Sony is making big changes to its PlayStation Stars rewards program and I highly doubt these changes will be welcomed by the video game community.

The PlayStation Stars rewards program launched in 2022 and was exciting news at the time. After signing up for PS Stars and downloading the free PlayStation mobile app, players could earn rewards points to spend on digital collectibles, select video games (including AAA and indie games), and credits to spend however they wanted.

Check out the PlayStation Stars trailer below!

To earn points, all you had to do was buy any game or DLC from PlayStation Store or sign up for a PS Plus subscription. However, with the PS mobile app, you can earn additional points and collectibles by completing campaigns, often tied to new PS Plus offers, or by earning certain in-game trophies.

All in all, it was a win-win situation for PlayStation players as they got freebies just for playing video games. Unfortunately, PS Stars will soon be toned down as it will be harder to earn points and players will have to spend the points they have earned before Sony deletes them.

This morning, like millions of other PlayStation Stars members, I received an email from Sony outlining upcoming changes to the rewards program. There are two key changes that players need to be aware of.

First, starting October 24, 2024, any points earned on or after that date will expire within 12 months. Previously, we were able to keep our points for 24 months, giving us more time to save up for something we really wanted to buy through the PS Store. Now, that period has been cut in half to just 12 months. After that, any unspent points will be deleted.

Second, you will no longer be able to earn points by purchasing or renewing a PlayStation Plus subscription starting March 1, 2025. For example, last year I picked up a couple of 12-month PS Plus subscriptions during the Days of Play sale and got a decent amount of rewards points in the process.

These changes will no doubt upset many fans who have previously been annoyed by the fact that PlayStation Stars rewards have become increasingly scarce over time. Compared to the first year, I had earned enough points to buy a £20 gift card, but now it feels like it’s taking me a lot longer to earn the same amount of points.

Hopefully many of us will manage to collect enough points to claim a free £20 or £5 credit before Sony implements its latest changes to PlayStation Stars. If not, it might be worth spending what points you have on digital collectibles before the deadline rather than losing them for nothing.

“We look forward to your continued PlayStation Stars membership,” concludes the email from Sony. “Thank you for being a PlayStation Stars member.”