Google has started refunding your Stadia purchases
In September, Googlemade it officialthat it was shuttering itsgame streaming service Stadiain early 2023, barely three years after its launch. The news wasn’t surprising at all as we all saw it coming, it was just a matter of when Google would pull the plug. While a lot has been said aboutGoogle’s tendency to kill productsoutside its core portfolio, the search giant is at least generously refunding all your hardware and game purchases on Stadia. In fact, Google has already started refunding users, so just wait for your credit card to get a hefty refund anytime now.
Starting Wednesday, November 9, eligibleStadia users have started getting their refundsautomatically processed. Google is reimbursing each transaction one by one, so you may see a portion of your total expected amount arrive before others. The company says it aims to complete the whole process by January 18, 2023, the day Stadia is shutting down for good.
As Google previously promised, all your game orders, in-game purchases (including in-game currency you bought), and add-on content will be eligible. That means your monthly Stadia Pro subscription fee won’t be refunded. However, Google will give back your money spent on all Stadia hardware — as long as you bought it from the online Google Store. Offline purchases, even from Google Store, don’t qualify for refunds.
Your repayments will arrive on the original payment method. In case you’re no longer using that card, Google will ask you to provide an alternate option or, if the refund still goes through, reach out to your bank or card issuer to get your funds. Either way, you will be informed about when your funds are arriving via email. Google encourages customers not to reach out to support proactively before January 18 as support can’t speed up the process.
The silver lining of this whole Stadia saga is that you have access to the entire Pro library of games without any charge until January 18 if you had an active subscription. Even though Google is refunding your hardware purchases, you get to keep the controller and continue using it with other compatible gaming devices. Moreover, many game developers areoffering ways to save your Stadia game progressand take it to another device.
People who have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on Stadia in these three years can use this refund money to invest in a big-fat console, like theSony PlayStation 5, and get that hot God of War Ragnarök game to go with it. Or maybe game your heart outon a top-class gaming phonewithout ever worrying about a subscription fee.
The note-taking app I should have used all along
Broader branding hints at wider paid-tier ambitions
Free screen and battery repairs inbound
Storage upgrades have never been so important
More visual changes
It’s been a while
