Microsoft Shuts Down Skype After Over 20 Years of Service

Microsoft shut down Skype on May 5, 2025 – concluding over twenty years of communication services. Skype was once a staple among gamers, since it provided quality voice call services; this was in an era before specialized gaming communication platforms existed, such as Discord and TeamSpeak. 

In Microsoft’s official blog post announcing Skype’s death, they stated that their focuses will now be on Microsoft Teams – their modern communications and collaborations hub.

Microsoft explains the reasoning behind the refocus of their efforts: 

“With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.”

The tech company is essentially moving current Skype users to Microsoft Teams; users will be able to log in by connecting their Skype account to the newer platform. Skype users can export their data, which includes chats, contacts, and call history – this allows for preservation of records. This means gamers looking to preserve their older memories are free to do so. 

Skype initially released on Aug. 29, 2003. In the mid 2000s, Skype was widely used for communication and coordination among gamers, but it was displaced in the games market by apps that were created specifically for gaming. Skype’s decline in the market was also influenced by other competitors outside of gaming.