Google Stadia is shutting down on January 18, 2023, and at that point, a Red Dead Redemption 2 player will potentially lose their save file that has nearly 6,000 hours of playtime on it. Stadia users will be refunded for hardware and software they've purchased, but they will be losing access to their games library.
While Google Stadia's lack of popularity is a big reason why the service is shutting down, there are still those who use it and who have built up a library of games that they will suddenly no longer have access to come January 18. One such individual is YouTuber ItsColourTV, who said that they are "seriously pissed off" at the Google Stadia shutdown because it means he will lose access to his 5,907 hour save file in Red Dead Redemption 2.
ItsColourTV has called on Rockstar Games to allow a one-time character transfer so they can bring their Red Dead Redemption 2 multiplayer character to another platform. While it may have been possible to figure out a way to get their single-player save data into the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2, it seems that they have no way to save their Red Dead Online character at the time of this writing.
Red Dead Online, for the uninitiated, is the online multiplayer component for Red Dead Redemption 2. It allows Red Dead Redemption 2 players to create their own custom characters and explore the massive open world with their friends. Rockstar Games' support for Red Dead Online, or lack thereof, has been a source of controversy for quite some time, especially after the company confirmed that there would be no more substantial content updates for the game moving forward.
Despite Red Dead Online not receiving the same level of support as Grand Theft Auto Online, it still has a dedicated following of players, as is clear by ItsColourTV's incredible playtime in the Stadia version of the game. It's unclear just how large the Red Dead Online Stadia playerbase is, but it's likely that there are others who are heartbroken by the news of Stadia's shutdown and are hoping for the opportunity to transfer their characters to another platform.
Red Dead Online does not have crossplay or cross progression, so it seems unlikely that these players will be able to save their save files and characters. Maybe Rockstar Games will step forward to help resolve the situation, but no plans have been announced at the time of this writing.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: GamesRadar
