Google hasn’t exactly handled Stadia in the best way possible. The company has a reputation for kicking off big, ambitious initiatives, and then abandoning those projects prematurely, and while it might be too soon to say that Stadia has been “abandoned”, recent developments – such as the closure of all first party Stadia development, or the recent departure of Stadia’s head of product – haven’t exactly been encouraging.
However, Google wants to assure you that Stadia is “alive and well”. Speaking recently with GamesIndustry, Stadia’s product marketing lead Nate Ahearn said that Google is still working with publishing and development partners to ensure upcoming major releases, echoing recent statements that Stadia will get over 100 games across 2021.
“We’re well on our way to over 100 new games launching on Stadia in 2021, and we’re continuing to make Stadia a great place to play games on devices you already own,” Ahearn said. “I’d tell any non-believers to take notice of how we’re continuing to put our words into action, as we grow the Stadia Makers program and partner with AAA studios like Capcom, EA, Square Enix, Ubisoft and others.”
With the likes of Judgment Remastered, Resident Evil Village, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut, and more, Stadia has received plenty of major games already this year. It remains to be seen whether Google will be able to attract a larger user base to the service, especially following their disappointing attempts at first party development, but the only thing that can be done on that front is waiting and watching.