Discord launches activities with light games and a new app store

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Discord announced a number of upgrades to its platform today, including activities where users can play casual games with each other. It has also created App Directory, a new store where users can download third-party apps.

The communications platform also has set up a $5 million ecosystem fund to invest in its app development community. The apps can easily be exposed to the monthly active user base of over 150 million people. These efforts are all part of Discord’s dedication to “building an open platformsaid Anjney Midha, vice president of platform ecosystem at Discord, in a press briefing.

Discord debuted in 2015 as a way for people to communicate with each other and hang out online — before, during, and after playing video games. Along the way, the company added other use cases to the platform and added flexibility for the kinds of things people can do with Discord.

Now the company is adding more features for different audiences. It has widened to become a place to hang out with your people, a space to share experiences with your community, and more recently, an opportunity for creators and developers to build sustainable businesses.

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Millions of people are using Nitro subscriptions to take advantage of premium features on Discord. Meanwhile, a vibrant ecosystem of apps has emerged. Over 30% of active servers rely on apps for customizations, playing fun games, and keeping conversations safe.