Discord is launching the Nitro Rewards program, giving subscribers access to the base level of Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost

Discord on Monday unveiled its Nitro Rewards program, which gives Nitro subscribers access to offers from other gaming and lifestyle brands at no additional cost.

Currently, Nitro offers upgrades to Discord itself, such as more profile customization options, HD streaming, and the ability to upload files up to 500MB in size. The subscription is optional, as you can easily use the platform without paying, which is an intentional design choice on Discord’s part. But this also means that user acquisition can be difficult.

“Nitro has always been about how we can meaningfully upgrade the Discord experience, but not limit it [for free users] In any way, Discord co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevsky told TechCrunch.

Available to Nitro Basic ($2.99 ​​per month) and Nitro ($9.99 per month) subscribers, Nitro Rewards aims to improve value for subscribers, and thus retention.

At launch, Nitro Rewards will offer access to the base tier of Xbox Game Pass, which lets you play more than 50 PC and Xbox games, including Fallout 4, Stardew Valley, and Day Z. The tier also includes 10 hours of cloud gaming, which lets you stream games from a PC or Xbox to other devices.

Nitro Rewards also offers discounts of 15% to 30% on select gaming devices from Logitech G, SteelSeries, and KontrolFreak. Over time, Discord plans to partner with more companies for similar offerings.

“Nitro is Discord’s largest revenue contributor, and it is growing healthily year over year,” Vishnevskiy said. “It’s about doubling that and providing you with more value again […] It’s honestly a huge thank you [subscribers] To support us. But also from a business perspective, retaining subscriptions is also better, because people have more value for it.”

Discord was initially designed as a chat platform for gamers, but today it plays a much larger role in online culture, serving as a community hub for all kinds of users — from cryptocurrency users building decentralized community projects and bar patrons organizing local craft nights to activists coordinating political protests. Discord also plays a big role in the tech community, and founders have been using the platform to convene beta testers or power users of their products and communicate with them more directly. The platform has grown to over 90 million daily active users.

But this increased exposure means Discord has to face the same complex online safety issues as larger platforms. The company is currently preparing to roll out age verification measures as it faces more lawsuits over children’s online safety.