Discord says mobile Social Layer could help games retain more players

Discord's decision to bring Social Layer functionality to mobile could have consequences well beyond the communication platform itself. The company says data from more than fifteen participating PC games showed a 31 percent retention improvement and increases of up to 57 percent in the number of days players launched games. Social Layer is intended to bring friend discovery, social presence and community interactions closer to the game rather than requiring users to leave for a separate Discord experience.

Mobile is arguably an even more interesting environment for the technology because app-store discovery has become increasingly difficult and user-acquisition advertising remains expensive. A friend already playing a game is therefore a powerful distribution channel. Developers nevertheless need to avoid turning Social Layer into another layer of buttons and notifications competing for scarce touchscreen space. Discord says the mobile version has been redesigned for smaller displays.

If integration remains unobtrusive, the system could give smaller mobile games access to social infrastructure that previously required significant custom development.