Google has revealed they are shutting down Stadia in the near future, offering refunds for those who have purchased games and hardware.
When Google Stadia launched in 2019, it was one of the first cloud-based streaming platforms available for gamers around the world.
Running on just a single Chromecast, players were able to play their favorite games without spending hundreds on the latest game console.
On September 29, 2022, Google revealed that they are shutting down the service. Here’s everything we know about it.
Why is Google shutting down Stadia?
With the growth of Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce NOW, Google Stadia just “hasn’t gained the traction” with users as they expected.
Phil Harrison, VP of Stadia, said: “We’re grateful to the dedicated Stadia players that have been with us from the start. We 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.”
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When is Google Stadia shutting down?
Google has revealed in their blog post that Stadia will shut down completely on January 18, 2023.
They have closed the Stadia store effective immediately, meaning nobody can purchase games on the platform anymore.
How to get a refund from Google Stadia
On top of the announcement, Google has revealed that they will be offering refunds for all games, add-on content and hardware purchased through Stadia or the Google Store. Google hopes to have all refunds processed by mid-January 2023.
They confirmed in the FAQ that they will not offer refunds for Stadia Pro subscriptions, however.
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