US game retailer GameStop has reportedly shut down hundreds of its stores.
CEO Ryan Cohen is poised to receive a staggering $35 billion pay package if he successfully increases GameStop's market cap to $100 billion, which is currently ten times its existing value. Reports indicate that hundreds of employees have been dismissed due to abrupt store closures.
Many employees expressed shock at the sudden closures, which reportedly occurred with little notice, impacting even some well-performing staff and locations.
"I had heard my local GameStop was closing and wanted to stop by for the last time because that store was my childhood. Once I arrived it had already been closed," shared a disappointed customer. "I wanted to say thank you to the one manager there. He had been there since I was a kid and I always recognized him when I went to the store. Thank you for the memories. It may have just been your job but that store gave me some good memories."
According to a closing list, over 400 stores are confirmed to be closed or scheduled to close this January 2026, marking the highest monthly closure rate on record and representing approximately 20-25 percent of all GameStop locations across the US.
Another concerned customer added, "Only one store left within about an hour of me and I'm sure that's going to be next. Really sucks because I enjoy walking in and buying physical copies on launch day, or poking through the used shelves."
Additionally, reports suggest that the company is contemplating closures of its EB Games subsidiary in New Zealand, with staff receiving notifications regarding potential redundancies. However, no final decisions will be made until a full consultation process with affected team members is completed in good faith.
If this move proceeds, New Zealand will join Ireland, Germany, and Austria as countries where GameStop has recently shuttered its operations.
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