Discord is reportedly releasing advertisements on its platform starting this week, afterwards paid promotions will be a regularized experience for users.
The said ads will appear on the bottom left of the user's screens with Discord planning to add a fun element to it.
Discord to Boost Revenue Through Ads
After dismissing the idea of putting ads on its platform, Discord is finally trying to bump its revenue by integrating them on the platform. According to people familiar with the situation, the company is hiring over a dozen of people for ad-sales positions.
Discord's decision to step away from its ad-free promise could potentially impact the user's trust which could lead to them looking for alternative platforms, said former Snap and Instagram executive, Meghana Dhar.
On the other hand, Discord said that users can still disable some of the personalized ads on their settings. However, some ads would still be visible elsewhere on the platform.
Currently, Discord remains free but users can purchase a Nitro subscription to get extra perks. For the longest time, this has been the main source of revenue of the platform, charging users from $2.99 to $9.99 per month.
Discord Introduces a Rewards System to Increase Platform Usage
Aside from ads, Discord announced its plan to launch Quest which is also part of the company's effort to boost profit within the year. Quest will allow gamers to stream their game to friends and win rewards.
"Those users can choose to enroll in the Quest and accept their mission. And then some of those users start the Quest which is typically streaming the game to their friends," Discord SVP Peter Sellis shared.
Discord has also invested in improving its in-app marketplace for users. The Discord Shop is mainly used for selling and purchasing avatar frames and profile effects. The platform has been collaborating with game developers to share profit with them.
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