Google's foray into the game cloud gaming space with Stadia officially came to an end when the service was shut down in January 2023. The game streaming service launched publicly in 2019 and developed a dedicated base of players over time, with a solid number of players in popular online games like Destiny 2 and Red Dead Online. However, with the recent shutdown of the streaming service, players and communities who relied on the platform for access to their favorite games will have to jump to alternative platforms in order to continue playing.

When Stadia first launched in 2019, it was met with mixed reviews criticizing the small size of its library and missing features players were promised. Despite these criticisms, the platform garnered a handful of exclusive titles along with a good number of major releases to the point where a dedicated player base had formed. However, when the announcement was made in September 2022 that Stadia would be shutting down the following January, many communities braced for the hit they would take when Stadia players could no longer access these major multiplayer titles.

RELATED: What Stadia's Shutdown Means for the Future of Cloud Gaming

Red Dead Online

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The online multiplayer component to Rockstar's western epic Red Dead Redemption 2 was first released in May 2019 for PS4 and Xbox One and would make its way onto Stadia and PC in November of that year. Sold as a standalone title to the base game, Red Dead Online players can explore the game's open world, tackling quests as a user-created character, or simply hunting, fishing, and role-playing the frontier life they want to live. Thankfully, Rockstar has been generous in helping transfer data from Stadia players over to the alternative platform of their choice.

Destiny 2

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Bungie's popular sci-fi MMO Destiny 2 had a surprisingly sizable player base on Stadia prior to its shutdown. Given the game's free-to-play status, it's not too surprising Stadia owners would take the chance to check the game out cost-free. Luckily, Bungie offered Destiny 2 players the Cross-Save feature if they linked their Stadia Account to their Bungie Account, so progression made on the Stadia version of the game wouldn't be lost when the service shut down and players could hop back into the game on another platform. However, additional content purchased on Stadia such as expansions could not be transferred between platforms via Cross-Save.

The Elder Scrolls Online

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Bethesda's fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online offers players the ability to explore the world of Tamriel, tackling a host of quests between the base game and its expansions. Despite the base game costing $19.99, its crossplay features were an attractive selling point and Stadia players were able to access the MMO without having to download large game files thanks to the cloud streaming offered by the service. When the service shut down in January, Bethesda made sure players were covered, offering free PC versions of the game with the ability to transfer player data without loss of progression from the Stadia version.

Dead by Daylight

Dead By Daylight Game

The asymmetrical horror multiplayer game Dead by Daylight, which featured iconic characters from franchises like Resident Evil, Stranger Things, and The Evil Dead, left players who had purchased its premium currency, Auric Cells, in a tough situation prior to Stadia's shutdown. Although the game had cross-progression between Steam and Stadia, Auric Cells couldn't be transferred, meaning players who had purchased the currency on the Google Play Store needed to spend any remaining before it would be lost when Stadia went offline. Players who did so would be able to access the content purchased if their account was linked with Steam, avoiding the headache of losing progression and premium content.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

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One of the most popular strategic multiplayer FPS games on the market, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, was one title that Stadia players could access beginning in June 2021. Although this release came 2 years into Stadia's life, the popularity of the game and its thriving online community, along with its crossplay capabilities, meant Stadia players could jump in and still get the full Rainbow Six Siege experience. Like many other publishers, Ubisoft allowed Stadia players to transfer their data via linked Ubisoft accounts to PC, offering them free PC versions of the games they owned on Stadia.

RELATED: Destiny 2 Might Be One of the Toughest Games to Get Into

Other Games Whose Online Components Were Affected by Stadia's Shutdown

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  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • Borderlands 3
  • Dirt 5
  • Family Feud
  • Far Cry 5
  • Far Cry 6
  • Far Cry New Dawn
  • FIFA 21
  • FIFA 22
  • Golf with Your Friends
  • Grid
  • Heist Simulator
  • Hellpoint
  • Human: Fall Flat
  • Humankind
  • Journey to the Savage Planet
  • Just Shapes & Beats
  • Madden NFL 21
  • Madden NFL 22
  • Marvel's Avengers
  • Monopoly
  • Mortal Kombat 11
  • MotoGP 20
  • MotoGP 21
  • My Hero One's Justice 2
  • NBA 2K20
  • NBA 2K21
  • OddBallers
  • Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game
  • Orcs Must Die! 3
  • Outcasters
  • Outriders
  • Outward
  • Overcooked! All You Can Eat
  • PGA Tour 2K21
  • Phogs!
  • PUBG: Battlegrounds
  • Riders Republic
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Risk of Rain 2
  • Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break
  • Saints Row IV: Re-Elected
  • Saints Row: The Third Remastered
  • Samurai Shodown
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game
  • Secret Neighbor
  • Serious Sam 4
  • Sniper Elite 4
  • Spitlings
  • SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
  • Strange Brigade
  • Street Power Football
  • Streets of Rage 4
  • Super Animal Royale
  • Super Bomberman R Online
  • Terraria
  • The Crew 2
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 6
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 7
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 8
  • Tom Clancy's The Division 2
  • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint
  • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
  • Tomb Raider
  • Trials Rising
  • Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
  • Trivial Pursuit Live! 2
  • Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia
  • Uno
  • Watch Dogs
  • Watch Dogs 2
  • Watch Dogs: Legion
  • Windjammers 2
  • Wolfenstein: Youngblood
  • World War Z: Aftermath
  • Worms W.M.D
  • Wreckfest
  • WWE 2K Battlegrounds
  • Zombie Army 4: Dead War

Additionally, Stadia's storefront was disabled prior to the end of the streaming service. Players who purchased games for Stadia via the Google Play Store were automatically issued refunds.

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