Discord has a new in-app currency that you can earn by completing quests. Those quests, which often will require you to watch ads or stream specific games, will earn you "Orbs." Discord Orbs can then be exchanged for cosmetic items, Nitro, and other content.
I confess that when I first saw a headline about Discord Orbs, I assumed the rewards would be strictly cosmetic. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that you can exchange Discord Orbs for Discord Nitro.
Discord Nitro is a paid subscription for Discord that unlocks capabilities within the app. Subscribers gain access to custom emojis and super reactions.
Nitro Basic ($2.99 per month) includes 50MB uploads. The full Nitro plan ($9.99 per month) offers 500MB uploads, HD video streaming, two server boosts, custom profiles, and other perks.
I don't think you'll be able to avoid paying for Nitro altogether by watching ads and completing other quests, but it's nice that Discord's new reward system can be redeemed for something people pay real-world money for.
At minimum, it seems like you could use Discord Orbs to pay for a short period of Nitro and see if the subscription is worth real-world cash.
Our colleagues at PC Gamer spoke with Discord Senior Vice President of Product Petter Sellis about Discord Orbs. Specifically, Sellis mentioned the fact that you can get Nitro by exchanging Orbs:
"Nitro is the most well-understood, valuable thing on Discord, so we felt like if we were offering virtual rewards and they weren't redeemable for Nitro, we were not giving users what they actually want."
That seems like a fair assessment. I think the first thing many people will ask when hearing about the currency is, “Can I use Discord Orbs to get Nitro?”
Sellis noted to PC Gamer that Discord has "a lot of control over the Orbs economy right now," so the company can adjust exchange rates and reward options dynamically. The VP discussed a balance of making quests worth it without threatening Discord's Nitro-focused business model.
As much as Orbs provide a way for everyday users to earn rewards, they're also a method of engagement for advertisers.
Rather than relying on their own reward system that needs to be managed, advertisers can have campaigns that center around Discord Orbs.
Discord Orbs are rolling out to a small group of users now.
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