Activision Veteran Sakhnini Appointed as New Discord CEO, Replacing Citron

The gaming world recently witnessed a significant change at Discord. Jason Citron, the CEO and co-founder, has decided to step down from his leadership role. In his place, Humam Sakhnini, who previously held the position of chief strategy officer at Call of Duty for Activision Blizzard, will take over. This leadership transition is part of a broader plan as Discord gears up to eventually become a publicly traded company—a development that’s been anticipated for some time.

Citron isn’t leaving Discord entirely, though. He’ll continue to contribute as a board member and offer guidance as an advisor to the new CEO. Reflecting on his journey, Citron expressed in a press release, “Building Discord over the last decade has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

He elaborated, “From the start, our goal has been to create a space where people can come together over their love for games. This has been my life’s work, and I feel confident that handing over leadership to Humam is the right move for Discord’s future. Humam’s extensive experience in the gaming industry and his success in building businesses while encouraging meaningful connections through play make him the ideal person to lead Discord into its next chapter. This change, I believe, will help us grow even faster and open up new opportunities for both Discord and the broader gaming community.”

Adding to this, Sakhnini shared his own excitement about joining Discord at such a crucial juncture. “Discord is a critical player in the gaming community, serving millions of gamers, developers, and publishers every day,” he noted. “What Jason and co-founder/CTO Stan Vishnevskiy have created is nothing short of extraordinary—a platform perfectly in tune with the needs of its massive user base, where countless individuals gather to share their love for gaming and other interests.”

He continued, “I’m thrilled to collaborate with Stan and the incredibly talented team at Discord to expand our business while staying true to our mission and nurturing the unique bond we share with gaming communities. We’re just scratching the surface of gaming’s influence on entertainment and culture, and I believe Discord is perfectly positioned to be at the heart of that transformation.”