Discord announced its powerful in-game communication tools, including high-quality voice chat, cross-platform messaging, and linked channels, are now available to developers through the Discord Social SDK. Previously launched in closed beta earlier this year, the Social SDK can now be used commercially to bring Discord’s trusted voice and messaging features directly into games, connecting players for longer playtime and improving multiplayer experiences.
Developers that integrate the Social SDK in eligible games unlock powerful social features that enhance in-game communication and drive stronger player retention. Discord data shows that players who link their accounts through the SDK return more frequently resulting in more active days in-game. By unifying friends lists, players can seamlessly connect with their Discord contacts from within the game and continue conversations with in-game friends directly on Discord, making it easier to team up, stay connected, and jump back in, whenever they’re ready to play.
Designed to streamline player connections and increase engagement, the Social SDK extends a game’s reach into Discord’s highly engaged community of over 200 million monthly active users globally who collectively spend more than 1.9 billion hours each month playing games while on the platform. Discord is today’s digital living room designed for gaming where close-knit friends and community groups influence each other potentially more than a developer’s typical marketing or traditional ads can. In fact, over 40% of players on Discord join the same game within an hour of watching a friend stream (source: Discord internal data).
With this milestone launch, developers ranging from indie developers to major game publishers can now integrate the same high-quality voice and messaging infrastructure that powers Discord’s global community, including:
Cross-Platform Chat:
Players can keep the conversation around the game going across desktop, console, and mobile, even without a Discord account. Direct messages between users can show up in both the game and Discord, allowing players to talk to their Discord friends without leaving the game.
Linked Channels:
Players who link their Discord accounts can connect their in-game chat channels to specific Discord text channels of their choosing, providing a space for guilds, groups, and squads of all sizes to connect with messaging that syncs across both the game and Discord.
Voice Chat:
Players can enjoy some of the highest quality audio chat available today, powered by the same technology behind Discord’s voice tools that have made it the gold standard for video game communications.
More information: Discord.com
