Discord founder steps down as CEO, will be replaced by former Activision Blizzard vice chairman
Jason Citron will make way for Humam Sakhnini next week
The founder of Discord has announced that he will be stepping down as CEO next week.
In a message sent to Discord employees this week, Jason Citron – who founded and launched Discord ten years ago – announced that as of April 28, Humam Sakhnini would be replacing him as CEO.
Citron will continue to be a member of Discord’s board of directors, and will also take on a new role as advisor to the CEO.
However, Sakhnini – who was previously Chief Strategy Officer at Activision Blizzard working on such series as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty – will be the person to lead Discord to what Citron calls its “next chapter of growth and someday becoming a public company”.
Sakhnini was also CFO and later president of King, before becoming vice chairman of Activision Blizzard until December 2023.
“As we enter our next phase, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best contribute to Discord’s long-term success,” Citron told staff in his message.
“The job of a CEO is constantly evolving, and over the years I have continuously ‘hired myself out of a job’. Usually that means delegating work and then taking on different leadership challenges. However, as I look at what is needed of Discord’s CEO over the next few years, I realize that it’s time for me to literally ‘hire myself out of a job’.”
Concluding, Citron thanked staff for their “dedication, belief, and hard work over the years”. “The stories we tell, the products we create, the programs we run – all of it – is the result of all of your passion and energy,” he added. “You are what makes Discord what it is today because you give a shit about our customers and your craft. I believe this evolution sets us up for even greater success in the years to come.”
Today I’m excited to share that Humam Sakhnini will be joining @discord as our new CEO.
Building Discord has been one of the most meaningful and rewarding experiences of my life. What started as a simple idea—to help friends talk while playing games—has grown into something far…
— Jason Citron (@jasoncitron) April 23, 2025
In a separate statement, Sakhnini said his role was to help Discord grow towards becoming a public company while still ensuring it doesn’t lose its core values. “I’m incredibly excited to join Discord at such a pivotal moment,” he said.
“Discord stands as a massive, foundational part of the gaming ecosystem that millions of players, developers, and publishers rely on every day. What Jason and Discord co-founder and CTO Stan Vishnevskiy have built is truly remarkable – a platform with an undeniable product-market fit where hundreds of millions of people connect around their passion for gaming and shared interests.
“I look forward to working with Stan and Discord’s talented team to scale our business while staying true to the company’s core mission and the special connection it has with player communities. We’re still at the beginning of gaming’s impact on entertainment and culture, and Discord is perfectly positioned to play a central role in that future.”
