Google To End Stadia Soon: Employees Will Remain

Back in May, we reported on the rumors about the imminent end of the game streaming service Stadia. The clues grew stronger at the end of July. Now it’s clear: In a few weeks, Google will shut down the service. After just three years, the Google Stadia experiment is over. The group will turn off its game streaming on January 18, 2023.

In a few weeks, the servers will be switched off and the offer will be irretrievably ended. Interestingly, Google had rejected the rumors about the impending end two months ago with the words “Stadia will not be closed”. Google executive and Stadia VP Phil Harrison has committed to that Reported end of Stadia and explains the next steps.

This includes that Google will refund all purchases made directly through the Google Store, i.e. for hardware as well as for games and additional content. Thank you to the dedicated Stadia players who have been with us from the beginning.

We will honor all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, as well as all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia Store made. Players will continue to have access to their game library and play their final game sessions through January 18, 2023. We expect the majority of refunds to be completed by mid-January 2023,” said Harrison.

Access to the Pro Library

All pre-orders will be canceled and not charged, pre-order payments already made will be refunded. However, refunds for the actual Stadia Pro subscriptions are not planned. Those who currently have an active Stadia Pro subscription will be exempted from further payments. Access to the Pro library will remain free for previous payment customers during the switch-off phase.

Employees Will Stay

Google now has more information in one summarized new help center for the Stadia Aus. For the Stadia team, it is now said that they will be transferred to other departments, there should be no layoffs.