Discord Reportedly Rolling Out Ads Soon

Advertisements will reportedly be hitting the popular communications service Discord within the week. Discord is available on a wide range of devices, from Xbox to the Steam Deck, but it will soon change with the arrival of advertisements.

Discord is the go-to online messaging system for many, featuring a wide range of robust chat and video conferencing features, as well as community-focused items like built-in multiplayer games. Discord was first launched back in 2015 and has always been intended as an easy and efficient way for people to communicate, especially for video game fans. Since its original launch, Discord has implemented many quality-of-life features and entered partnerships with Sony and other corporations.

According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the new program is expected to launch within the week. After this initial rollout, paid promotions will become a regular part of the Discord experience, appearing on the bottom left of the user’s screens. However, Discord is attempting to make advertisements a fun part of the experience, allowing users to earn rewards while completing an in-game task from the advertiser. This new system will be called Sponsored Quests. Discord claims that its users will be able to turn off advertisements in the settings menu.

How Will Advertisements Affect Discord?

Discord is free but relies on its Nitro subscription service for revenue. Nitro offers users extra perks like the ability to upload large files, which cost between $2.99 and $9.99 per month. The addition of advertisements is something seen across the technology sector, with former Instagram executive Meghana Dhar saying he worries Discord’s new ad service might turn away users. Advertisements in the video game world are extremely controversial, with developers boycotting Unity over possibly adding paid partnerships in 2023. Meghana says that Discord is in a tricky spot, historically priding itself on being ad-free. “This step-change could impact user trust and potentially have them looking for alternative platforms,” she said.

Due to Discord’s consistent updates and improvement, the service has become one of the world’s leading pieces of communication software. According to sources from the Wall Street Journal, Discord’s revenue has reached a whopping $600 million, quadrupling what it made throughout 2020. This impressive figure has not shielded Discord from layoffs, something many companies in the tech industry are facing. Layoffs will hit Discord sometime in 2024, affecting roughly 17% of its staff. Discord CEO Jason Citron stated these cuts were being made to “sharpen our focus and improve the way we work together to bring more agility to our organization.”