Google Stadia Gives You One Free Username Change

Imagine a future where you've soured on your Google Stadia username. How much would you have to pay to change it? What kind of fee does Google have lined up? As it turns out, the answer is zero dollars; but only for the first username change. After that, you pay.

This news comes courtesy of IGN, which dug into the topic to get a more clear-cut answer from Google. Originally, it sounded as though Google Stadia users could change their usernames at any time for free, moving over to a different Stadia name so long as the one they wanted wasn't taken. But according to Google's Patrick Seybold, all users are given one free change and that's it. Seybold was unable to share how much username changes would cost after that — it seems Google hasn't nailed down pricing just yet — but could confirm that the one free change applies regardless of whether you're a Stadia Pro user or a Stadia Base user. So we suppose that's good news.

What's strange, however, is how hard Google is leaning into being a "traditional" platform with Stadia, essentially following in the footsteps of other platform holders when it doesn't really have to. Companies like Sony and Microsoft charge users to change their usernames; what about that fact makes Google have to do the same? And what pray tell makes a username change worth charging for, anyway? There are about a billion websites on the internet that will let you change your ID without a second thought. But somehow, in the world of video games, this quick database update comes with a cost. It makes very little sense.

We'll be sure to have an eye out for any news related to your Stadia name and what it might cost to change it. Google Stadia launches this November for Founders, and in 2020 for the rest of the world.