GOOGLE SHUTTERS INTERNAL STADIA GAME STUDIO

Google is closing the internal studio tasked with developing games for its Stadia cloud-gaming service, a move that raises questions about the future of the Stadia service itself.

Google launched Stadia in November 2019 as a new type of video-game platform that operates without a console and that stores game-playing sessions in the cloud. It lets players jump across devices including phones, PCs and laptops.

But in a blog post, Google said it will no longer invest in creating its own games for the service beyond any “near-term” planned titles. Jade Raymond, who had headed up Stadia Games and Entertainment, is leaving the company. Google didn’t disclose the total number of job cuts, but said most of the staffin the game-development division will be moved to other roles.