Google has begun processing Stadia reimbursements

Check your inbox; you might see notifications of software purchases made through the Stadia store that have received refunds.
Google is beginning to administer its promised reimbursements for Stadia games, add-ons, and membership payments in advance of the platform’s impending January demise (other than Stadia Pro). According to the company’s recently updated Stadia shutdown FAQ, Google will start attempting to return your transactions to the original mode of payment on Wednesday.

If Google has attempted to process your returns, keep an eye on your inbox. Google claims that you will receive an email for each transaction you made on the Stadia shop if you made fewer than 20 purchases. You’ll receive a single email that lists all of the refund attempts if you’ve made 21 or more transactions.

Google claims to email the Google account you used for a transaction if it is unable to refund money to that method of payment. In that email, it will be explained how to arrange for a different mode of refund. The business states that even if you’ve canceled your Google account, “we will still try to automatically return the transaction to the original mode of payment.” If that isn’t an option, the business requests that you contact Stadia’s customer support.

Google continues to anticipate that all Stadia reimbursements will be handled by January 18, 2023, the day the cloud gaming service will be discontinued. That covers any Stadia gear purchased from the Google Store, though the firm doesn’t specify in its FAQ update when it could begin processing refunds for those purchases. Beyond the anticipated completion in mid-January, according to company spokesperson Justin Rende, there is “no timetable to disclose on Google Store hardware transactions.”

Google shockingly announced that Stadia would be closing down in late September. Even game developers that were working with Google on Stadia projects were surprised by the abrupt announcement. While Google’s exit from cloud gaming is undoubtedly a setback for the industry, Microsoft and Nvidia are still committed to the technology, and now Netflix is considering launching a cloud gaming platform of its own. (Some developers, such as Bethesda and CD Projekt Red, have already detailed ways you can carry over your Stadia game progress to other platforms.)