Mixer users get Xbox Gift Card credit for Embers: Here's how much
Credit will be given to users of the Microsoft Mixer game streaming platform after it closes its doors this summer and transitions to Facebook Gaming. The amount of credit a person receives will depend entirely on how much credit they have on the Mixer platform or if they've subscribed to a Mixer streamer in the month of June, 2020. If you are a Mixer streamer, you're in a different boat entirely.
Mixer Subscription end-times are near
Mixer has a "subscription" system that has users pay approximately $5 a month to subscribe. You can "gift" a person a subscription or redeem subscription codes, too. One of the ways in which you'll be eligible to get Xbox Gift Card credit as Mixer shuts down is having an active channel subscription.
If you have an active Mixer channel subscription on June 30, 2020, you will get a "promotional Xbox Gift Card credit" of approximately $5. That's if you're the subscriber – and this amount does not stack up. You could be subscribing to 100x streamers on Mixer and you'd still get just $5, total.
If you're subscribing to a streamer on Mixer with a "Mixer Pro" subscription, you'll get a gift card of approximately $15. If you were a streamer on Mixer, you'll get your money too. "After July 22, 2020, we will pay all earned amounts according to the Mixer Content Monetization Terms & Conditions."
Time limit
There are limits to these credits – they're not like normal Xbox credits. They're not just cards you can turn around and sell on eBay. They're applied to your Microsoft account and they've got a time limit. They'll be applied to your Microsoft account by July 31, 2020, and they must be spend by September 30, 2020.
What about my Embers?
Microsoft partnered with Facebook and, in ending Mixer, is encouraging users of Mixer to just... go to Facebook Gaming. If you're a Mixer streamer now, you'll (likely) be fast-tracked in the process to becoming a streamer on Facebook Gaming. If you're a viewer you'll just... have to figure that all out for yourself, basically. Microsoft is giving you the time now to spend up all your "Embers" as soon as you can, otherwise they... turn to charcoal, sorta – here's how that works:
Microsoft suggested that "Any unspent Embers will be converted to a promotional Xbox Gift Card credit of similar value and automatically applied to the Microsoft account associated with your Mixer account." This converted Embers-to-Xbox Credit is subject to the same expiration situation as the other credit mentioned above. You'll get the credit in your Microsoft account by July 31, 2020, and you'll need to spend it before September 30, 2020, or it'll evaporate.
You cannot purchase Mixer Embers after June 30, 2020, and any unspent Sparks will be "forfeited" after July 22, 2020. It's unclear at this moment why Microsoft uses the word "forfeited" if they actually intend to convert unused Sparks into Xbox credit – we shall see!