Google Stadia Refunds Are Already Being Sent To Customers

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Google has already begun processing refunds for Stadia customers after announcing back in September this year that the Stadia game service will be shutting down for good on January 18th, 2023.

Initially, the details around refunds were a little vague, with Google stating that it aimed to get the majority of refunds completed by mid-January 2023 at the latest. However, in the recently updated FAQ page, the Alphabet-owned company wrote that from November 9th, 2022, and onwards, the company would attempt to refund players for game purchases, DLCs, add-ons, and non-Stadia subscription services, such as Ubisoft+. Stadia Pro subscriptions will not be refunded.

It's a little earlier than the initially announced mid-January 2023 target, and some players will get their money back sooner than others, but the latest anybody should wait - at least according to Google's own estimation - is until the middle of January 2023. In fact, some players are already reporting that they have received their Google Stadia refunds already, so it may be worth checking your accounts to see if the refund has come through already. Bear in mind, the original payment method is where you'll find your refunded cash, and if that method is no longer available, you may have to contact Google to arrange a different method of receiving the refund.

It's also worth noting that while Google will be refunding all purchases made through the Stadia store, the company is also refunding those who bought the official physical Stadia packages directly from Google. If you picked yours up at a retail location that didn't have Google hanging over its door, you shouldn't expect a refund outside of the retailer's usual warranty and returns policy.

Stadia was long-rumored to be in trouble before the service shutdown was announced. In fact, Stadia was often called a "doomed project" before it even officially launched. The reason for Stadia joining the growing Google Graveyard is that it just didn't catch on as well as the company had hoped. It's a shame, too, because out of the few mobile game streaming solutions, Stadia was perhaps the furthest ahead in terms of performance. It hasn't been a complete waste of time, though, as the announcement noted that the technology was proven to work at scale and will be applied across the company's businesses and even licensed out to partners.