Gaming
Google Stadia offers a second wave of Buddy Passes to Founders
Who needs features when you’ve got friends?
Gamers who ponied up for the Founder’s Edition of Google Stadia have noticed a new perk of their early adoption. Founders started receiving emails with an additional Buddy Pass to gift the Stadia experience to a friend. Several features not available at the chinchilla-soft launch of Stadia are still missing, but at least you can play Destiny 2 with a pal over the holidays.
How to get your new Buddy Pass — Alerts began rolling out today, and in addition to your email, you can check the Google Stadia app for an envelope icon.
Once you’ve accessed your Buddy Pass, there are instructions on how to share it throughout the 14 countries where Stadia is available: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Buddies with benefits — Recipients of Buddy Passes get three free months of the Pro tier of Stadia, typically $9.99 per month. The Pro tier grants them access to the free games Destiny 2: The Collection, Samurai Shodown, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, and Farming Simulator 19. The free, Base tier of Stadia will be available in 2020 if these players want to downgrade (losing access to free games, 4K gameplay, and surround sound compatibility).
