Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has announced that it will soon shut down its PlayStation Stars loyalty program. This ends a fairly brief attempt to reward players for playing and buying games.
The program, which started in 2022, was designed to build a stronger relationship with players by offering a tiered system where they could earn points and digital collectibles. Being discontinued after less than three years is a really bad sign for it. If it had been adjusted, then that would mean it was almost done well, but a complete removal after such a short time signals an overall failure.
New memberships are no longer being accepted to PlayStation Stars, and existing members have until July 23, 2025, to earn more points, collect digital items, and increase their status level. After that date, all campaigns, reward opportunities, and status benefits will stop, effectively freezing player progress.
While members can still use their existing points before they expire, no new points will be given after July 23, 2025. According to Sony’s Stars ending FAQ, Digital collectibles that players already own will stay available even after the program fully ends on November 2, 2026.
If you weren’t aware of the program, PlayStation Stars basically gave players several ways to earn points. They could complete in-game challenges and campaigns, buy things from the PlayStation Store, or even just play games to accumulate points. These points could then be exchanged for rewards, such as discounts on games and other digital content.
One unique feature of the program was its digital collectibles. These were virtual items featuring famous PlayStation characters, game artwork, and other memorabilia, which players could display in a digital showcase. These collectibles could be earned by completing certain campaigns or bought directly.
The program also had a status level system that gave players better rewards as they moved up. To level up, players had to earn a certain number of rare trophies and buy full games from the PlayStation Store. Higher status levels came with perks like exclusive digital collectibles, birthday rewards, and priority customer support for the top tier.
SIE explained that the decision to end PlayStation Stars was based on an evaluation of player engagement and industry trends. While the company did not share specific numbers, it basically implies that not enough people were using the program as expected. I never signed up for it, nor was I ever tempted to, and I’ve been aware of it since before it released.
One major issue was that the program was poorly integrated into the PlayStation ecosystem. To access PlayStation Stars, players had to use the PlayStation app instead of having it built directly into the PS4 or PS5 consoles. I don’t like that app; it is awful to use, tends to freeze, and is a pain to navigate. This lack of direct console support only worsened because the program faced problems last year when the entire system was down for a long time.
The data collected from PlayStation Stars will likely be used to design future loyalty programs, possibly leading to a more effective and player-focused system. Hopefully, the next system will not force the use of an app on your phone, but instead, it will force the use of the console you’re being encouraged to use.
Source: Sony
