Google kills Stadia, will refund game purchases

silversurfer

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Aug 17, 2014
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The moment everyone saw coming is finally happening. Google officially confirmed that it's killing Stadia, the company's troubled game-streaming service. Phil Harrison announced today in a blog post that Stadia "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." Stadia will be laid to rest on January 18, 2023.

The good news is that the true Armageddon situation for Stadia customers is not happening. Google is issuing refunds, which will save dedicated Stadia players from potentially losing hundreds of dollars in unplayable games. The post says: "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." That notably excludes payments to the "Stadia Pro" subscription service, and you won't get hardware refunds from non-Google Store purchases, but that's a pretty good deal. Existing Pro users will be able to play, free of charge, from now until the shutdown date. The controllers are still useful as wired USB controllers, and a campaign is already starting to get Google to unlock the Bluetooth connection.
 

rain2reign

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Stadia Announcement FAQ
On September 29, 2022, Google announced that the Stadia servers will be turned off on January 18, 2023. The following article includes answers to common questions and will be updated as new information becomes available. Please check back for updates before contacting support.

Q: How long will I be able to play my games on Stadia?
A: We will be leaving the Stadia platform and game servers online until January 18, 2023, so you can continue to play games in your library.

Q: Will all games work as expected during this time?
A: We anticipate that there will be some gameplay issues during this period, especially any games requiring commerce, but the majority of games should continue to work normally.

Q: What about my game progress? Can I take my game progress to another platform?
A: While that may be possible for some games that support cross-progression play on other platforms, unfortunately, for the majority of games, that won’t be possible.

Q: Will I get a refund? What is available for a refund?
A: We will be offering refunds for all Stadia hardware purchases (Stadia Controller, Founders Edition, Premiere Edition, and Play and Watch with Google TV packages) made through the Google Store and software transactions (games and add-on purchases) through the Stadia store. Stadia Pro subscriptions are not eligible for refund, however you will be able to continue playing your games in Pro without further charges until the final wind down date.

Q: Do I have to return my hardware to get a refund?
A: Most hardware purchases (Stadia Controller, Founders Edition, Premiere Edition, and Play and Watch with Google TV packages) made directly from Google will not need to be returned. More details on how to obtain a refund for your Stadia hardware purchases will be posted here in the coming weeks.

Q: How/When will I get my refund?
A: We are working through this process now and will keep this article updated as we define the process for each of the countries and different situations. Our intent is to have the majority of refunds processed back to the original payment by January 18, 2023.

Q: Are you refunding my Stadia Pro subscription?
A: We will not be refunding Stadia Pro subscriptions. Players who held an active Stadia Pro subscription as of September 29, 2022 will not be charged for access to their Pro library or other subscription entitlements during the shut-down period.

Q: Why can I no longer purchase games? Can I purchase in-game transactions?
A: We have now closed the Stadia Store and disabled all commerce on the Stadia platform, including in-game transactions.

Q: I no longer have the form of payment I used to make the purchase, how will I get a refund?
A: Keep an eye out for an email from us, we’ll provide you with instructions on how to choose a new form of payment.

Q: I paid with a gift card and have since thrown it away, how do I get my refund?
A: Keep an eye out for an email from us, we’ll provide you with instructions on how to choose a new form of payment.

Q: I ordered something via pre-order - will I get charged?
A: All future pre-orders will be canceled and you will not be charged. If you were already charged, you will be refunded your payment.

Q: Can I return hardware to physical locations (Google Store, Best Buy, etc.)?
A: No. Physical locations (Google Store, Best Buy, etc.) will not be able to process any returns or refunds.
Full refunds for everything, except subscriptions.
 

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