Discord has rolled out its new virtual reward system, Orbs, in beta. This announcement follows a very successful beta test run that started at the end of May. The platform is designed from the ground up to stoke user outrage. It accomplishes this by encouraging players to engage with advertisements and buy items in its virtual Shop. The launch of Orbs is a pretty seismic shift for Discord, though. This new business model is intended to improve monetization and the user explosion it may bring.
The Orbs program was to be a user acquisition tool, especially for non-subscribers to the service. During the beta testing phase, around 70 percent of the testers were nonmembers, so there’s clearly a strong desire from potential new users. The experiment’s results give us hope! By comparison, they demonstrate a staggering 16x higher rate of first-time purchases completed in Discord’s Shop. Significantly, 79% of participants in the Orbs program completed their first purchase. This is the beauty of the incentive-driven model at work!
Users can then redeem their Orbs for exclusive digital items found in Discord’s Shop. These goodies feature a three-day Nitro credit, which gives users access to powerful new features on the platform. On top of that, players can earn an Orb-themed profile badge, exclusive profile effects and avatar decorations. This huge diversity of rewards is enticing to users looking to tailor their Discord experience. It pushes them to invest more and deeper into the ecosystem.
Orbs’ launch coincides nicely with Discord’s wider ambitions. This move could even be seen as part of their overall strategy to ready themselves for an eventual IPO. The company’s efforts to boost user engagement and revenue through innovative features like Orbs may play a critical role in enhancing its market appeal to investors. Even after multiple requests, Discord declined to comment with us. We were curious to learn how this new launch will affect their budgetary strategies and long-term plans.