mobile support for game mentions is planned. - Discord is now available on Meta Quest, allowing users to keep the app visible while using other VR experiences. ### Settings and Desktop Improvements - The settings redesign renames **Activity** to **Games & Apps**. - **Content & Social** is now called **Messaging Permissions**. - Related settings, including authorized apps, connections, operating-system-specific pages, and keybindings, have been consolidated. - Several settings pages received updated language and styling, including Data & Privacy and Activity Privacy. - The desktop app now runs on Electron 42, improving maintenance and providing incremental CPU-usage reductions. Discord’s update combines convenience features with ongoing usability and infrastructure work. Users interested in smaller fixes can consult Discord’s patch-note archive or the community bug megathread on r/DiscordApp.

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discordAug 11, 2026

Link Discord and WoW to Keep the Guild Chatting Wherever You Are (opens in new tab)

Discord and Blizzard have introduced Linked Guild Chat, connecting World of Warcraft guild chat with Discord channels. Once Battle.net and Discord accounts are linked and a guild officer connects the appropriate channels, messages sync in both directions. The integration is intended to keep guilds coordinated across raids, dungeon runs, and situations where members are away from the game. ## Linked Guild Chat - Messages sent from Discord appear in WoW guild chat, and vice versa. - WoW displays a Discord icon beside messages originating from Discord. - Guild members can stay connected whether they are playing WoW, using Discord, or away from their computers. - Additional settings include character-name display options and chat filters. ## Linking Battle.net and Discord Accounts - In Discord, open **User Settings**. - Select **Connected Apps**, then choose the **Battle.net** logo. - Review the requested permissions and complete the authorization prompts. - Accounts can also be linked from within WoW using Blizzard’s setup instructions. - Existing connections may need to be updated before the feature works. ## Connecting Guild and Discord Channels A WoW guild leader or officer must connect the channels from the game: - Open the **Guild & Communities** interface with the **J** hotkey. - Go to the **Roster** tab and select **Guild Settings**. - Choose **Discord Settings** from the **Guild Control** dropdown. - Select a Discord server and then choose an available channel. - Click **Link** and approve the connection. The Discord user performing the setup needs **Manage Channels**, **View Channel**, and **Send Messages** permissions on the relevant server. ## Practical Benefits for Guilds - Members can organize dungeon groups and raid schedules from either platform. - Guilds can coordinate supplies, such as flasks, without repeatedly checking multiple chats. - Centralized communication should reduce missed messages and make raid preparation less chaotic. Guilds should link their Battle.net and Discord accounts, then have an appropriately permitted leader or officer connect the desired channel and configure the available chat settings.

discordaccount-linkingworld-of-warcraftbattle-net+1

discordAug 6, 2026

Discord Patch Notes: August 4, 2026 (opens in new tab)

Discord’s August 4, 2026 patch focuses on usability, reliability, performance, and interface cleanup across desktop and mobile. The update introduces another phase of the User Settings redesign and upgrades the desktop client to Electron 42, producing modest CPU improvements. Most remaining changes are bug fixes for overlays, profiles, themes, input fields, responsive layouts, and mobile rendering. ## User Settings Redesign and Performance - “Activity” has been renamed **Games & Apps**. - “Content & Social” is now **Messaging Permissions**. - Related options, including Authorized Apps, Connections, operating-system settings, and keybinds, have been consolidated. - Wording and styling were updated across Data & Privacy and Activity Privacy settings. - Discord’s desktop client now runs on **Electron 42**, improving maintenance and slightly reducing CPU usage. ## Desktop Fixes - Fixed email changes failing after CAPTCHA completion. - Resolved black screens caused by the game overlay when certain games were tabbed out. - Stabilized profile popouts that resized or jittered when game data loaded. - Fixed theme previews permanently changing the default theme. - Restored the ability to reposition the overlay chat widget and prevented overlay actions from grabbing images or opening dialogs in the wrong window. - Corrected activity-status issues when activity detection was disabled. - Fixed custom theme switching after using the theme editor. - Improved server selectors and long dropdowns, preventing selections from reverting or scrolling back to the top. - Corrected invite validation after users left a server to make room under the server limit. - Restored access to main profiles when users also had private per-server profiles. - Fixed numerous layout and interaction issues involving coachmarks, modal positioning, focus rings, close buttons, profile cards, and resized windows. - Improved truncation for long server names, connection names, custom statuses, and other profile text. - Fixed visual defects involving badges, gradients, phone verification fields, wishlist cards, and game-shop modals. - On Linux, Stable and Canary clients now use distinct window classes so taskbars and window managers group them correctly. ## Mobile Fixes - Improved Android game-profile scrolling performance and reduced dropped frames. - Fixed clipped profile controls on iPad. - Resolved an Android gesture issue that could leave the You Bar on a blank screen. - Fixed server icons failing to render after returning from picture-in-picture mode. - Corrected iOS name-style effects such as “Toon” and “Pop” when status text was present. - Prevented multiline pastes from expanding single-line fields such as nicknames, server names, and role names. - Fixed clipped game titles in the Active Now card, especially on iPad and with larger text sizes. - Improved display of long connection links on Android and iOS profiles. - Corrected mismatched colors on Android’s Server Boosts page in Light theme. - The provided patch notes end during an additional Android fix concerning the last friend in a list. The changes are merged but may still be rolling out across individual platforms. Users experiencing remaining issues are directed to Discord’s community-run bimonthly bug megathread.

discordandroidiosdesktop-app+3

discordAug 6, 2026

General Availability of Mobile Platform Support Arrives in Discord Social SDK Version 1.10 (opens in new tab)

Discord Social SDK 1.10 makes mobile support generally available for iOS and Android, extending Discord’s social features into mobile games. The update focuses on reducing friction through improved Account Linking, richer Rich Presence options, and mobile commerce. Early partners including Tencent, Scopely, and Ninja Kiwi report stronger social engagement, easier squad formation, and increased community activity. ## Mobile Platform Support - The SDK supports: - Android 7.0 and later - iOS 15.1 and later - C++, Unreal Engine, and Unity projects - The goal is to bring desktop-like Discord social experiences to smaller screens and on-the-go play. - Discord says the SDK was refined with launch partners and tested against real mobile player behavior. ## Rich Presence on Android - Android games can now share live Rich Presence through multiple methods: - Account Linking - Remote Procedure Call (RPC) - These integrations improve game visibility and help players share what they are playing with their Discord communities. ## Faster Mobile Account Linking - Deeplink support simplifies the account-linking process. - Players can connect their Discord accounts directly and with fewer steps. - The reduced friction is intended to improve retention, engagement, onboarding, and campaign activation. ## Discord Social Commerce on Mobile - Discord is expanding Social Commerce to mobile games. - Developers can sell in-game items through Discord to existing players, friends, and potential new customers. - Early Marvel Rivals pilot results showed: - 41% of purchases were gifts. - 25% of gift buyers were lapsed or new players. - These results suggest Discord’s social graph can support both monetization and player acquisition. ## Tencent: Arena Breakout - Arena Breakout used the SDK to address fragmented cross-platform friend networks and slow squad formation. - Its integration included: - A Unified Friends List - Game Invites - Improved mobile Account Linking - Reported outcomes included faster squad formation, more cross-platform messaging, and increased activity in the game’s official Discord server. - Tencent plans to combine Discord social features with limited-time in-game events. ## Scopely: Marvel Strike Force - Scopely integrated Discord into its turn-based RPG to support: - Player communication - Alliance management - Community interaction - Customer support and moderation - The integration produced immediate account linking among new players and rapid creation of alliance channels. - Community feedback was strongly positive, with players mainly wishing the integration had arrived earlier. ## Tencent: Delta Force - Delta Force used Discord to connect in-game play with its broader player community. - The initial integration focused on Account Linking and the Unified Friends List. - Single-tap mobile linking replaced browser redirects and manual logins, improving onboarding and campaign activation. - The integration supported squad formation and community-created content, with future plans for Discord discoverability and Rich Presence invites. ## Ninja Kiwi: Bloons TD 6 - Bloons TD 6 began integrating the SDK with Account Linking and the Unified Friends List. - The provided article text ends before describing the full integration or its results. The update positions Discord’s Social SDK as a way for mobile developers to strengthen retention, social discovery, community participation, and monetization. Developers targeting mobile games should consider the SDK’s deeplink Account Linking, Android Rich Presence, Unified Friends List, invites, and emerging commerce capabilities.

androidiosc++account-linking+4

discordAug 4, 2026

Squircles, Styles, and Spacing: How Your Feedback is Helping Improve Mobile (opens in new tab)

Discord is updating its mobile app to align more closely with the refreshed desktop experience. The changes introduce consistent themes and shape conventions, improve accessibility and customization, and simplify the chat bar. The overall goal is to make Discord feel familiar and consistent regardless of platform. ## Desktop Themes Come to Mobile - Mobile now includes all four desktop base themes: - Light - Ash - Dark - Onyx - Ash restores the classic dark appearance with improved contrast for accessibility. - Onyx provides true black AMOLED backgrounds instead of dark gray, potentially reducing battery use on OLED displays. - Users can adjust contrast and saturation through Accessibility settings. - Nitro users’ voice and video tile backgrounds now match their selected profile theme across desktop and mobile. ## More Flexible Theme Customization - Users can choose which Light and Dark themes activate based on their device’s appearance mode. - The “Same as Device Theme” option is available under Appearance settings. - Device-theme synchronization takes priority over “Sync Across Devices.” - Themes such as Mint Apple for Light mode and Noir for Dark mode can be assigned to different times of day. ## Consistent Shapes Across the Interface - Discord now follows a simple visual rule: - People, including friends and bots, use circular avatars. - Servers and apps use squircle-shaped icons. - The distinction helps users identify people versus things while scanning lists. - Rounded corners on buttons, inputs, and containers have also been standardized. - Direct messages and group DMs remain circular to preserve their “friend circle” identity. ## A Less Crowded Chat Bar - The chat bar has been reorganized to create more space for composing messages. - Emoji, Gift, Voice Message, and frequently used quick actions remain visible near the right side. - Threads and app usage have moved into the **+** menu. - Long-pressing **+** provides a shortcut to any action without opening the full menu. - Although Threads and Apps now require an additional tap, the long-press gesture is intended to keep them readily accessible. Together, these updates make mobile Discord more visually consistent with desktop while giving users greater control over themes and preserving quick access to common actions.

design-systemsdiscordaccessibilitydark-mode+3

discordJul 29, 2026

Introducing Profile Frames: Decorative Borders to Make Your Discord Profile Museum-Worthy (opens in new tab)

Discord has introduced Profile Frames, decorative borders that surround users’ profiles and add another layer of personalization. Frames are available for purchase in the Shop alongside other profile cosmetics, can be added to a Wishlist, and can be changed whenever desired. Nitro members receive discounts and can assign different Frames to individual servers. ## Profile Frames in the Discord Shop - Frames are now sold through Discord’s Shop on desktop and mobile. - They join existing customization items such as: - Avatar Decorations - Nameplates - Profile Effects - Display Name Styles - Color gradients - Purchased Frames remain available for users to equip or remove at any time. - Users can add desired Frames to their Wishlist for potential gifts. ## Nitro Benefits - Nitro subscribers receive discounts on Profile Frames. - Nitro users who own multiple Frames can assign a unique Frame to each server. ## Ongoing Customization - Discord positions Frames as a finishing touch that complements other profile customization options. - New Frames will be released regularly, giving users more designs to choose from. Users interested in expanding their Discord profile’s visual style can browse the Shop and combine Frames with other decorations for a more personalized look.

discordnitroprofile-customizationavatar-decorations+2

discordJul 7, 2026

Discord Patch Notes: July 7, 2026 (opens in new tab)

Discord’s July 7, 2026 patch focuses on performance improvements, cross-platform reliability, usability fixes, and bug cleanup. Notable changes include nearly 20% faster typical iOS startup times through React Native’s Fabric architecture, faster session connections, Linux looping-media fixes, silent message forwarding, and channel pinning for all servers. The remaining changes address a wide range of interface, profile, notification, search, and platform-specific issues. ## Performance and Reliability - iOS migration to React Native’s New Architecture, Fabric, produced nearly 20% improvements in typical app initialization times. - A session-start configuration change reduced p95 and p99 connection times by approximately 100 milliseconds. - Linux GIFs and videos now loop correctly after a deep media-stack fix. - Linux no longer gradually leaks X11 connections on NVIDIA systems, which could eventually prevent other applications from opening. - Windows startup now launches Discord quietly in the background instead of stealing focus from games. - Desktop clients no longer stop accepting mouse clicks after two rapid refreshes. ## Messaging and Server Features - Message forwarding now supports `@silent`, allowing users to forward messages without notifying recipients. - Channel Pinning is now available on all servers, rather than only Community-enabled servers. - Invites to servers a user already belongs to now open the server directly instead of incorrectly starting Server Tag Adoption. - Invalid search filters such as `has: hello` are no longer treated as valid filters on Android and iOS. ## Desktop Interface Fixes - Profile cards, custom-status hover bars, and other elements now have corrected corner shapes, positioning, and overflow behavior. - Long searches no longer cause “No results” text to overflow searchable dropdowns. - Small login windows no longer show an unexpected scrollbar or misaligned sign-in box. - Adding widgets while editing a profile no longer discards unsaved changes. - Badge links now close the profile modal before opening Nitro Home or the Shop. - The “24 hours” custom-status expiration now lasts a full 24 hours instead of clearing at midnight. - Spelling suggestions now appear when right-clicking misspelled text in fields such as display names, poll questions, and channel names. - Search filter dates no longer shift forward by a day when reopening the filters modal. - The Inbox keybind no longer locks the client when another modal is open. - Nitro items in a user’s own wishlist now open the subscription modal instead of offering an impossible self-gift. ## iOS Improvements - Channel-list scrolling is smoother and no longer jitters or jumps. - Notification settings correctly recognize already-enabled push notifications without requiring the page to be reopened. - Profile previews now reflect pending display-name style changes. - Scheduled event and Live channel location text truncates correctly within cards. - iPad browser invites now preserve the invite code and display the invite properly in Discord. - Profile-tab scrolling no longer causes content clipping. - Shop item previews no longer make profile text flash and disappear. - Nitro perk descriptions are easier to scroll when system text is enlarged. - Various visual issues were corrected, including theme-colored boxes, unclear channel-list banners, and invisible or overflowing elements. ## Android Improvements - Nitro carousel indicators are now visible across default themes. - Incomplete server-application alerts can be dismissed by tapping outside them or pressing Back. - Profile-picture editor labels and sliders for “Scale” and “Rotate” now appear correctly on affected themes. - Profile Call and Message buttons now render at consistent sizes after accepting a friend request. Overall, the update is primarily a broad maintenance release: users should see faster startup and connections, more consistent media and navigation behavior, and fewer platform-specific interface bugs.

discordandroidioslinux+3

discordJun 30, 2026

Discord is Now on Meta Quest: Reach Out to Your Servers While in VR (opens in new tab)

Discord is now available directly through Meta’s Horizon App Store, eliminating the need for sideloading, browser workarounds, or a second device. The Meta Quest app provides the full Discord experience in VR, including servers, direct messages, group messages, voice calls, video chats, and gameplay streaming. Eligible users who try the app may also receive a free month of Nitro. ## Full Discord Access in VR - Users can download Discord directly from the Meta Horizon App Store. - The app includes: - All Discord servers - Direct messages and group DMs - Voice calls using the Quest’s built-in microphone - Discord can remain pinned in the VR playspace while users play games such as *Beat Saber* or spend time in VRChat. - Conversations can appear as a floating virtual window alongside other VR activities. ## Meta Avatar Video Chats and Gameplay Streaming - Users can join Discord video calls as their Meta Avatar. - Quest gameplay can be streamed directly to Discord. - This removes previous workarounds involving browser-based streaming and sharing browser tabs. - The feature supports social interaction between users in VR and friends on PCs, phones, or consoles. ## Free Nitro Promotion - New or returning Nitro users may qualify for one free month. - Eligibility is offered after logging into Discord through a Meta Quest headset. - Nitro benefits include: - Higher-quality Go Live streaming - Additional profile customization options - Access to more than 50 games through Xbox Game Pass - Users can check eligibility through Discord’s support documentation. The article recommends downloading Discord from the Quest app store to keep servers, calls, and gaming conversations accessible while in VR. Qualifying users should also claim the promotional Nitro month.

discordvirtual-realitygame-streamingxbox-game-pass+3

discordJun 30, 2026

Cost Attribution in Discord’s API (opens in new tab)

Discord’s API runs from a shared Python codebase with more than 1,700 endpoints and 700 background tasks across hundreds of Kubernetes deployments. While existing observability tracks performance and reliability, Discord lacked a way to understand hosting costs by product feature or endpoint. Because deployments share code and workers handle multiple features concurrently, the solution was to extend application profiling to allocate deployment costs according to the time spent serving each feature. ## A Large, Continuously Deployed API - Discord operates a unified Python codebase containing: - Over 1,700 API endpoints - Around 700 background tasks - Engineers deploy changes daily to several hundred Kubernetes deployments. - Phased rollouts and instrumentation help monitor: - Latency - Throughput - Error rates - These metrics make it possible to detect regressions affecting users or infrastructure. ## The Missing Cost Dimension - Discord wanted to determine how hosting costs were distributed across product features. - Example questions included: - How much does it cost to send and receive messages? - What does it cost to start a stream or send a Nitro gift? - How do feature costs change over time? - Did a recent code change materially affect a team’s hosting spend? - The goal was to measure costs at both: - Individual endpoint level - Broader feature level, such as chat ## Why Kubernetes Deployment Costs Were Insufficient - Cloud providers can generally report costs by Kubernetes deployment. - However, Discord’s deployments do not map cleanly to product features: - The same codebase runs across all deployments. - Each deployment handles a particular subset of HTTP traffic or background tasks. - Splitting deployments further would make the system impractical to operate. - Discord therefore needed cost attribution without changing its deployment topology. ## Allocating Costs Through Profiling - API worker processes handle multiple tasks concurrently. - A single worker may simultaneously perform work for many different features. - Existing traffic isolation was not detailed enough for feature-level cost analysis. - Discord’s approach was to allocate a deployment’s cost based on the amount of time spent executing code associated with each feature. - By extending its application profiling tools, Discord could track this execution time and use it to estimate feature and endpoint hosting costs. In practice, the profiling-based approach provides a way to analyze infrastructure spending within shared deployments, without requiring separate services or Kubernetes environments for every product feature.

k8sobservabilitypythonapi-design+2

discordJun 25, 2026

Discord Update: June 25, 2026 Changelog (opens in new tab)

Discord’s June 25, 2026 changelog focuses on making game discovery, mobile navigation, and social interactions more convenient. Highlights include a weekly Trending Games page, faster iOS uploads, improved mobile controls, easier friend invitations, and richer game information. Discord also adds organizational tools such as pinned DMs and channels. ## Trending Games - A new Trending Games page updates every Thursday. - It showcases popular single-player and multiplayer games across Discord. - The page is designed to help users find games to play or stream during game nights. ## Mobile Updates - **Tap to React** lets users double-tap a message to apply a preset emoji. - The shortcut emoji can be configured in **User Settings > Chat**. - A new **You Bar** gives mobile users quicker access to their identity and profile. - Mobile users must confirm before calling a DM or Group DM, reducing accidental calls. - iOS photo uploads are approximately **17% smaller** and have about **12% lower latency** after compression and performance improvements. - Wishlists are now available on mobile, including the ability to view other users’ wishlists. ## Chats, Channels, and Game Communication - Discord and Riot account linking is rolling out for **League of Legends** and **VALORANT**. - Players can view Discord friends in-game and invite them directly from the Riot game client. - DMs, Group DMs, and server channels can be pinned for easier access. - Voice invitations now indicate who is currently in the call, helping users avoid unexpected interruptions. - Desktop users are encouraged to send a wave after adding someone new, though they can send any message they choose. ## Expanded Game Profiles - Game Profile pages now include: - Screenshots - Supported platforms - Steam and OpenCritic reviews - Popularity on Discord - Links to the game’s official Discord server - Users can open these profiles by clicking a game’s name while someone is playing it. Discord’s updates primarily improve discovery and reduce friction across mobile, messaging, and gaming workflows. Users looking for additional changes can consult the latest monthly Patch Notes for bug fixes and other improvements.

discordiosmobile-appsteam+4

discordJun 18, 2026

How to Manage Your Discord Desktop Notifications: A Complete Guide (opens in new tab)

Discord offers fine-grained notification controls so users can manage alerts at the server, channel, sound, status, and desktop-system levels. Notifications can be limited to mentions, muted for specific channels or categories, or silenced entirely with Do Not Disturb. Individual sounds and desktop pop-ups can also be disabled without turning off every in-app alert. ## Types of Discord Notifications - Notifications may be triggered by: - Regular channel messages - Direct @mentions - @everyone and @here mentions - Mentions of roles the user belongs to - Replies to the user’s messages - Separate sounds may indicate: - Messages in the channel currently being viewed - Incoming voice or video calls - Someone launching an Activity - Soundboard effects ## Server, Channel, and Category Controls - Server settings are available by right-clicking a server and selecting **Notification Settings**. - Server-wide options include: - **All Messages** - **Only @mentions** - **Nothing** - Suppressing @everyone, @here, role mentions, and new event notifications - Muting the entire server - Individual channels can override the server default with their own notification setting. - Categories can also be muted, greying out and collapsing their channels. - These controls allow users to keep a server active while silencing noisy channels such as memes, off-topic, or announcements. ## Do Not Disturb - **Do Not Disturb** silences Discord notification sounds across the app. - It can be enabled from the avatar status menu and configured for a specific duration. - Online is the normal status, while Idle and Invisible mainly affect how the user appears to others. - DND syncs between desktop and mobile, although mobile push notifications may still appear. ## Individual Notification Sounds - Under **User Settings > Notifications > Sounds**, users can toggle many sounds independently. - Available controls cover messages, mentions, mute and deafen actions, call rings, voice-channel joins and leaves, and more. - Users may want to disable message sounds while keeping important alerts such as incoming calls enabled. - Soundboard configuration is handled separately. ## Desktop Notification Pop-ups - **User Settings > Notifications > Enable Desktop Notifications** controls system pop-ups on Windows, macOS, and Linux. - Disabling this option removes desktop pop-ups but does not stop sounds played within Discord. - Users who want complete silence should combine desktop notification controls with server, channel, DND, or sound settings. The most effective setup is to use server and channel settings for routine filtering, individual sound toggles for prioritizing important events, and DND when uninterrupted focus is needed.

discordlinuxmobile-appmacos+4

discordJun 10, 2026

Game On: Discord Is Backing the Next Generation of Dutch Gaming Founders (opens in new tab)

Discord and Techleap are launching the Gaming Founders Circle to support five ambitious Dutch gaming companies through the end of 2026. The program aims to help founders scale by connecting them with peers, investors, industry networks, and Discord leadership. It reflects Discord’s broader view that gaming grows through strong relationships among developers, players, and business communities. ## A New Support Program for Dutch Gaming - Discord is partnering with: - **Techleap**, which supports Dutch scaleups. - **The Dutch Games Association**, which provides connections to the local games industry. - The Netherlands is especially significant to Discord because it hosts the company’s European headquarters. - Discord says its platform offers developers direct access to players and real-time feedback: - More than 90% of Discord users play games. - Over 80 million users participate in more than 10,000 gaming communities. ## The Five Founders in the Cohort The first Gaming Founders Circle cohort represents a broad range of gaming technologies and business models: - **VaultN**: Digital distribution infrastructure used by publishers such as Bethesda, 2K, and Take-Two. - **Poki**: A self-funded web gaming platform with 90 million monthly players. - **MAXYMUM**: AI-powered tools for game design, recently validated at GDC. - **YOM**: Decentralized cloud gaming infrastructure combining blockchain and streaming. - **Immens**: A European game engine designed around AI and led by an experienced industry veteran. Discord, Techleap, and the Dutch Games Association selected the companies jointly. ## What Participants Receive The program focuses on practical challenges faced by growing gaming companies, including: - **Peer learning** on hiring, fundraising, distribution, community building, and international expansion. - **Investor access** through Techleap’s Dutch and international network, particularly important as later-stage studio funding becomes more difficult. - **Industry connections** through Discord’s gaming ecosystem. ## Program Milestones - The program runs through the end of **2026**. - In **October**, participants will travel to San Francisco for: - A meeting with Discord leadership. - An investor dinner hosted by Techleap and Prince Constantijn. - The initiative concludes at the **Dutch Games Awards in November**. The Gaming Founders Circle is intended to strengthen Dutch gaming by giving founders the relationships, knowledge, and capital connections needed to grow. Discord’s recommendation is clear: supporting individual companies while building stronger connections across the entire national games sector.

aigame-developmentcloud-gamingblockchain+3

discordJun 10, 2026

Updated Requirements to How Apps Access Data in Servers (opens in new tab)

Discord is tightening how apps access message content, server member lists, and user presence data. Apps reaching 10,000 or more users must undergo review and renew approval annually, replacing the former threshold based on membership in 100 servers. Most users will notice no change, though apps that lose access may need to replace features such as text-command bots with slash commands. ## Updated Access Requirements - The changes affect access to: - Message content - Server member lists - User presence information, such as online or offline status - Apps serving fewer than 10,000 users are generally unaffected. - Apps reaching 10,000 or more users must complete Discord’s review process. - Approved apps must reapply every year to demonstrate that their data access remains necessary. ## Why Discord Is Changing the Rules - The previous review threshold was based on being installed in 100 or more servers. - Server count did not accurately reflect how many people an app could reach, especially when installed in one large community. - Annual reviews account for apps changing purpose over time. - Discord aims to ensure apps only retain access to data that is necessary, actively used, and consistent with their stated purpose. ## Impact on Developers and Users - Developers will receive notice and generally have 90 days to maintain access while applying or adapting their apps. - Developers may resubmit applications at any time. - Apps that lose access may continue working for features that do not depend on restricted data. - Text-based commands that require reading message content may need to be redesigned as slash commands. - Apps will not receive access to any new categories of data; the change concerns approval requirements and limitations. Discord recommends that developers review the updated requirements and that users inspect app profiles before deciding which apps to allow in their servers.

discorddata-privacyslash-commandsdiscord-bots+1

discordJun 9, 2026

How We Moved Discord Voice to the Edge (opens in new tab)

Discord migrated its voice and video infrastructure from roughly 30 hyperscaler regions to Cloudflare’s edge network, which spans more than 300 cities. The move brought measurable gains—over 80% of traffic now runs on Cloudflare, with Frankfurt seeing 34% lower ping and 42% lower packet loss—but the rollout exposed important limitations. Local server proximity alone is not enough; call placement and network peering are equally critical. ## Why Discord Moved Voice to the Edge - Traditional cloud regions left users in places such as Reykjavik, Auckland, Hawaii, and Lagos relatively far from voice servers. - Cloudflare’s 300-plus points of presence offered the possibility of hosting Discord’s software much closer to users. - Unlike typical CDN workloads, Discord needed to route live UDP packets for voice and video calls rather than cache static content. - More than 80% of Discord voice and video traffic now uses Cloudflare, and 70% of regions have improved year over year. ## Iceland: Local Servers Can Hurt Mixed Calls - Discord’s first test took place in Reykjavik, where users previously connected to servers in Rotterdam. - Iceland-only calls improved: - Ping decreased 9%. - Packet loss decreased 11%. - Mixed-region calls became worse: - Ping for non-Iceland participants increased 2.7 times. - Packet loss rose 9%. - Discord assigns one SFU to host an entire call, so all participants send traffic to that server. - A call started by one Icelandic user could therefore force German participants to route packets to Iceland and back. - Discord concluded that new edge locations help only when calls hosted there are primarily local; mixed calls require smarter host-placement logic. ## Rotterdam: Network Peering Was the Bottleneck - Discord next moved Rotterdam traffic to Cloudflare’s Amsterdam PoP. - Most regional ISPs performed normally, but Orange users experienced: - More than one second of latency during peak periods. - A 30% regression in voice freeze ratio. - The issue was not Cloudflare’s Amsterdam infrastructure itself, but the path between Orange and Cloudflare. - Traffic traveled through Telia’s transit backbone, where the Telia–Orange connection was already saturated. - Adding more traffic made the congestion worse. - Discord reverted the migration after about ten days. - Cloudflare pursued direct peering with Orange and added SFUs in Paris and London to provide shorter paths. ## A More Careful Migration Strategy - Discord changed its rollout process from capacity-based scheduling to peering-based analysis. - Before shifting meaningful traffic to a region, the team now checks whether Cloudflare has sufficient peering capacity with major local ISPs. - The migration slowed from a planned large-scale rollout to a region-by-region deployment. - The experience demonstrated that: - A geographically closer PoP does not always produce the best call experience. - SFU host placement matters for calls spanning multiple regions. - Transit routes and ISP peering can be more important than physical distance. Discord’s edge migration is succeeding, but only through incremental deployment, detailed traffic analysis, and improved call-placement decisions. The practical lesson is that low-latency infrastructure depends on the complete network path—not simply on adding servers closer to users.

cloudflareedge-computingwebrtccdn+3

discordJun 8, 2026

Introducing: You Bar (opens in new tab)

Discord’s new You Bar is a mobile navigation redesign intended to simplify movement through the app, emphasize users’ identities, and bring mobile and desktop experiences closer together. Inspired by open-world games, it treats servers as the world users explore and the You Bar as their personal interface for moving through it. Discord says the redesign is rolling out to mobile users, with further customization and voice features planned. ## Simplifying Mobile Navigation - Discord previously used separate navigation systems for servers and non-server destinations, which became increasingly complex. - Because most mobile activity centers on servers and channels, the You Bar organizes navigation around that primary behavior. - Tapping the You Bar opens the profile, including profile editing, Settings, Quests, and the Shop. - Notifications have a dedicated bell icon. - Shortcuts include: - Long-pressing the You Bar to open the account menu and change online status. - Long-pressing the avatar to open Settings. - Swiping across the You Bar to switch between DMs and the current server. - The redesign also provides modest memory and CPU savings. ## Highlighting User Identity - The You Bar creates a dedicated space for users’ visual identities. - It features a larger avatar, more polished display name and status treatments, and greater prominence for Avatar Decorations and Nameplates. - Discord designed the area to make personal customization more expressive and visible. ## Unifying Mobile and Desktop - Discord’s desktop and mobile apps have developed different visual styles and interaction patterns over time. - The You Bar is part of a broader effort to make Discord feel familiar across devices without simply copying the desktop interface onto mobile. - The company says future mobile improvements will continue to be guided by user feedback. ## Planned Improvements - **Per-server You Bar:** The bar will reflect a user’s unique profile for the active server. - **Server Tags:** Favorite or relevant server tags will appear on the bar. - **Activity indicators:** Users will be able to see activities such as gaming or listening to music. - **Animation controls:** Users will control when animated Avatar Decorations and Nameplates play. - Discord is also reconsidering the profile page as a more dynamic, personalized space rather than a static screen. - The You Bar may support a more familiar desktop-like mobile voice experience for joining and leaving voice channels. Discord recommends viewing the You Bar as the foundation for a simpler, more personalized mobile experience. Its current redesign is only the first step toward deeper profile customization, server-aware identity features, and improved mobile voice interactions.

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