Stadia supporters could read the signs after a turbulent run. After ending its internal game development, Google officially announced that the Stadia gaming platform will move to a lovely farm in upstate New York, where it will join other Google initiatives. Its servers will be permanently shut down on January 18, 2023.
The big question is what happens to Stadia gamers and the money they have invested in the Stadia platform. On that front, we have some good news: Google is generously refunding Stadia users, so there’s a strong possibility you can get your money back. Here’s how it functions and what you need to do in the upcoming months to repay your Stadia investment.
Who is reimbursed?
Most of these are available for a full refund if you buy Stadia hardware from the Google Store and games through the Stadia store. The Stadia Control, Stadia Founders Edition, Stadia Premier Edition, Stadia Play, and Stadia Watch are all included in this. Refunds are also available for any software purchases, including games and add-ons. You can also receive a refund for a preordered game on Stadia if your payment has already been processed.
The Stadia Pro subscription, which cannot be refunded, is a notable exception to the refund policy. The membership will remain without additional fees until the servers are shut down if it was active when Google announced Stadia’s shutdown (September 29, 2022), so you’ll essentially receive a few months for free.
How do I submit a refund request?
Google is still working out refund procedures, but it will be an online refund. You cannot return Stadia to a Google Store or comparable establishment and request a refund.
Users of Stadia should currently take two crucial actions. First, go to the Google Store and list all the previous Stadia-related transactions you made that are eligible for a refund (most will). Look up how you made the payment for anything associated with Stadia that isn’t appearing in your previous transactions and make a note of it. You won’t be able to view software purchases because the Stadia Store is now closed. Still, you should be able to view any transactions you made on the Stadia platform and any receipts associated with the account you used to make those purchases. This will give you a very accurate indication of your anticipated refund amount.
Second, keep up with Google’s blog, where they announced the Stadia’s closure. It’s one of the quickest methods to board the refund train when it becomes accessible because updates announcing the refund procedure will also post here.
Google has not established a precise deadline but does plan to handle the majority of reimbursements before the shutdown of the Stadia servers. Till after January 2023, don’t try to get in touch with Google support directly to request a refund; they won’t be able to do much about it.
What if I didn’t use the Google Store to make a purchase?
You’ll have to wait to hear from Google if you used a gift card because they promised to give you a message outlining the refund procedure. Otherwise, Google isn’t yet promising reimbursements for anything bought anywhere else (like Best Buy, which sells Stadia products). It will take time to streamline operations because we are still early in the refund process, which caught many by surprise, including game developers. Third-party sellers may have their return policies.
Do I get to keep my hardware?
You generally won’t need to return any Stadia hardware purchased from the Google Store. Thankfully, not all Stadia goods will end up as teardowns or museum exhibits. For instance, the Stadia Controller will continue functioning on other devices through Bluetooth, but don’t anticipate any software updates.
Will the progress I make in a game transfer to another platform?
Most likely not. According to Google, it’s doubtful that any advancements gained in games using Stadia can transfer to another platform. Unfortunately, you’ll have to start over if you play the same game on a different platform. It’s more likely that your progress will be saved elsewhere if you played a game that already enabled cross-platform play or cross-progression, but only a small number of Stadia titles are in that situation.
Can I continue to play my Stadia games into January?
Yes, technically. But there might be issues. Don’t intend to purchase anything in-game on Stadia as Google has already warned that games with in-game purchases may encounter issues. It’s currently unknown what further problems can arise, especially if developers stop supporting Stadia. However, because Stadia streams games, most games should continue functioning until the servers shut down.
