Discord Introduces New In-App Currency: Discord Orbs

Discord is currently beta testing a new in-app currency known as Discord Orbs. This initiative was announced by Peter Sellis, the Senior Vice President of Product at Discord, in an email to The Verge. Users can earn Orbs by participating in the app’s promotional Quests, which is designed to reward users for engaging with advertiser content, such as watching videos or streaming specific games to friends.

How Discord Orbs Work

Users will have the ability to spend their Orbs on a variety of items available in the Discord Shop. Additionally, they can exchange these digital tokens for exclusive Orb items, including special badges and three-day passes to experience Discord’s subscription service, Discord Nitro. Currently, Discord is rolling out Orbs globally to a limited number of users as part of the beta test, with plans for a broader rollout in the future. Users selected for the beta test will receive a notification similar to the one shown below.

Previous Reward Systems

Prior to the introduction of Discord Orbs, publishers and brands that offered Quests were responsible for providing their own rewards. These rewards typically included items such as avatar decorations or in-game bonuses. According to Discord spokesperson Bradley Sheets, brands can continue to offer their own rewards if they choose; however, awarding Orbs presents an alternative option for incentivizing user engagement.

Conclusion

The introduction of Discord Orbs marks a significant development in how users can interact with the platform and engage with content. As the beta testing phase progresses, it will be interesting to see how users respond to this new currency and what impact it may have on user engagement and monetization strategies within the Discord ecosystem.