Just in time for their Steam Summer Sale, they have launched a new points system for us to enjoy all year round.
So now when you purchase items on Steam you will accumulate points that can be used to obtain various digital items such as avatars, stickers, and even backgrounds.
Unlike similar systems previously implemented, such as the Night Market in the recent Lunar year sale this new system is bigger, better, and more permanent.
Steam’s new points shop is live all-year-round and points will be awarded at a rate of 100 points per $1. These will be adjusted according to the exchange rate of your particular country.
The points will be awarded on all purchases including but not limited to games, DLC, soundtracks, applications, and even hardware.
Seasonal rewards will also be up for grabs such as the “Summer Golden Profile “set, but mostly it will be items that are game-specific.
Some fun effects included are animated stickers, chat effects, and even various backgrounds to customize your profile.
You will also be able to earn tipped points with “Community Awards” for reviews or user-generated content, including uploaded videos, screenshots, guides, etc. So, Steam is basically encouraging people to contribute to the Steam Community via this rewards system.
You can also purchase items with these points that were previously only available by crafting badges on the Steam market.
Steam has also added new content that you can use to customize your profile such as colour themes, some of which are free, and some of which you can purchase with points.
If you purchase an item with points however it will not be marketable or tradable as would be items you gain from crafting badges. This points system is in addition to the crafting system so this will still be available to gain items if you so wish.
Your points do not expire and the items purchased with these points are permanent except for the “Summer Golden Profile” which is specific to the event and will expire when the event expires.
During the sale, you can receive a free random sticker each day of the sale too which is a bonus.
This new points system is just another little added bonus that Steam has employed to make it a more enjoyable experience to visit the Steam Store.
As per custom, with every Sale, Steam changes the layout and view of its platform for the duration of the event. The points system can also be seen on the main page of Steam.
A full breakdown of the new points system can be found here; It will give you a detailed breakdown along with other information regarding this system.