Discord’s Virtual Rewards System ‘Orbis’ Officially Launches After Beta Phase

Following its announcement in late May about testing a new virtual rewards system, Discord is now rolling it out to the public. The system, called Orbis, is designed to incentivize users to engage more actively with interactive advertisements.

Users can earn Orbis by completing Quests, which involve interacting with ads for products or games in exchange for virtual goods. These Orbis points can then be redeemed in the Discord Shop for digital items such as a 3-day Nitro credit, Orbis-themed profile badges, profile effects, avatar decorations, and more.

According to Discord, the system proved highly popular during its seven-week beta period—millions of Orbis were earned and spent. Internal data also indicates that the launch of Orbis led to a 16-fold increase in first-time shop purchases, with 79% of users having never bought anything on the platform before.

There is growing speculation that Discord may be preparing for an IPO, and Orbis could be part of its strategy to show investors it can support a scalable advertising model. Discord is marketing Orbis to advertisers as a simple way to run Quest campaigns without requiring them to build complex rewards themselves.

The broader goal of Orbis appears to be attracting users who don’t currently pay for Nitro subscriptions. These users can now access limited Nitro features by earning and redeeming Orbis, potentially nudging them toward becoming paying subscribers. However, it’s unclear if this has resulted in an actual uptick in subscriptions—Discord declined to comment but noted that 70% of Orbis participants were non-subscribers.