Sony has made the significant decision to end its PlayStation Stars loyalty program, which was launched less than three years ago. As of today, new memberships are no longer being accepted, and current members who choose to cancel their membership will find themselves unable to rejoin. Moreover, upon cancellation, any accumulated reward points will be permanently deleted.
For existing members, the opportunity to earn points will continue until July 23, 2025. After that date, members can still redeem their remaining points until November 3, 2026. In a reassuring move for collectors, Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Stars' Digital Collectibles, including the beloved 3D digital model of a Jim Ryan bobblehead, will remain accessible for the foreseeable future, even after the program's closure.
Grace Chen, PlayStation's vice president of network advertising, loyalty, and licensed merchandise, explained the decision in a statement on the PlayStation blog. "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," she said. "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."
While no direct replacement for the scheme was announced, the reasons behind Sony's decision to discontinue PlayStation Stars remain undisclosed.
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PlayStation Stars debuted in July 2022 as a loyalty program designed to reward PS5 owners. Members could earn points with real cash value by spending money in the PlayStation Store or by completing various tasks such as surveys, trying out new games, or exploring system features. The program served as a competitor to Microsoft's Xbox Rewards, though over time, both initiatives saw adjustments that made them less lucrative for participants.
Last summer, PlayStation Stars faced a month-long service interruption. Later, in October, Sony introduced several changes to the program, including reducing the points' validity period from 24 months to 12 months and eliminating PlayStation Plus membership as a points-eligible purchase. Now, the entire program is being phased out, marking the end of an era for PlayStation's loyalty initiatives.
