Final Fantasy XI Inspired Discord’s Creation According to Founder

Discord’s Creation Inspired by Final Fantasy XI, Reveals Co-Founder

Discord, a popular chat service for gaming and other communities, has been serving various purposes since its debut in 2015. However, its developers primarily focus on gaming functionality, and the app’s origins as a tool to facilitate in-game voice chat are widely known.

Co-Founder Stanislav Vishnevsky Shares the Story Behind Discord’s Creation

In an interview with Famitsu at the Tokyo Game Show 2024, Discord’s co-founder and CTO, Stanislav Vishnevsky, revealed that he was inspired to create the chat app due to his passion for playing Final Fantasy XI in college. Vishnevsky and his in-game friends tried various methods of communication available at the time, such as Skype, Mumble, bulletin boards, and telephones, but they were too complex and unwieldy to use while playing.

This led Vishnevsky to build a prototype of what would later become Discord. Proper development began after he and Jason Citron founded GREE in California. Vishnevsky’s primary goal with Discord was to create a virtual living room where friends could enjoy games together.

Discord’s Evolution and Expansion

Over the years, Discord has grown into a service where colleagues, gamers, and hobbyists converge for numerous purposes. The service has also expanded its functionality to game consoles, including Xbox and PlayStation platforms. Additionally, Discord has introduced official support for the online DM service Roll20, catering to tabletop gaming enthusiasts.

Recent updates have also boosted account and chat security, including password-free logins through biometrics and end-to-end encryption for audio and video calls.