GameStop reverses course, reopening shuttered locations starting mid-September
The video game retailer is bringing back select stores it had recently closed, marking an unexpected shift after months of aggressive cost-cutting measures.
In a surprising reversal, GameStop is restoring access to some of its recently shuttered locations. Through a social media announcement, the company stated that "select closed stores" would resume operations across the nation beginning September 11, though specifics about the total number of reopenings remain undisclosed. When pressed for details by IGN, a GameStop representative indicated the figure stood at "at least one" as of that date, implying further information may emerge.
This development follows one of GameStop's most aggressive closure campaigns, with approximately 470 U.S. locations marked for shutdown or already shuttered ahead of January 2026, according to closure-tracking reports. The retailer had already eliminated hundreds of stores during its previous fiscal year as part of its ongoing push to reduce expenses and enhance financial performance. The latest round of closures represents a continuation of GameStop's substantial contraction of its brick-and-mortar presence.
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The decision to restore physical retail locations stands in stark contrast to industry-wide trends favoring digital distribution. Physical game media has given way to digital downloads, and console makers are increasingly releasing systems without optical drives. Sony has accelerated this shift by announcing plans to halt production of new physical PlayStation game discs by January 2028. Though this announcement sparked considerable pushback from gamers, Sony clarified that existing titles would remain available for reorder and disc manufacturing would not cease abruptly.
GameStop's business model has already evolved significantly beyond physical game sales. In July, CEO Ryan Cohen noted that software represented less than 12% of company revenue, though GameStop's fiscal 2025 financial statements recorded software—encompassing both physical games and digital download codes—at 20.1% of total sales. Collectibles have emerged as a major revenue driver, contributing 29.2% of fiscal 2025 sales with year-over-year growth of 47.7%. This diversification may provide the foundation for GameStop to operate select stores despite the ongoing decline in physical game media. Nevertheless, the reopening initiative appears to constitute a measured expansion rather than a fundamental reversal of GameStop's overall strategic direction.
Source: Tom's Hardware