Discord is embracing esports by partnering with a whole host of teams in the industry. Launching on February 22nd, Discord Verified Servers will be launched, where teams and players can interact with their fans.

Discord will class Team Liquid, DreamHack, and most of the teams in the Overwatch League as its first partners as it kicks off this new program. Discord is a messaging and voice communication platform specifically for gamers with more than 90 million users, and this is its first foray into esports. There’s no word on whether Discord will be adding teams to this program in the future, but it seems like it’s a natural progression should this venture prove to be beneficial.

A representative for Team Liquid said the following about the organisation’s choice of communication platform: “When it came to making a decision on what voice communication software Team Liquid would use to communicate and create community with our fans, there was no question that Discord was the obvious choice. There’s simply nothing that rivals the quality of the product.”

Discord joined forces with Meltdown Bars, an esports bar chain, around one year ago to power all of its communications across its many locations.

Esports Insider says: Considering Discord is the primary platform for gamers – both casual and professional – it’s a smart move by the company to fully welcome esports organisations. Having an easy way to ask your favourite player a question is a great concept for many fans.