Google has decided to shut down its Stadia online gaming platform

Any Stadia-related product (console, game, or downloadable content) can get a refund from Google. Team members from Stadia will be "carrying this work forward" in other Google divisions.

Cloud gaming service Stadia, created and operated by Google, will be discontinued. As of the 18th of January, 2023, the service will be available to players. All Stadia hardware bought from the Google Store, as well as all games and DLC bought from the Stadia store, will be refunded by Google. On average, Google processes refunds in the middle of the month.

Stadia VP/GM Phil Harrison wrote on the company's blog, "A few years ago, we also launched a consumer gaming service, Stadia." And while Stadia's approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a solid technological foundation, it hasn't caught on with users like we hoped it would, so we've made the tough decision to start winding down our Stadia streaming service.

According to Harrison, Google plans to "make it available to our industry partners," which "aligns with where we see the future of gaming headed," and that includes YouTube, Google Play, and the company's augmented reality efforts.

Google published a frequently asked questions document that went into greater detail about the impending shutdown. You don't need to send any hardware back; refunds will be processed automatically through the Google and Stadia stores. In the event that you have a Stadia Pro subscription, you will not be able to get a refund during the shutdown period; however, you will not be charged during this time and will have access to any games you may have redeemed during your Pro membership. The Stadia store is no longer available, so there is no way to purchase any games or in-game currency.

When Logitech announced its new cloud gaming handheld last week, Stadia was one of the few cloud gaming services not mentioned. This was just the latest in a long line of omens for Stadia. However, rumors about Stadia's demise have circulated virtually since the platform's inception. A cloud gaming service from a company with few ties to the gaming industry, Stadia seemed like a prime candidate for an early death given Google's history of killing projects only a few years after they launch.

As the number of games released for the platform decreased and the company closed its in-house game development studios, speculation grew last year that it would be closing its doors permanently. Google denied the shutdown rumors this year when they resurfaced. A tweet from the company assured users that "more great games" would be coming to the platform and Stadia Pro. So which was it... up until the present moment.