Being invested in any ecosystem is always a long-term choice; after all, if you are getting devices and software, you are in it for the long haul. Sometimes, there are rewards for showing such loyalty; for many on the PlayStation consoles, the PlayStation Stars programme is precisely that. Earned stars could be exchanged for digital collectibles and more tangible monetary vouchers, but sadly, the loyalty programme is set to burn out.
In a blog post and notice sent out to members, the vice president of Network Advertising, Loyalty, and Licensed Merchandise, Grace Chen, broke the bad news.
“At Sony Interactive, we’re always experimenting with new and exciting ways to bring our community of players together to share the joys of gaming and create lasting memories. That’s why three years ago, we created PlayStation Stars, a loyalty program to celebrate our players. The unique program includes playing games to earn rewards – including our unique Digital Collectibles that pay homage to incredible games and our PlayStation legacy. The program has helped foster a deeper connection with fans around the world,” she said.
“Since launching the program, we’ve learned a lot from evaluating the types of activities our players respond best to, and as a company, we are always evolving with player and industry trends. Through this evaluation, we have decided to refocus our efforts and will be winding down the current version of PlayStation Stars. We will continue to evaluate our key findings from this program, and are looking into ways to build upon these learnings.”
What that will mean for you and me is the following changes:
- The PlayStation Stars programme will no longer be taking in new members.
- If you decide to cancel your membership from today onwards, you will no longer be able to rejoin. All earned points will be lost as well.
- Current members can still earn Digital Collectibles, points and level up their status until July 23, 2025 at 7:59 AM PDT | 3:59 PM BST | 11:59 PM JST. There will be no more campaigns, rewards, or status benefits to be earned after the end date.
- The current iteration of the PlayStation Stars programme will end on November 2, 2026. Current members can continue to redeem points as long as their points don’t expire before then.
A scant consolation is that you will still able to marvel at your digital collectibles even after the programme ceases to exist. So, better look at those points you still have and exchange them for whatever rewards you want, and hopefully, something better will come along in the near future.
