Discord hires former Activision boss to take over as CEO

Jason Citron, one of Discord’s co-founders, is relinquishing his role as CEO, with Humam Sakhnini, a former vice chairman at Activision Blizzard, now assuming leadership of the company.

From its debut in 2015, Discord has expanded significantly to rank as a highly favored messaging platform, appealing not just to gamers but also to individuals outside of gaming circles.

As a globe-trotting gamer, I can’t get enough of this platform that lets me connect with fellow gamers across the globe. It offers real-time video and voice chats, live game streaming, and a plethora of activities to keep us entertained no matter where we are in the world.

For nearly a decade, Jason Citron served as the CEO, but on April 23rd, it was announced that he would be relinquishing this position within the company.

Discord’s new CEO is a former Activision boss

According to a blog post on Discord, it’s been announced that Citron will transition into an advisory CEO role on April 28, 2025, and they’ve already found someone to take over the position.

Human Sakhnini, who was once vice chairman at Activision Blizzard, will begin his new role on that specific date. Before this role, he was the president of King after it was bought by ActiBlizz.

This adjustment is being made since Discord seems set to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO), implying that the company’s shares will then be available for trading on the stock exchange.

The news about the change in CEO was swiftly spread on social media platforms, where enthusiasts rushed to comment sections to express their opinions.

As a gamer, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! Next week, Discord welcomes Humam Sakhnini as its new CEO. Previously, he held a significant position at Activision Blizzard, serving as Vice Chairman. I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table for our gaming community!

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) April 23, 2025

A lot of people have raised worries that the new CEO may introduce more in-app purchases, particularly microtransactions, given that some of Activision’s top-tier games such as Call of Duty and Overwatch already incorporate this model.

Fantastic news! Soon, you’ll be able to engage in microtransactions. For just $5, you’ll receive 5 chat tokens that will enable you to communicate with your friends on your personal Discord server!

Another said: “Watch how monetized Discord becomes.”

Despite staying cautious, some people are wondering how an individual from a significant gaming corporation might manage Discord.

Wow, that’s impressive! I wonder what kind of leadership a person with background in Activision and King will provide for Discord,” said one user.

This alteration represents Discord’s ongoing efforts to advance and enrich its widely-used application. More specifically, the organization has been trialing a facial recognition tool aimed at confirming the ages of its user base.

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2025-04-23 23:18