When is Google Stadia shutting down and why?

In shocking news, Google Stadia's life ends as Google announces plans to shut down its game streaming service, finally confirming the rumors. As Stadia has been on the market and a part of the gaming industry for a brief time, you may wonder when and why Google Stadia will go down.

When will Google Stadia shut down?

Google Stadia will officially be shut down on January 18, 2023, marking its lifespan at only three years old. Once Google Stadia has shut down, Google will refund all Stadia purchases, including hardware, software, and DLC. Players will have access to their titles until Stadia's shutdown date. This is certainly a new precedent in the gaming industry, as Google has put numerous resources into its gaming platform.

Related: Google Stadia Games List – Launch Day Game Titles

Why is Google Stadia shutting down?

Google Stadia is shutting down because it did not gain momentum as hoped, and Google Stadia's vice president and GM, Phil Harrison, stated, "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." The blog post further details Stadia's fate and what is next for Google.

Employees under the Google Stadia team will be dispersed to other parts of the company, and their work will be used in other departments. Stadia's technology will also be shared with other companies in the gaming industry, meaning it will live on in another form.

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