Discord is chasing mobile advertisers with Video Quests, a rewarded video product that pays users in Orbs, its in-app currency, after roughly 15 seconds of view time. The company announced the format, part of a broader new Ads Manager suite, in a press release on Oct. 1, 2026.

Ads Manager is designed to make buying on the gaming-focused chat platform simpler. It lets advertisers create campaigns, adjust budgets and monitor performance using first- and third-party metrics. The tool is currently available to select advertisers, with self-serve access planned for 2027. It runs on an auction-based system, which Discord says lets brands participate regardless of budget size.

The launch signals a sharpened mobile push. Discord is most commonly associated with PC use, but the company has been steadily building out its mobile capabilities. Ads Manager forms part of an ongoing effort to engage advertisers and monetize an audience Discord puts at 90 million daily active users.

Video Quests builds on Quests, the rewarded ad format Discord introduced in 2025 to increase ad-viewing time. Internal Discord data shows Quests have achieved a 97% median ad completion rate. Under the restructured lineup, the original product becomes Video Quests Reserve, a reservation-based offering that rewards users only after full video completion. The new mobile-first Video Quests pay out Orbs at approximately the 15-second mark.

The new tools extend Discord's work on ad formats and measurement capabilities. Nabib El-Rahman, vice president of product, business at Discord, framed the two products as a package deal for performance marketers.

"Discord Ads Manager puts more control directly in advertisers' hands, while Video Quests give performance marketers a format that turns attention into action through an experience that feels native to Discord. Together, they make it easier for advertisers to reach highly engaged players and build campaigns that run at scale," El-Rahman said in press materials.

The bet arrives as advertisers warm to gaming despite a long-standing spending gap. Two-thirds of Americans play video games, but ad spending has not caught up to the size of the channel, according to prior Marketing Dive reporting. Advertiser interest has grown, driven largely by the highly engaging nature of video games.

Discord occupies a distinctive position in that ecosystem. It is not a game itself, but it plays a key role in the social layer of gaming, letting users communicate while they play.

Brands have already tested the platform's reach. In 2025, Walmart launched Skyward, its own Minecraft Java server, ahead of the release of "A Minecraft Movie," with exclusive merchandise available for purchase through Skyward's Discord server.

With self-serve access to Ads Manager slated for 2027, Discord is positioning itself to convert gaming's under-monetized audience into a scalable performance channel — provided its 97% completion rates hold as inventory opens to brands of every size.