GameStop was once a dominant force in the video game industry, with stores everywhere. But as more games became digital and fewer people bought physical copies, the company struggled. While GameStop is still the biggest game retailer globally, it’s facing significant challenges in today’s market.
The company’s stores have often faced criticism regarding how they treat employees and their sales tactics. Recent news indicates these problems are still ongoing, even though the company has tried to improve things with special events. This could be a sign that GameStop, as it currently operates, may not have much time left.
GameStop Is Closing Nearly 500 More Stores Across The United States
GameStop is closing hundreds of stores across the U.S., continuing a trend of reducing its retail presence. Currently, records show 470 GameStop locations have closed or will close by the end of January. This comes after the company closed 400 stores in 2025 and 590 in 2024.
GameStop is closing stores not just in the U.S., but also in other countries, including Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand. This is largely because the company has been facing financial difficulties, and more and more gamers are buying games online through digital platforms on their phones, consoles, and computers. Currently, there are around 3,200 GameStop stores worldwide – significantly fewer than the over 6,000 the company had at its peak in 2015.
GameStop Has Been Slowly Dying For A Decade
GameStop has faced significant challenges for years. Its stock price plummeted in 2016 and has continued to decline ever since. As more gamers switch to digital downloads, GameStop has struggled to compete. A failed investment in Spring Mobile left the company with $800 million in debt by 2018, and efforts to sell the business in 2019 were unsuccessful. Since then, GameStop has consistently reported losses. While they’ve tried to boost sales by focusing on trading card games and collectibles, these efforts haven’t had a major impact.
The company has faced increasing difficulties since a temporary surge in its stock value in 2021, caused by a brief market phenomenon. Since then, they’ve gone through several leadership changes and tried various investments, including NFTs and Bitcoin. The recent announcement of nearly 500 store closures – representing almost a quarter of the 2,300 stores still operating last year – indicates that promotional events like their December “Trade Anything” day haven’t been enough to improve their situation. There’s now speculation about even more store closures and a shift in focus towards tabletop games and collectibles at some remaining locations.
GameStop isn’t what it used to be. Once a central meeting place for gamers, it’s now struggling like many brick-and-mortar stores in the age of digital downloads. The company is closing almost 20% of its stores, signaling a decline. GameStop’s struggles serve as a stark reminder that gaming companies – and all businesses – must adapt and grow to survive in a rapidly changing market, and that progress isn’t always without cost.
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2026-01-14 00:13