Discord opens up a Shop for users who want to decorate and animate their Avatars and Profiles

Discord is one of the most popular voice, video, and text communication platforms today, especially among gamers. Thanks to the new Discord Store, the latest feature to arrive is all about customizing your profile and avatar/icon. Available through the desktop client and the web app, users can now make their profile more unique and animated with Avatar Decorations and Profile Effects.

Discord is popular with PC and console gamers, so one way to describe the addition is to say it's like a cosmetic microtransaction storefront for your profile. Granted, this is not inherently bad as most features on Discord are free to use - and there's a definite market for sprucing up your Discord Avatar with festive lights in time for the holiday season.

And for those who currently shell out for the premium Discord Nitro service, there's special member pricing and an exclusive set of cosmetic items "only available for Nitro members to use with an active membership."

For those worried about Discord expanding its monetization reach, the good news is that accessing the new 'Shop' isn't something the app advertises or pushes - it simply appears as another of the small icons under Friends and Nitro.

Depending on your stance on digital cosmetic items and custom emotes and effects, Avatar Decorations priced at $5 a pop is either reasonable or too much. Once purchased, items from the Shop are yours to keep and use - including the current limited-time Winter Wonderland items.

Discord notes that one more collection is coming before the year ends and that the ability to gift items from the Shop is coming soon.