Source: Google
Here's another Google project that's met its untimely demise. The company announced it is closing the doors on its cloud gaming service, Stadia. The platform will stay live for players until January 18, 2023. But the Stadia store has already been shut down. Google plans to refund all Stadia hardware purchased through the Google Store alongside any games and add-on content bought from its store. Google expects to complete those refunds by mid-January. Stadia Pro subscriptions are not eligible for a refund. But you won't be charged during the shutdown period and can access the games you redeemed as a Pro user until everything is wound down.
Google shuts down Stadia because it "hasn't gained the traction with users" it expected. Those working on the Stadia team will move to other departments in the company. Stadia vice president and GM Phil Harrison says Google sees the opportunity to apply Stadia's technology in other parts of the company. It also intends to "make it available to our industry partners, which aligns with where we see the future of gaming headed." If you have additional questions, Google explains this further in an FAQ.