Discord will now let you buy and gift video game skins on its platform
Discord likely wants to merge social interaction with digital commerce for gamers and developers alike.
Discord is taking another step into the world of digital commerce, making it possible for users to buy and gift in-game items without ever leaving the platform. Starting with Marvel Rivals, players can now browse, wishlist, purchase, and even gift cosmetics directly within Discord.
The setup is pretty straightforward. Marvel Rivals now has its own store page inside the game’s official Discord server. From there, users can browse offerings and make purchases without launching the game itself. You can also create wishlists for items you want, which friends can view and buy for you.
Discord cofounder and CTO Stan Vishnevskiy told The Verge that it's the gifting and wishlist aspects that are most exciting. “On any single day, 20% of purchases are gifts. And on holidays, it can spike to way over 30%,” he explained. By allowing gifting across games, Discord is tapping into a social behavior that already exists on the platform and extending it beyond Discord-specific items.
While Discord will take a share of purchases, the focus is on providing incremental revenue for developers rather than profit for itself.
This feature addresses a long-standing pain point: buying in-game items for friends who don’t play the same games. “We all have friends that play games we don’t play, and they love things we don’t always love,” Vishnevskiy said. “This gives developers a chance to reach the friends of potential players, people who could now become customers.”
Currently, the store operates in US dollars and is only available on the desktop app, though Discord says it plans to expand to consoles and mobile in the future. Starting with Marvel Rivals made sense: the game boasts one of the largest Discord communities, with over 4 million active members participating in events and ongoing activities.
This isn’t just for AAA titles, either. Discord’s social SDK allows developers of any size to integrate chat and other social features into their games. The plan is for the in-game shop to eventually support smaller and indie games, creating opportunities for a wide range of developers to connect with audiences.
In an era where gaming platforms and social networks constantly compete for users’ attention, Discord says the goal isn’t just to keep people on the platform. Instead, it’s about enhancing the social experience. Vishnevskiy explains, “Telling someone, ‘Hey, your friend loves this game, and it’s their birthday, maybe get them this item’, that’s something uniquely Discord can do.”
The takeaway
Discord is making it easier than ever to combine social interaction with digital commerce. For players, it means that gifting and discovering in-game items is simpler, more social, and more fun. For developers, it’s a new way to reach audiences and drive revenue.
And for Discord, it’s a strategic step toward becoming a hub where gaming, community, and commerce intersect, without forcing players into extra apps or complicated purchase processes. In short, this move shows how gaming platforms are evolving beyond just gameplay. The next frontier isn’t just about the games themselves; it’s about building social ecosystems where players can engage, share, and even shop, all in one place.
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