On April 23, Discord founder and CEO Jason Citron announced that he was stepping down as CEO of the company. While he’s staying on as an advisor and member of the board of directors, Citron is handing the reins to Humam Sakhnini, a former Activision Blizzard executive.
But while this might seem like a surprise to some, this change-up is far from a coincidence.
Recently, reports emerged that Discord is going to become a publicly traded company. In a blog post, Citron confirmed Sakhini was hired “to lead Discord through our next chapter of growth and someday becoming a public company.”
“As we enter our next phase, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best contribute to Discord’s long-term success,” Citron said in the blog post. “As I look at what is needed of Discord’s CEO over the next few years, I realize that it’s time for me to literally ‘hire myself out of a job’.”
He added that Discord is currently “the best version of the company we’ve ever had.”
“We have a clear strategy, new business lines to grow into, love and passion from our users, and an incredible team of people working tirelessly to deliver for them,” he said.
In a statement of his own, Sakhini said: “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.”
He added: “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.”
Clearly, if there was ever a time to join Discord, it’s now. If you’re looking to take the plunge, check out our guide on how to create a Discord server.
