Discord Expands Advertising With Self-Service Ads Manager and Video Quests

Discord is expanding its advertising business with a new campaign-management platform and updated video ads designed to attract more advertisers to the platform.

Discord Ads Manager will help businesses manage campaigns

This week, Discord announced Discord Ads Manager, a platform that allows businesses to manage their Discord advertising campaigns in one place. According to the company, advertisers will be able to make predictions, build “target-based bidding campaigns,” and monitor campaign performance.

Discord said the platform will expand advertising access to smaller studios and marketers that previously needed a direct sales relationship to run campaigns.

“Self-service access extends Discord advertising to smaller studios and marketers who previously needed a direct sales relationship to run their campaigns, opening the platform to advertisers regardless of their budget,” Discord said.

Ads Manager is currently available to some advertisers. However, self-service access will not become available until “early 2027,” Discord said.

Discord renames and expands Video Quest ads

Discord is also expanding Video Quest, an ad format that lets users watch videos in exchange for in-game rewards. The ads are currently available in beta on web browsers and are being tested on a limited basis in Discord’s mobile app.

The company said the format will now be called Video Quests Reserve. Discord describes it as a “premium, reservation-based product designed for high-impact moments for your brand.”

The ads give advertisers a scalable, always-on way to pursue goals such as impressions and clicks. Discord also plans to offer additional campaign goals for advertisers to track “soon.”

Discord’s growing advertising business

Discord launched in 2015 and remained ad-free until 2024, when the company began expanding its advertising efforts. The platform’s advertising business has also been linked to a confidential IPO filing reported in January. Bloomberg reported at the time, citing anonymous “people familiar with the matter.”

The expansion of advertising is viewed as a way to increase Discord’s value beyond premium subscriptions and game sales.