Though Google Stadia launches next week, with the earliest adopters receiving their Founder's Edition kits as soon as November 19, the daring new platform will launch without an achievement system. That may be a big detractor for some players, but Google has promised achievements are coming down the line. Some achievement hunters had been wondering if games played before the achievement system arrives would automatically award achievements after the fact. We can now be the first to confirm that achievements unlocked by players will unlock retroactively once the achievement system is implemented at a later date.
As a spokesperson told us, “we will absolutely give you credit for everything you've unlocked once [achievements] become available on Stadia. We'll have more to share at a later date." It's unclear whether achievement lists will remain the same as they appear on other platforms, but it's a reasonable expectation to have. We were also pointed to the recent Reddit AMA, where Director of Product Andrey Doronichev teased the achievement system and answered more community questions during a wide-ranging interview. A more recent AMA this morning confirmed the feature with Reddit interviewers.
In case you missed it, here's the lineup of Google Stadia launch games for November 19:
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Destiny 2: The Collection (included with Stadia Pro subscription)
- GYLT
- Just Dance 2020
- Kine
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Samurai Shodown
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
- Thumper
- Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Fourteen more games are promised to arrive on Stadia before the end of the year, including Borderlands 3, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, and more. With the exception of Darksiders: Genesis, which has not yet released anywhere, all other launch titles are ports of previously released games. That makes Tequila Works' GYLT the lone Stadia-exclusive launch title, though chatter around the game seems to indicate it's a timed exclusive and will appear on other platforms at an unspecified later date.
Google Stadia is a new platform that is meant to deliver no download times, automatic updates, and up to 4K gaming all with a play-anywhere approach via Google's cloud gaming software. Founder's Edition buyers gain access to three months of Stadia Pro, a limited edition controller, a Chromecast Ultra device, and more, though anyone with access to a Google Chrome web browser and a Bluetooth controller can access Stadia gaming. Some features, like 4K gaming, will be available only to Stadia Pro members with compatible devices, such as 4K TVs. The Stadia launch begins next week on the 19th, with critical reception beginning to appear online a day sooner.
