In a surprise announcement yesterday, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) revealed it is winding down the current incarnation of its PlayStation Stars loyalty and rewards program, first launched in September 2022. According to a post on the official PlayStation Blog, no new members will be able to join as of May 21, 2025, and although existing members can continue to earn digital collectibles and points until July 23, 2025, all activity will cease by November 2, 2026.

When PlayStation Stars debuted in late 2022, it aimed to deepen engagement across the PS5 and PS4 user base through a “points for play” model. Gamers could accrue points by completing in-console activities—ranging from unlocking specific trophies to making digital store purchases—and redeem them for a slate of rewards, including exclusive themes, avatars, and even digital gift cards. A standout feature was the program’s “Digital Collectibles”: stylized figurines of iconic PlayStation characters and hardware, which Sony emphasized were not blockchain-based NFTs, but rather proprietary digital representations designed for display within the PlayStation ecosystem.

Behind the scenes, Grace Chen, PlayStation’s VP of network advertising, loyalty, and licensed merchandise, was quick to quash any NFT rumors. In an interview with The Washington Post, Chen stressed that the initiative “is not leveraging any blockchain technologies and definitely not NFTs,” positioning the collectibles as a community-building novelty rather than a foray into crypto assets.

In the blog post announcing the shutdown, Chen outlined Sony’s rationale. “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 wrote. “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.”

This phrasing hints at under-performance relative to internal benchmarks on engagement or retention, though Sony stopped short of specifying which metrics fell short of expectations. Industry observers have noted that while digital collectibles and gamified loyalty schemes can attract initial interest, sustaining long-term participation often requires regular content refreshes and high-value rewards—areas where some members felt Stars lagged.

For those already in the program, the timeline is straightforward:

• May 21, 2025: PlayStation Stars stops accepting new members. Any cancellation from this point is irrevocable; former members cannot rejoin and will forfeit all earned points.
• July 23, 2025 (11:59 pm JST / 7:59 am PDT / 3:59 pm BST): Final date to participate in any Stars campaigns, earn points, and level up status.
• November 2, 2026: Full termination of the program. Until then, members may continue to redeem unexpired points for available rewards.

Sony also reassures that all previously earned digital collectibles will remain accessible within users’ accounts, even post-sunset, preserving at least that element of the experience.