Nintendo Discontinues Gold Points Program, Leaving Gamers Adapting to New Rewards Landscape

Changes in the way Nintendo handles its rewards program means fans will need to adapt to new practices. The Nintendo Switch eShop provided excellent opportunities for gamers to explore a wide variety of games, often offering significant discounts that made it easy to utilize Nintendo Gold Points effectively. These points were accumulated through a 5% return on digital purchases or by registering physical game cartridges on your Nintendo account, with all rewards kept in a digital wallet. However, Nintendo has now decided to discontinue this program.

As of March 25, any new digital purchases will no longer accrue Gold Points. Existing Gold Points can be retained for up to one year from when they were earned. Users can still earn points by registering physical game cards through the HOME menu, provided the game was released by March 24, 2025. Beyond that date, new titles will not offer any points.

This change comes as disappointing news for many gamers, especially those hoping to leverage their points for upcoming Nintendo Switch titles or who feel that they are losing a valued benefit without any alternative from the company.

Do you still have Gold Points waiting to be used in the eShop?