Sony is closing PlayStation Stars, its digital rewards program, after less than three years. The program stopped taking new members on May 21, 2025, marking the beginning of a gradual shutdown that will stretch into late 2026.
Current members can still earn points and digital collectibles until July 23, 2025. After that, no new rewards or campaigns will be available. Members have until November 2, 2026, to use any remaining points before they disappear forever.
Grace Chen, Sony’s Vice President of Network Advertising, Loyalty and Licensed Merchandise, shared the news on the PlayStation Blog. “We’ve learned a lot from seeing what activities our players enjoy most,” Chen said. “We’re always adapting to what players want and what’s happening in gaming.”
The shutdown comes after some recent changes that made the program less rewarding. Last October, Sony cut the time players had to use their points from 24 months to 12 months. They also stopped giving points when people bought PlayStation Plus memberships.
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Technical problems didn’t help either. The service experienced a month-long outage in 2024, leaving members unable to earn or use their rewards. Many players found this frustrating, especially since they couldn’t access the program through their PlayStation console directly – they had to use a separate app on their phone.
The digital collectibles – special 3D models that players earned through the program – won’t disappear. Sony confirmed members can still view their earned collectibles even after the program ends. These items let players show off their gaming achievements, though they don’t have any practical use in games.
Players had mixed feelings about PlayStation Stars from the start. While some enjoyed earning points for playing games and completing special tasks, others felt the rewards weren’t worth the effort. The program offered store credit and digital collectibles as rewards for participation.
Sony hasn’t announced a replacement program yet, but hints at exploring “new ways to evolve our loyalty program efforts.” What exactly this means remains unclear. For now, current members should check their point balance and plan to use any remaining rewards before they expire.
The closure raises questions about how gaming companies reward loyal players. While Sony steps back from this approach, other companies like Nintendo continue with their own reward systems like Gold Points, which give store credit for digital purchases.
This change impacts PlayStation Stars members who actively used the program to earn extra benefits. The shutdown also shows how quickly digital reward programs can change or disappear, even from major gaming companies.
For PlayStation fans, the message is clear: use those Stars points soon, or lose them forever. The gaming world moves fast, and yesterday’s rewards program might not fit tomorrow’s gaming landscape.