Stadia insists it will release ‘over 100 games’ in 2021, despite studio closures
FIFA 21, Judgment and more coming in the next few months; Google recently confirmed dev closures
Google’s Stadia team has claimed it will add over 100 games to the streaming platform this year, despite the recent closure of all of its internal development teams.
“Over the next few weeks and months, players can expect to see everything from action-filled RPGs to competitive co-op titles and nimble platformers,” it said in a post published on its community blog.
Upcoming releases include Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition (Feb. 23), Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut (Feb. 23), It came from space and ate our brains (Mar. 2), FIFA 21 (Mar. 17), Kaze and the Wild Masks (Mar. 26), Judgment (Apr. 23), Killer Queen Black, Street Power Football, and Hellpoint.
“These games represent just a sampling of the more than 100 games that will be added to the Stadia store for our players in 2021,” it said.
Earlier this month Google confirmed it would close all of its internal Stadia game development teams as part of a major course change, which will see the streaming platform focus on partnering with third-party game companies.
In a statement, the company said that this year it would be refocusing on offering its technology and platform tools to external partners.
“We believe this is the best path to building Stadia into a long-term, sustainable business that helps grow the industry,” Stadia GM Phil Harrison said.
According to a Kotaku report, which was corroborated by sources who spoke to VGC anonymously, Google told its Montreal and Los Angeles Stadia development studios that they will be closed and their projects cancelled.
The closures will impact around 150 developers, according to Kotaku, although it’s understood that Google has said it will try to find many of them new roles within the company.
Stadia’s development boss Jade Raymond, the veteran producer behind Assassin’s Creed EA’s Motive studio, will leave the company as part of the closures. So too will the team formerly known as Typhoon Studios, the developer behind last year’s Journey to the Savage Planet.
Google will continue to operate the Stadia service and its $10 monthly Stadia Pro service, it’s understood, and according to Kotaku’s sources the company will continue to sign some new games.
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Opinion: By closing its studios, Google also killed Stadia’s future
Stadia launched in November 2019 with a model focused on purchasing full-priced games for cloud play across multiple devices, as well as a monthly Pro subscription service which offered regular free games.
Google had announced ambitions plans for original content, including the purchase of Typhoon and a new studio led by Shannon Studstill, the former head of God of War studio Sony Santa Monica.
However, the platform has struggled to bring its original content to fruition and at launch, Stadia was criticised for feeling like it was rushed to market. Last summer Google introduced a significant Stadia price cut, just seven months after the platform’s launch.
