In a surprise move, Nintendo announced that they will discontinue the My Nintendo Gold Points reward system on March 27th, 2025. This news has come as a shock to many as it was quite a popular rewards system and Nintendo has offered no reason as to why the program is set to be axed.
For those who are unaware of the program, Nintendo Gold Points was a rewards system introduced by Nintendo to incentivize digital purchases on the Nintendo Switch, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS platforms. These points are earned when users buy digital games, DLC, or subscriptions via the Nintendo eShop. The system works by awarding 5% of the purchase price as Gold Points, which can be redeemed for future eShop purchases. For example, if a user spends $10 on a game, they would earn 50 Gold Points, which can be used as a discount on a future purchase.
The introduction of Gold Points was seen as a welcome move by many fans, as it provided a way for customers to earn back a portion of their spending in the form of credits. Unlike other digital rewards programs, such as those offered by PlayStation or Xbox, Nintendo’s Gold Points system allowed users to redeem points across a wide range of purchases, from games to in-game content and even subscription services like Nintendo Switch Online. This flexibility made it appealing to users who regularly shop on the eShop.
There is some good news, however, as users will be able to redeem gold points if the game was released before the cut-off date (within 12 months) and points will be able to be redeemed for up to 12 months after earning them.
If I had to speculate, I would say this will pave the way for a new rewards program for the Switch 2, but right now that’s anyone’s guess.
I have reached out to Nintendo for a comment, and will update the article should I hear anything back.
