Love Stadia Game Streaming? That’s Too Bad Because Google’s Shutting It Down

Google is shuttering its game streaming service, Stadia, with the platform closing for good in early 2023.

Stadia may not have been the most well-received game streaming platform, but it had potential. Unfortunately, that potential wasn't realized quickly enough as Google has revealed plans to begin shutting the service down, effective immediately. With Stadia VP and General Manager, Phil Harrison, stating that "... it hasn't gained the traction with users that we expected so we’ve made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service."

Don't panic if you're a Stadia user, though. While you will have to say goodbye to your Google streaming library and game progress (unless a title supports cross-platform saves), you won't be left holding any sort of bag. Google says that it intends to provide refunds for all Stadia hardware and software purchases, and hopes to have all refunds processed by the time Stadia shuts down for good. It plans to announce more details soon, but for now, it's offering assurances that you will be getting your money back—and you probably won't have to return the hardware, either.

Stadia Pro subscribers won't be getting their money back, however, at least not for the subscription fees. That being said, Google will stop charging Pro users for their membership starting today. So your Pro perks and libraries will still be accessible, but you won't have to pay for them anymore between now and Zero Hour.

The Stadia closing process has already begun, with Google expecting a full shutdown on January 18th, 2023. You'll still be able to play your games up until the final date, though Google says you may experience some "gameplay issues" as it slowly winds everything down.