Discord — Policy Change
Executive Summary
Discord shut down its Nitro Games catalog and game store, removing the game library bundled with Nitro subscriptions since October 2018. This reduced the scope of game-related data Discord collected through its storefront, including purchase history, play-time tracking, and library activity data tied to user accounts.
What Happened
Discord announced in September 2019 that it would shut down the Nitro Games catalog on October 15, 2019, removing access to the library of over 100 games that had been bundled with Nitro subscriptions since October 2018. The company stated that after reviewing data, they found the vast majority of Nitro subscribers were not playing the included games, leading them to discontinue the program rather than renew game contracts. Games purchased directly through Discord would remain available, but the free game library included with subscriptions would be removed entirely.
Who Is Affected
All Discord Nitro subscribers who had access to the games catalog were affected by losing access to over 100 games on October 15, 2019. The subscription service itself continued with adjusted pricing tiers and features, with the $10 plan receiving increased upload limits and the $5 Nitro Classic plan remaining available without games. Recent subscribers who wished to cancel due to the change were offered the option to request refunds through Discord's support system.
Why It Matters
This event represented a significant reduction in the types of data Discord collected from users, including purchase history from the game store, play-time tracking, and library activity data that had been tied to user accounts. The shutdown of the storefront and game catalog meant Discord would no longer gather gameplay metrics and gaming behavior data that had been collected through the Nitro Games program for nearly a year.
What You Should Do
If you were a Discord Nitro subscriber affected by this change and wished to cancel, you could have requested a refund through Discord's support system. Any games you purchased directly through Discord remained accessible in your account. If you only subscribed for the games and not the other Nitro features, you could have downgraded or canceled your subscription to avoid future charges.
AI-Assisted
Event summaries are generated by Claude AI from verified sources and reviewed by humans before publication.