The news that Google Stadia is shutting down so suddenly took players by surprise, with people wondering what they were going to do with their save data on the platform. Google is offering refunds to those who have purchased Stadia hardware, games, DLC, and add-ons through the store, but there hasn’t been any news from Google about save game data, which may not necessarily be transferable.
Stadia is closing on January 18, 2023, which means there is time to come up with a solution. Some developers have noticed the situation and are already working on conversion options to help players transfer their save data and/or purchased games.
Bungie is one developer who is already working on methods to help players transfer their Destiny 2 accounts, tweeting out an announcement. They don’t have a solid plan just yet, but they will be giving more information to players once they have a conversion option that works.
Ubisoft is also working to bring games from Stadia to Ubisoft Connect, offering to keep players updated on their progress. They will also share more news about the impact this move will have on Ubisoft+ players.
IO Interactive put out an announcement for Hitman players, reassuring them that they will be able to carry over their data onto other platforms.
While Stadia didn’t have the most extensive gaming library available, it’s great to see that developers are taking the lead on helping players transfer their game data once the platform goes down. The announcement seems to have taken developers by surprise as well, and it’s not surprising that there are no concrete plans since the news about Stadia’s closure came out only a few days ago.
As we get closer to January 18, other developers are likely to chime in with their announcements to help players transfer their game data. Bungie, Ubisoft, IO Interactive, and other groups should have time to come up with a suitable conversion solution and let players know what their plans are. Doing it before January should also give players enough time to not only transfer their data, but also help the developers work out potential problems before Stadia is gone for good.
