Red Dead Online community stands to lose millions in in-game rewards despite Stadia transfer

Swathes of Red Dead Online players looking to transfer their saves from Google Stadia elsewhere stand to lose more than just time, with one rule potentially leaving some players facing a loss of up to $1 million in in-game currency. 

Last week, Rockstar Games confirmed that Stadia players would be able to transfer Red Dead Redemption 2 saves after one with 6,000 hours went viral as their time investment risked going up in smoke. The developer also revealed that only people who have played within 30 days of Stadia’s closure announcement will be to do that, though it’s only now coming to light how much players stand to lose because of that.

As highlighted by content creator ItsColourTV, one player will lose 1 million in-game bucks, 1.3k Gold Bars, and 662 ranks if things continue as they stand. The streamer also reports that they have received similar reports from other Stadia players, with some having racked up over 2,000 hours and 500 ranks. 

Players have also been discussing the rule on Stadia’s subreddit, with plenty voicing their frustrations over seeing vast amounts of playtime go up in smoke as real-life commitments have stopped them from playing regularly in the past months. 

At the time of writing, Rockstar has yet to reply to fans’ concerns. We have reached out for comment and will update this story with any new information.

Google initially shared that Stadia was shutting down in September, further explaining in a blog post that the streaming service “hasn’t gained the traction with users” that they expected. The service will stay live until January 18, 2023, and refunds are now being offered to all customers who bought software and hardware through the Google store.

Following the news, players of several major games like Destiny 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 alongside Red Dead Redemption 2 scrambled to discover whether or not they’d be able to transfer saves, though the kinks are still being worked out.

If you want to read more, check out our interview with ItsColourTV, who says it was "heartbreaking" to see Rockstar abandon Red Dead Online.