Reddit sunsets Collectible Avatar Creator Program and shifts royalties to artists

Key Takeaways

Reddit is closing its Collectible Avatar Creator Program and phasing out its in-app Vault.
Creators will receive all secondary sale fees, and users must export wallets by January 1, 2026.

Reddit is sunsetting its Collectible Avatar Creator Program, a platform that lets independent artists design and sell limited-edition avatars based on Reddit’s mascot, Snoo, according to an announcement on r/CollectibleAvatars.

The team has stopped onboarding new creators and plans to close the Avatar Shop on November 11. Remaining creator submissions will be processed until the end of September.

Built on the Polygon blockchain, Reddit’s “digital collectibles” function as NFTs, giving owners proof of ownership, customization options, and resale rights.

Collectible avatars could be used as Reddit profile pictures with a signature blue hex ring, customized with accessories, and traded on marketplaces like OpenSea via Reddit’s Vault wallet.

The social media platform will continue to support the existing Collectible Avatars for user self-expression, but plans to remove the Collection Display on profiles and on-platform NFT transfers.

Reddit is also retiring its in-app Vault feature. Users will have until January 1, 2026, to export their blockchain wallets by copying their 12-word recovery phrase from the Vault settings.

On the revenue model, Reddit will update contracts within three weeks to direct all secondary sale fees to creators, eliminating the platform’s share of royalties. Currently, artists earn 80% of primary sales and 50% of resale royalties, while Reddit has rights to the Snoo template.

“The Creator Program wasn’t just a feature, it was a full-blown movement that rocked Reddit, on the blockchain no less. You all built communities. You created art. Your art became memes,” Reddit stated.

The platform will maintain off-platform transfers and sales through a simplified import process, allowing users to claim avatars on Reddit by using the “visit Reddit to make it your avatar” link on product pages. The r/CollectibleAvatars subreddit will remain accessible as an archive, though Reddit administrators will no longer post new content.

Reddit is one of the biggest mainstream platforms to integrate NFTs in a user-friendly way, onboarding millions of people who have never touched blockchain before.

The closure announcement came after Bianca Wyler, former Head of Reddit Collectible Avatars, resigned from her role earlier this year amid falling sales volumes.