Microsoft is in talks to buy Discord, a chat app popular with gamers, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, March 23. 

The planned acquisition is said to be valued at $10 billion, with Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter. 

Discord isn’t close to a deal, however, with Microsoft or any of the potential buyers the company is reportedly talking to. An initial public offering (IPO) may also be in the cards for the chat company. Both Microsoft and Discord have so far declined to comment, with talks being kept private. 

The chat app currently has more than 100 million monthly active users, and has been most popular with the gaming community. 

Microsoft’s potential acquisition comes after the tech giant’s purchase of games publisher Zenimax Media, which owns mega franchises such as The Elder Scrolls and Doom. Its Game Pass subscription service for Xbox and PC gamers has also caught users’ attention for being relatively affordable with quality game offerings. 

Last year, the company also attempted to buy TikTok, and had talks with Pinterest for an acquisition, neither of which pushed through.

Aside from Microsoft, Discord has also held talks with Epic Games and Amazon, reported Bloomberg. – Rappler.com