Discord launches Ads Manager and mobile Video Quests to expand advertiser reach

Discord is expanding its advertising business with two new products designed to attract smaller brands and broaden its advertiser base beyond companies with direct sales relationships.

On September 29, Discord announced the Discord Ads Manager, its first campaign measurement platform. The tool streamlines workflow for brands and marketers to forecast, set up, and measure ad performance across Discord. "It's a performance media format built for fast, repeatable interactions and vertical scroll," said Discord global vice president of advertising Adam Bauer.

The company also unveiled an updated Video Quests product, a mobile-first video ad format where players watch 15-second ads to earn rewards like orbs or virtual currency. This replaces the browser-based Video Quests launched last year, which has been renamed Video Quests Reserve. The older format remains available as a premium, reservation-based offering tied to full video completion and will only be available through direct purchase from Discord.

The Ads Manager uses auction-based delivery and pricing rather than fixed rates. Advertisers bid based on campaign objectives and can adjust bids according to delivery and performance. After launch, marketers can measure results in real time using first-party data and third-party platforms including Appsquire, Singular, and Adjust.

Both products will initially launch as beta offerings to select advertisers later this year, with plans for self-serve access in early 2027. The goal is to make Discord accessible to businesses of any size and help them convert engagement into results.

The announcement follows Discord's April 2024 introduction of Quests and last month's launch of Play Quest+, which rewards players for completing in-game actions. Discord confidentially filed IPO plans in January 2026, though no official timeline has been announced.