Nintendo Fans Face Disappointment on March 25

March 25 is shaping up to be disappointing for Nintendo fans, as the gaming giant plans to pull the plug on Gold Points for its My Nintendo loyalty program. For quite some time, these Gold Points have been a beloved perk, allowing players to earn digital credits from their game purchases, which they could then redeem in the eShop.

Traditionally, you’d earn back 5% on digital and 1% on physical game spends in the form of Gold Points. Despite these seemingly modest percentages, the points accumulated over time, effectively giving gamers the chance to snag some games for free. Unsurprisingly, this feature has gained a loyal following among Nintendo enthusiasts, which makes the decision to phase it out all the more disheartening.

Last month, Nintendo made the announcement about discontinuing these Gold Points, with the date now fast approaching. Mark your calendars: the end is set for March 25 at 12:30am ET. From this moment on, players will no longer accumulate Gold Points with their purchases. However, any points you’ve got saved up remain valid for use within a year. So, it’s worth planning your purchases accordingly if you want to make the most of them.

There’s a noticeable silence from Nintendo on why it’s closing the curtain on Gold Points. This move, intriguingly, comes just days ahead of a major milestone for the company—the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct presentation. Scheduled for April 2 at 9:00am ET, this event promises to unveil key details about their next-gen console, including pricing and launch titles. Perhaps Nintendo feels the loyalty program didn’t quite boost sales as intended, or maybe they’re inclined to believe players will opt to purchase games directly without the allure of Gold Points.

In any case, for My Nintendo members, the discontinuation of Gold Points is undoubtedly a letdown, painting March 25 as a rather gloomy date on the calendar. Yet, looking on the bright side, the excitement surrounding the Switch 2 announcements should provide some solace. This presentation is poised to give fans an in-depth look at what’s next for Nintendo and what games they’ll be able to dive into with their upcoming console.