Discord’s virtual reward, ‘Orbs,’ launches out of beta

Discord has officially rolled out its new virtual reward system, named Orbs, following a successful beta test that began in late May. This innovative feature aims to encourage users to engage more with interactive advertisements on the platform. Users can earn Orbs by completing various Quests, which typically involve interacting with advertisements for products and games. These earned Orbs can then be redeemed for a variety of digital items in Discord's Shop, including three-day Nitro credits, Orb-themed profile badges, and avatar decorations. During the seven-week beta period, Orbs garnered significant interest, with millions earned and spent by participants. Notably, there was a remarkable 16-fold increase in first-time purchases in the Shop, with 79% of users reporting they had never made a purchase prior to this initiative. While Discord is exploring options for an IPO and aims to demonstrate a scalable advertising model, the company is also positioning Orbs as an accessible method for advertisers to launch Quest campaigns without the need to develop their own rewards system. Additionally, the introduction of Orbs appears to be a strategic move to entice users who do not currently subscribe to Nitro, as they can use their Orbs to obtain credits. Interestingly, 70% of the users participating in the Orbs program were non-subscribers, indicating a potential for increased user engagement. However, the company has not confirmed whether this has translated into a rise in Nitro subscriptions.