Nintendo is discontinuing its Switch eShop Gold Points scheme ahead of the launch of the Switch 2.
From the end of next month, March 25, 2025, players will no longer earn Gold Points — Nintendo’s points-based loyalty scheme that can be exchanged for discounts — on their purchases.
Nintendo did not expand on why it was removing the scheme, but said in a statement that players will continue to earn points on products purchased before March 24 — including physical Game Cards — and could be used up to 12 months from the date they were earned. Any game released after the deadline will not be eligible. (You can check original release date of a game on Nintendo eShop).
As spotted by Eurogamer, Nintendo has also confirmed Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers will not be redeemable against Switch 2 exclusive games in the future, either.
These changes come ahead of the launch of the Switch 2 itself, currently speculated for some point between June and September, and the Switch 2-focused Direct in April. Nintendo has already confirmed that Nintendo Switch Online accounts will carry forward to the next-gen console.
Earlier this month, we reported there was something goofy going on over on the PlayStation Store and the Nintendo eShop. Over the last few months, the two storefronts have been slowly filling up with what some users are referring to as “eslop,” with more and more games tricking users into buying cheap, low-quality games that aren’t what they claim to be.
Buying games from the Japanese eShop as a foreigner without a Japanese bank account recently got a lot harder. Nintendo announced it would no longer accept “credit cards issued overseas” and “PayPal accounts opened overseas” from January 25, 2025 in a bid to curb “fraudulent use.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
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