Google Stadia Is Being Shut Down

Google Stadia is being shut down on January 18, 2023, leaving just a few short months for owners to reap the benefits of the cloud-based platform.

It may come as a surprise for some, but the fact is, Google Stadia hasn't performed all that well since coming to the market back in 2019. Although the cloud-based service did boast a generous selection of first-class titles and an affordable model, the platform just never really gained the traction that Google wanted. And now, to round off a pretty poor few years, Google will be removing it from the shelf in January.

“A few years ago, we also launched a consumer gaming service, Stadia,” Stadia vice president and GM Phil Harrison said in a blog post. “And while Stadia’s approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a strong technology foundation, 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.”

As a result of this, Stadia's team will be distributed to Google's parent company, Alphabet. As for those who have forked out money for the Stadia, Google will be issuing mass refunds mid-January.

What Rang the Death Knell for Stadia?

Many will argue that the end of the Stadia has been in the cards for quite some time now. Only now, it appears the rumors of it coming to an end have rung true. The Stadia is set to fizzle out, and we're sort of flushed with ambivalence about that.

You can expect to see the Stadia depart from the storefront on January 18, 2022. At the time of writing, in-game microtransactions can no longer be purchased. And with the Stadia Store being shut down, also, games will no longer be available to download, either. For more updates on the platform's closing months, check out the FAQ here.

So, what's your take? Are you sad to see the Stadia go? Will you be getting a refund at all? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.