Google Stadia is getting additional 100 titles in 2021; 'Shantae' titles launch next week, 'FIFA 21' follows in March

Google assured current and potential Stadia users that it has big plans for the cloud gaming service this year. The company confirmed that more than 100 games would be added to its library in the coming months.

Nine games arriving in Google Stadia 'soon'

Google reiterated its plans to expand the catalog of available games on Stadia this year, starting with nine titles launching "soon." First up on the list are two entries from WayForward's action-adventure platformer "Shantae" series Stadia – "Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition" and "Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut" – that will both go live on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Another very recognizable title on the list is EA Sports' "FIFA 21," which will be added to the Stadia catalog on March 17. It will be released with all the base game features, including Volta Football Squads, FIFA Ultimate Team Co-Op, Career Mode, UEFA Champions League, and CONMEBOL Libertadores.

Also launching in March on Google's cloud gaming service is another platformer, "Kaze and the Wild Masks." The action-adventure single-player game "Judgment," which was made by "Yakuza" series developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, will launch on Google Stadia on April 23. Other games Google said will be released in the cloud gaming platform "soon" are "Killer Queen Black," "Street Power Football," and "Hellpoint."

The list includes just a few of the games planned to launch on Stadia this year, but Google said in a recent blog post, "These games represent just a sampling of the more than 100 games that will be added to the Stadia store for our players in 2021."

"Far Cry 6," an all-new AAA game, is also confirmed to have a Stadia version, but Ubisoft has yet to announce a specific release date for the first-person shooter title. Bandai Namco Entertainment's horror puzzle-platformer game "Little Nightmares 2" has just launched on Stadia last Feb. 11.

Google Stadia: Why the announcement of the upcoming 100 games is important

Google once planned to release first-party games to attract more users to the Stadia platform. However, it appeared that the company shifted its focus after announcing earlier this month that it had shut down its in-house development team SG&E. The group was supposed to deliver an exclusive Stadia title.

However, Google assured fans that it is still "committed" to its cloud gaming service. And the announcement that more than 100 games will be added to the Stadia catalog throughout 2021 appears to be a reiteration of the commitment.