Discord SDK Launch: Enhance Game Social Experiences

Discord Launches Social SDK for Enhanced Game Experiences

On Monday, Discord unveiled its Discord Social SDK, a complimentary toolkit designed to empower developers. This toolkit facilitates the integration of Discord’s established social infrastructure into games, enriching both social and multiplayer functionalities.

The SDK enables developers to elevate in-game experiences, regardless of whether players currently possess a Discord account.

Key Social Integrations

A core feature is a unified friends list. This allows gamers to access their Discord connections within games and, conversely, their in-game friends directly on Discord. Maintaining connectivity, both inside and outside of gameplay, is now simpler.

Furthermore, the SDK provides deep-linked game invites. Players can now directly invite their friends to join their party or lobby with ease.

Communication Features

Cross-platform messaging is included, ensuring players can continue conversations across desktop, console, and mobile devices. Seamless communication is a priority.

The toolkit also allows for linking in-game chats to dedicated Discord channels within servers. Integrated voice chat functionality is also available.

“For game creators, from independent developers to large AAA studios, Discord serves as a central hub for connecting with a vast and highly engaged player community,” stated Stan Vishnevskiy, Discord’s co-founder and CTO, in a press release. “Game discovery and player retention are more vital than ever, and we are eager to assist developers in expanding their games’ reach to where gamers already congregate.”

Early Adoption and Compatibility

Discord reports that numerous developers are already utilizing the toolkit. These include Theorycraft Games, Facepunch Studios, 1047 Games, Scopely, Mainframe Industries, Elodie Games, Tencent Games, and others.

Currently, the Discord Social SDK is compatible with C++, Unreal Engine, and Unity. It supports Windows 11+ and macOS.

Support for console and mobile platforms is planned for future release.

Discord’s Extensive User Base

Discord currently boasts over 200 million monthly active users. These users collectively spend more than 1.5 billion hours each month playing games on PC alone.

This substantial user base provides a significant opportunity for game developers to connect with potential players.