Seems the curtain is drawing on PlayStation Stars.
Sony just announced that their loyalty program, which offered digital collectibles and points for gaming, is shutting down for good. If you've been a member, or were thinking of joining, here's what you need to know.
No new members will be welcomed into the PlayStation Stars ranks as of today. And for those of us who are already members of the program, things are also winding down. You won't be seeing any new campaigns pop up, and those shiny rewards won't be accumulating anymore. Earning points, in particular, will also be history after July 23, 2025. A warning: if you decide to opt out of the program moving forward, you will not be permitted back in, and all of the points that you have accumulated will be erased.
Why the Change of Heart, Sony?
Sony Interactive VP Grace Chen had a few words to say on the PlayStation Blog. According to her, PlayStation Stars was devised three years ago as a means of thanking players and establishing a more significant connection with the community. It was envisioned as a means of rewarding gaming with digital collectibles that are a nod to PlayStation's history.
Yet as companies do, Sony has been observing how players interact with these sorts of programs and seeing what's happening in the rest of the gaming world. Based on what they've learned, they've decided to "refocus their efforts." While the current version of Stars is no more, Sony says they're taking what they learned and looking at new ways of building on it in the future. So, perhaps something new is on the horizon?
A Look Back at PlayStation Stars
Remember when PlayStation Stars first launched back in 2022? There was a bit of a buzz, with some folks speculating it might have initially been conceived as an NFT platform before PlayStation shifted gears due to the (let's be honest) pretty widespread unpopularity of NFTs at the time.
What many players actually enjoyed, though, was the ability to rack up points to receive PlayStation Store credit – those $5 and $25 vouchers were certainly a nice incentive! It spawned a period where gamers were attempting quite inventively to garner as many points as they could, and Sony, for their part, reacted by altering the way points were awarded.
Don't Let Your Points Go to Waste!
If you still have a stash of PlayStation Stars points, don't worry, you have a bit of time. You can redeem them for rewards through November 2, 2026. So go ahead and check your balance and see if there is anything that you would like to grab before then!
It's always a bit of a letdown to watch a program draw to an end, especially one that tried to give a little something back to the players. We'll just have to wait and see what Sony has in store next to keep its base amused.
