Similarly to the Xbox Live Free Games with Gold or the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection, Google gives its Stadia Pro subscribers free games. The Stadia Pro subscription free games work a bit differently, though, in that games stay free to download for a longer period of time, and sometimes there are more than two games added to the free games lineup. Starting today, March 1, Google will be adding three more games to its Stadia Pro free games lineup, bringing the total free games to seven.
Starting today, Stadia Pro subscribers can claim the racing game Grid, SteamWorld Dig 2, and SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. Meanwhile, Farming Simulator 19: Platinum Edition has left the free games lineup.
Grid, SteamWorld Dig 2, and SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech join some of Stadia's heavy hitters on the Stadia free games list. This includes Destiny 2: The Collection, stealth-horror game Gylt, Metro Exodus, and Thumper. It's unclear how long those games will be available for Stadia Pro subscribers, so any Stadia users interested in these titles should make it a point to claim them sooner rather than later.
Google Stadia Pro subscribers will definitely appreciate more free games to add to their collection, especially games like SteamWorld Dig 2 and SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, as they are brand new to Stadia in general. However, it's tough to say if if the Stadia Pro free games will be enough to keep Stadia users engaged with the service.
As noted in reviews of games like Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 or Ghost Recon Breakpoint on Stadia, Stadia is seriously struggling with keeping online multiplayer games populated. This is likely due to people simply not using Stadia. As it stands, Stadia only has one exclusive game, Gylt, and it seems like it's struggling to make a compelling argument why people should try Google's game streaming service.
While Google Stadia is struggling to establish an audience early on, that doesn't mean that it can't make a comeback. Cloud gaming and streaming technology will continue to advance, and Google has first-party studios working on exclusive games. Stadia's exclusives will be what ultimately makes or break the platform, and it will be interesting to see how things look for Stadia a year from now. In the meantime, Stadia Pro subscribers can look forward to new free games to add to their collection every month.