Nintendo is killing its Switch reward scheme after nearly 10 years

With zero explanation, Nintendo has announced it will stop letting Switch owners earn game discounts through its loyalty programme.

One of the many questions surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 is whether current Switch owners will be able to transfer their online accounts. It would make sense considering it’d be very consumer friendly and allow fans to retain their digital libraries.

Nintendo has not explicitly confirmed anything, but it did appear to suggest this will be the case during an investors’ meeting in 2023. However, it appears not all of the Switch’s features are being retained for its successor.

On Tuesday morning, Nintendo announced that it will stop running its Gold Point reward scheme on My Nintendo, meaning users will no longer be able to get discounts on digital purchases.

As detailed on Nintendo’s website, you’ll no longer be able to earn Gold Points, starting from March 25, 2025. That said, you’ll still be able to use any Gold Points you have left over as they won’t expire for another 12 months, after the date you obtained them.

My Nintendo is the publisher’s loyalty programme, which it introduced in 2016 and allows people to trade in special points they earn for exclusive rewards.

Gold Points are earned through game purchases, both digital and physical, and can then be redeemed to reduce the price of your next purchase.

The My Nintendo programme itself isn’t going anywhere, and Nintendo hasn’t mentioned anything about removing the Platinum Points, which are used for acquiring physical rewards, like excusive calendars, notebooks, and other merchandise.

Nintendo has given no reason for why it’s getting rid of Gold Points and has merely thanked users for taking part and apologising for any inconvenience caused.

The obvious assumption is that this is part of Nintendo’s preparations for the Switch 2’s launch and that a different rewards schemed is going to be introduced for the new console.

It could also just be part of Nintendo’s efforts to get people to transition to the newer console. For as popular as the original Switch has been (to the point where Nintendo intends to keep supporting it even after the Switch 2 launches), the company will want to move on from it eventually and focus all its energy on the Switch 2.

Or perhaps it’s Nintendo’s way of ensuring people won’t be able to save up enough Gold Points to get big discounts on its planned Switch 2 games. That may be it, as the company has recently updated its Switch Game Vouchers promotion to say they won’t work with Switch 2 exclusives.

You’re able to buy two vouchers for £84, which can be redeemed for a variety of Switch games. This includes multiple first party titles, like The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom and the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles X remaster, as well as Nintendo-published third party titles such as Bayonetta 3 and Bravely Default 2.

In other words, you get two games at a slight discount, so it seems Nintendo is eager to ensure its Switch 2 exclusives can only be bought at full price.

It’s also possible that this is because Switch 2 games will be more expensive than current Switch games, which wouldn’t be surprising given price rises elsewhere in the industry and an existing rumour to that effect.

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