Embr developer offers free PC copies to Stadia players amid shutdown

Embr screenshot
(Image credit: Curve Games)

What you need to know

  • Embr developer is giving free Steam copies to Stadia players who owned the game.
  • Stadia players need to send proof via screenshots to the developer to be eligible.
  • Other studios are figuring out plans on how to handle Stadia's sudden shutdown.

Embr developer Muse Games announced it would be offering PC copies of its multiplayer firefighting game to Stadia players after Google announced it would shutting down its cloud gaming service.

"From our launch as the first early access game on Stadia, through our full release and updates, you've been with us!" the developer wrote in a Reddit post. "And while we know you're all getting refunds for your Stadia purchases, we don't want you to lose access to Embr come January."

Muse Games said any Stadia players who bought the game on the platform or claimed through an active Stadia Pro subscription would be eligible for the offer. The studio is asking for a few requirements to be given a free Steam key for Embr.

Stadia players must email feedback@musegames.com with two screenshots: a screenshot of Embr in the player's Stadia library and a screenshot of the studio's upcoming survival game Wildmender wishlisted on Steam.

The gesture comes after Google announced yesterday it would be shutting down Stadia's servers on Jan. 18, 2023, and giving software and some hardware refunds to all players. The announcement came as a sudden surprise to studios scheduled to publish games for the platform as well as Google's internal Stadia team.

Other studios with games on Stadia are planning on how to either transfer game ownership or bring their saves to other platforms if possible. Axios reports that Ubisoft is “currently working to bring the games you own on Stadia to PC through Ubisoft Connect.” Meanwhile, Q-Games is looking for a publisher for its Stadia-exclusive PixelJunk Raiders, which will be completely unplayable once Stadia has shut down early next year.

Thomas J Meyer

Thomas Meyer fell in love with video games starting in the mid '90s with a NES, Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf. He hasn't stopped and is not planning to anytime soon. Freelance for Android Central and Windows Central.