Discord puts proof behind its ad pitch with first measurement push
By Alexander Lee • October 2, 2025 •
Discord has shared the results of its first-ever ad measurement test — and brands and marketers find the numbers encouraging.
In June, AppsFlyer ran its first performance measurement test of Quests — Discord’s in-platform, reward-based ad experiences — collaborating with the studio Second Dinner to promote its mobile trading card game “Marvel Snap” via two Mobile Video Quests. These prompted Discord users to either watch promotional videos or perform in-game tasks in exchange for virtual prizes that included both in-game items like cards and cosmetic decorations for users’ Discord avatars.
The two Quests garnered over 15 million impressions, with 99 percent of users who started a Quest completing the task and gaining a reward, according to numbers shared by AppsFlyer. Notably, this resulted in a 30 percent reduction in cost per install for Second Dinner.
“It’s not just 15 million impressions; it’s 15 million eyeballs that are all there because of their passion for gaming, and their community surrounding the game,” said AppsFlyer global director of gaming product Adam Smart. “It’s 15 million eyeballs of a specific type, which, if you’re advertising your game on that platform, is hugely advantageous.”
Second Dinner svp of marketing Aland Failde said that the company was pleased with the results of its measurement test and planned to continue investing marketing dollars on Discord Quests, although he did not share a specific figure. He said that the high completion rates indicated that users were “genuinely engaged, not just chasing rewards,” despite the potential for some users to spoof the Quests by stepping away while videos played or otherwise not engaging with the content.
“We saw Discord as the perfect place to experiment because it’s where so many of our players (and future players!) already spend their time,” Failde said. “Video Quests turned ads into experiences players wanted, and the completion rates show that when marketing feels like play, everybody wins.”
Discord partnered directly with AppsFlyer to do the measurement test, and the company plans to continue to offer third-party measurement moving forward, both with AppsFlyer and other partners.
“We’re continuing to expand our measurement ecosystem in 2025,” said Discord vp of sales and ads solutions Adam Bauer. “Advertisers can expect new partnerships that deepen attribution, brand lift, and optimization tools, giving them even more confidence to scale campaigns on Discord.”
The measurement test comes a year and six months after Discord rolled out Quests, and is the latest signal that it is going all-in on measurement in 2025 as it moves from experimental campaigns to something advertisers can trust at scale. Typically, advertisers don’t like platforms grading their own homework when it comes to measurement, which is why bringing in third-party measurement partners is seen as a necessary step in any platform’s growth journey.
In May, the company announced a measurement partnership with Kantar, following in July with the quiet announcement, via blog post, of a mobile measurement partnership with AppsFlyer. Today, October 2, Discord announced an additional measurement partnership with Gamesight.
“As we continue to scale our advertising business, we’re focused on delivering advertisers with the same level of sophistication and transparency they expect from more established ad platforms while staying true to what makes advertising on Discord unique. Working with trusted partners like AppsFlyer enables us to introduce industry-standard measurement tools that go beyond basic reporting,” Bauer said. “Advertisers who use AppsFlyer can now track conversion impact and campaign efficiency leveraged for all Video Quests on mobile campaigns.”
As advertisers warm up to Quests, Discord is continuing to roll out new formats to entice more brands, including advertisers from categories beyond gaming and entertainment. Today, October 2, the company announced the introduction of Arena Quests — which allow brands to reward users for playing games within a curated selection of themed titles — as well as the expansion of Video Quests onto mobile devices.
“We’re continuing to expand our measurement ecosystem in 2025,” Bauer said. “Advertisers can expect new partnerships that deepen attribution, brand lift, and optimization tools, giving them even more confidence to scale campaigns on Discord.”
As Discord widens the options available to brands interested in advertising via Quests, marketers such as Brent Koning, the global head of gaming at Dentsu, say they are excited by the opportunity.
“What is crystal clear is that gamers are not only incredibly loyal, but they want engaging content and they want it where they interact with other gamers,” Koning said. “The opportunity for brands is the highly engaged community of gamers and players who remain the tip of the spear for fandom and authentic consumer experiences.”
