When Sony launched the PlayStation 5 in November 2020, it came equipped with many new features like the DualSense, Activity Cards and much more. However, one new feature, Accolades, hasn’t done very well. As result, Sony is looking to discontinue support for the same in Fall 2022, according to an important notice on the PlayStation UK site.
The reason is straightforward: “The feature hasn’t seen the level of usage we anticipated, so we are refocusing our efforts. We encourage the community to continue to send positive messages to one another.” When introduced, Accolades allowed one to bestow positive praise on other players after online matches.
Accolades ranged from Helpful and Welcoming to Good Sport, with one Accolade available to dole out per match. A player could only receive them once every 12 hours and friends can’t receive them. If that weren’t enough, Accolades were only available via random matchmaking and didn’t provide much incentive for commending other players.
Whether a new system could take its place, especially as Sony ventures more into live service games, remains to be seen. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.