Google Stadia shut down its servers just under three months ago, and it appears former Google VP and Stadia director Phil Harrison left the company around the same time. Neither Google nor Harrison himself has officially announced Harrison’s departure.
Phil Harrison’s future plans after leaving Google
There is no indication of what Harrison’s future plans might be. Previously, he was also a director of SCE Worldwide Studios, vice president of Xbox and a member of the board of directors of Atari, but he also held many positions outside of the games industry. It is unclear whether he will remain in the gaming industry now. Harrison’s departure has not been officially announced, but sources told Business Insider that he quit Google without fanfare in January, the same month the Stadia service was shut down.
Stadia cloud streaming was destined to become the future of gaming by giving gamers the ability to play without purchasing the hardware normally required to run them. Previously seen as a threat to their market share, Microsoft and Sony have joined forces to improve their cloud gaming offerings and take on Google Stadia, but it seems they shouldn’t have cared. Stadia never really took off, and the servers went down for good on January 18, 2023.