With the WHO officially declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, schools, business, and employers are opting for alternate work environments such as working remotely.
Primarily a game-centric voice and text chat app, Discord’s Go Live allows users to communicate, stream, and share screens directly to selected persons. Normally, the number of viewers is limited to 10 but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Discord has increased the limit to 50 people. The company announced on Twitter that the increased limit will be available for the next couple of months, presumably until the COVID-19 scare lessens.
An update from us regarding COVID-19: pic.twitter.com/gKUXvvsqrs
— Discord (@discordapp) March 11, 2020
The move to increase the limit is to provide support for remote workers and students who still need to keep in touch with their peers. The Go Live feature can be used to stream lectures, meetings, or even just provide an avenue for communication among groups. Go Live is accessible through the Discord desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Mobile users will not be able to start a stream but they will be available to join and watch streams.
“We wanted to find a way to help,” says Discord founder and CEO, Jason Citron, in a blog post, “We’re thrilled that so many of you are using it (Discord) in so many different ways.”
Discord is also asking for patience as performance issues may arise due to the anticipated surge in users and demand. They are also saying that the increased 50-person limit will remain for “as long it’s critically needed” and that they hope this service will “make people’s lives just a little easier and a little less stressful.”
