The company with decades of existence, Nintendo, has announced that its loyalty program, My Nintendo, and with it, the beloved and profitable Golden Coins, will say goodbye to its users very soon. The news shook the most fanatical Nintendo Switch fans as well as those players who are more inclined to video games and digital content from the eShop, because they will no longer be able to continue accumulating these coins and enjoy the benefits that come with them. However, not all is lost because through official communications Nintendo announced that it will establish alternatives, solutions and new strategies regarding the soon to be obsolete “Gold Points” program.
Iconic program comes to an end, but exciting alternatives await Nintendo users
The Nintendo eShop together with the PlayStation digital store can become the largest in the market today, mainly because of its console exclusives. Titles like Mario Bros. and all its universe, The Legend Of Zelda, Pikmin, Kirby, Metroid or Pokémon have been its historical references that have positioned it to be one of the best selling consoles generation after generation, being even the Switch of 2017 a worthy competitor of the next generation consoles like: Xbox Series X|S and the PS5 launched in 2020 at this point of 2025.
One of the unique reward systems, just like PlayStation Stars and Microsoft Rewards within the Nintendo ecosystem, are the “Gold Points” popularly known as Gold Coins, in reference to the Mario Bros. franchise. The system is simple and effective: for every purchase in the eShop, whether it was a full game, a DLC or even a Nintendo Switch console, users received a certain amount of Gold Coins. The amount was variable depending obviously on the video game purchased. These points could be redeemed for discounts on future purchases, exclusive content or even full games.
The reward system is a way to economize and save for being a loyal player and buyer of titles, whether exclusive or non-exclusive to the ecosystem. While Nintendo executives have not given an official reason, everything points to the fact that this change is closely related to the launch of the successor to the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2. It is very likely that the company is preparing a new loyalty program for its next console, one that is more modern, one that is more attractive, one that offers even more exciting rewards and one that is more beneficial to its users’ wallets.
It’s hard to know exactly what the future holds, but rumors and expectations are high. Some expect a system similar to Microsoft Rewards, where points can be redeemed for subscriptions to services like Nintendo Switch Online or gift cards for the eShop. Others believe Nintendo could innovate with exclusive rewards for program members, such as early access to demos, unique downloadable content or even special discounts in the official store. Following Microsoft’s rewards trend doesn’t sound far-fetched, it could attract more subscribers to its service, remembering that in the Xbox ecosystem there are daily challenges such as completing tasks or playing a game.
While it is sad to say goodbye to Gold Coins, all indications are that the future of rewards has big plans with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2. The eShop’s successor rewards system is likely to be revolutionary, as are most of its exclusives and consoles. If you have accumulated coins, you’ll be able to redeem them for rewards until March 24, 2025. So you have plenty of time to take advantage of your “Gold Points” to get the rewards or video games you want.
© Nintendo.