Discord Introduces Orbs Virtual Currency and Kantar Partnership for Quests.

Discord is expanding its Quests advertising program with two major additions: a virtual currency system called Orbs and a measurement partnership with research firm Kantar.

The updates aim to make the platform's Quest campaigns more appealing to both users and advertisers. Orbs give players a new incentive to complete branded challenges, while Kantar's Brand Lift tools will help brands measure the broader impact of their Discord campaigns beyond standard performance metrics.

Discord Orbs are a virtual currency that users can earn by completing Quests, the platform's system of in-app challenges typically sponsored by game publishers and brands. Players can spend Orbs in Discord's Shop on items including Nitro credits, profile cosmetics, and other digital goods, according to the company's announcement.

The currency is rolling out gradually, starting with a small group of users before expanding to a wider audience. Discord emphasizes that no payment method is required; users earn Orbs purely through Quest completion.

For users, Orbs offer a path to try Discord Nitro, the platform's premium subscription service, without upfront commitment. Discord frames this as particularly valuable for players who want to sample premium features before deciding whether to subscribe.

For advertisers, the introduction of a universal reward currency simplifies campaign planning. Rather than negotiating one-off rewards for each Quest, brands can now rely on a standardized incentive that Discord says players already value.

Alongside Orbs, Discord announced its first measurement partnership with Kantar, a market research and consulting firm. The collaboration will enable advertisers to run Brand Lift studies that quantify the impact of Discord Quests on metrics including brand awareness, ad recall, and favorability.

Brand Lift studies measure how advertising changes consumer perception and memory of a brand, going beyond clicks and conversions to assess whether campaigns shift attitudes. Discord has previously focused Quest measurement on performance metrics like downloads, signups, and in-game actions. The Kantar partnership adds a layer of brand-focused analytics that many large advertisers require when evaluating media buys.

Discord says the measurement tools will help prove that Quests not only drive direct action but also influence how players perceive brands over time. The company positions this as especially relevant for advertisers running awareness campaigns or seeking to demonstrate long-term brand impact to stakeholders.

The updates continue Discord's evolution of Quests since the program launched. The platform has steadily added features to make Quest campaigns more accessible to developers and more engaging for users, including opening its Social SDK to all developers for easier Quest integration.

Orbs represent Discord's first platform-wide virtual currency, creating a persistent reward system across all Quest campaigns. This differs from previous Quest rewards, which were typically one-off items like game skins, in-game currency, or limited-time profile decorations tied to specific campaigns.

Discord says it will continue evolving Quests to balance advertiser effectiveness with player experience. The company frames both announcements as part of an ongoing effort to make Quest campaigns deliver measurable results for brands while keeping the user experience reward-focused rather than intrusive.