The news: Discord is currently beta testing a new digital currency, called “Discord Orbs,” that rewards users for interacting with ads, per a Discord blog post.

• Discord users can earn Orbs by completing promotional Quests, a recently-introduced ad format that incentivizes players to watch trailers or complete in-game actions in exchange for rewards.
• Discord Orbs can be redeemed for digital items, like credits for Discord’s subscription service Nitro, profile cosmetics, and first party Shop items.
• Before Orbs, brands using Quests had to offer their own rewards. The change aims to make campaigns simpler on Discord, eliminating advertiser concerns over whether awards will connect with audiences.
• Orbs are being rolled out globally to a “small number” of Discord users, with plans for a wider rollout.

Discord also announced a partnership with Kantar to enable advertisers to better understand the impact of their Quests campaigns—making it easier for brands to measure metrics like recall, awareness, and intent to see how Discord is driving meaningful change.

Will it pay off? Discord’s newest ad push has a good chance of connecting with audiences who are more tolerant of ads when they receive rewards but who may not have connected with brand-specific rewards being offered in the traditional Quests format.