The layoffs continue to start 2024, and while this isn’t gaming-specific, it’s adjacent enough to have a potential impact on the industry. Discord has announced that it will layoff 17% of its staff in a move to “bring more agility” to the company.
According to an internal company memo obtained by The Verge, about 170 people will be impacted by the layoffs across different departments.
“Today we are making the unfortunate and difficult decision to reduce the size of Discord’s workforce by 17%,” Discord CEO Jason Citron told employees. “This means we are saying goodbye to 170 of our talented colleagues. This is a decision we did not take lightly, but it is one that we have conviction in to better serve our users, our business and our mission over the long term.”
The memo continued by mentioning the company’s growth and expansion over the last four years, mentioning growing staff by 5x. He says that the rapid workforce expansion led to the company becoming “less efficient”.
“Today, we are increasingly clear on the need to sharpen our focus and improve the way we work together to bring more agility to our organization,” he said. “This is what largely drove the decision to reduce the size of our workforce.
“While difficult, I am confident this will put us in the best position to continue building a strong and profitable business that delivers amazing products for our users and supports our mission for years to come.”
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The layoffs mark the second time since over the last six months where Discord has reduced its staff. The last came in August when it let go 4% of its employees.
Those who are let go from the company will receive five months of salary along with an additional week for each full year with the company, five months of benefits, equity vesting scheduled to vest on February 1, and outplacement services.
Insider Gaming has reached out to Discord for comment on the layoffs, and what may change with what the company offers.
