As expected, Google kills Stadia cloud gaming service

Google today announced that Stadia cloud gaming platform will be killed early next year. This news is not so surprising for many of us who have been following the gaming industry closely for quite some time now.

Google Stadia had a vision of allowing gamers to instantly play video games on compatible screens they already own. But it hasn’t gained the traction with users as Google expected. So, Google will be winding down its Stadia streaming service.

Google will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store. Yes, all the purchases made related to Stadia will be refunded. Stadia users will have access to their games library and can play through January 18, 2023. Google will complete majority of refunds by mid-January, 2023.

Google will make use of the underlying technology platform that powers Stadia across other parts of Google like YouTube, Google Play, and our Augmented Reality (AR) efforts. Google also has plans to make it available to gaming industry partners to launch their own game streaming service.

We remain deeply committed to gaming, and we will continue to invest in new tools, technologies and platforms that power the success of developers, industry partners, cloud customers and creators.

Many of the Stadia team members will move to other parts of the company.

Key FAQs:

Q: Will I get a refund?  What is available for a refund? 

A:  We will be offering refunds for all Stadia hardware purchases (Stadia Controller, Founders Edition, Premiere Edition, and Play and Watch with Google TV packages) made through the Google Store and software transactions (games and add-on purchases) through the Stadia store. Stadia Pro subscriptions are not eligible for refund, however you will be able to continue playing your games in Pro without further charges until the final wind down date.

Q: Do I have to return my hardware to get a refund? 

A:  Most hardware purchases (Stadia Controller, Founders Edition, Premiere Edition, and Play and Watch with Google TV packages) made directly from Google will not need to be returned. More details on how to obtain a refund for your Stadia hardware purchases will be posted here in the coming weeks.

Q: Are you refunding my Stadia Pro subscription? 

A: We will not be refunding Stadia Pro subscriptions. Players who held an active Stadia Pro subscription as of September 29, 2022 will not be charged for access to their Pro library or other subscription entitlements during the shut-down period.

Q:  Why can I no longer purchase games?  Can I purchase in-game transactions?

A:  We have now closed the Stadia Store and disabled all commerce on the Stadia platform, including in-game transactions.