Google Stadia refund processing begins, but it may take a while for many to get their money back

Google has started the process of automatic refunds for Stadia players following the announcement that its gaming service will be shut down in early 2023. However, many customers may have to wait for some time.

Google updated the support page for Stadia refunds earlier this week, announcing that it has started to issue automatic refunds since Wednesday. But the company does not advise players to contact customer support if they are hoping to see the refunds processed quickly.

“We ask for your patience as we work through each transaction and ask that you refrain from contacting Customer Support as they will not be able to expedite your refund during this time,” Google wrote on the support page. The company also advised Stadia customers that, for some (or many) of them, refunds could be processed through Jan. 18, 2023 — the day Stadia servers will be taken down for good.

Google announced on Sept. 29 that Stadia servers are shutting down, making it the first gaming subscription service from a major tech company to close its doors. “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,” Stadia general manager Phil Harrison said.

There is no need to submit refund requests. Google has said it will automatically refund purchases made through the Stadia store for Stadia Controller, Founder’s Edition, Premiere Edition, games, and add-ons. Stadia Pro subscriptions are a different story.

Stadia Pro membership fees will not be refunded. But customers who were charged with subscription auto-renewal on or before Sept. 29 are eligible for refunds. One silver lining here is members can continue using the service without pay for the remaining months until Stadia servers go offline next year.

Following the announcement in late September, Google immediately closed the Stadia store. Players can no longer purchase games and add-ons through the storefront since then.

The same support page contains answers to common concerns about Stadia refunds. But the process of downloading game saves and transferring them to PCs largely depends on game developers and publishers.

Ubisoft, Destiny, and IO Interactive announced they would provide a way for their players to transfer their game progress. The instructions for “Watch Dogs: Legion” transfers are already up, while CD Projekt Red has also released a guide to transfer “Cyberpunk 2077” saves to PC.

Photo by Cristiano Pinto on Unsplash