In a significant blow to the UK's physical gaming retail landscape, GAME is preparing to close all its remaining standalone high street stores as the company enters administration for the second time in its history. The iconic gaming retailer, one of the few dedicated physical video game stores left on British high streets, will shutter its doors from April 2026.
The End of an Era for Physical Gaming Retail
According to reports from TheGameBusiness on its weekly podcast, all three of GAME's remaining brick-and-mortar stores will cease operations this spring. This development follows last week's news that the company filed an intention to appoint administrators, triggering a 10-day freeze from creditor action while restructuring options are explored.
The closure marks the culmination of a gradual decline in GAME's high street presence that has accelerated noticeably since 2020. The brand has been steadily reducing its physical footprint across the UK, reflecting broader shifts in consumer behaviour and the gaming industry's digital transformation.
Frasers Group Concessions and Online Operations Continue
Despite the closure of standalone stores, GAME will maintain a retail presence through concession stores within other Frasers Group businesses. Approximately 200 current locations within Sports Direct and House of Fraser outlets will continue to operate, preserving some physical access to gaming products for consumers.
The company's online store is also expected to remain operational throughout the administration process, allowing digital sales to continue while the physical retail network undergoes restructuring.
A Troubled History and Leadership Changes
This represents the second administration process for GAME, which previously underwent similar financial difficulties in 2012. The company was rescued by Mike Ashley's Sports Direct in a £52 million bailout in 2019, with the parent company later rebranding to Frasers Group that same year.
Adding to the company's challenges, managing director Nick Arran will be departing after nine years at the helm. Arran brings extensive experience from the physical media retail sector, having previously worked at HMV, Blockbuster, and ShopTo.
The Digital Shift That Transformed Gaming Retail
In 2023, Arran spoke confidently to GamesIndustry.biz about GAME's future, stating: "Gaming is our core business and we will be [the] last man standing selling physical video games." However, market realities have proven dramatically different.
Industry data reveals a seismic shift in how gamers purchase their media. While digital game sales accounted for 45% of the market before the pandemic, this figure skyrocketed to 75% in the post-pandemic landscape. The physical games market has struggled to recover from this digital acceleration, with consumer preferences increasingly favouring digital downloads and online purchases.
Financial Pressures and Market Realities
Account data from April 2024 illustrates the financial strain on GAME's business model. The company experienced a dramatic reversal from an £8.5 million profit margin to nearly a £2.5 million loss, highlighting the unsustainable nature of its physical retail operations in the current market.
With GAME's standalone stores disappearing from high streets, the number of UK stores dedicated specifically to video games will reach unprecedented lows. Consumers seeking physical gaming media will now be limited to retailers including CeX, Smyths Toys, Argos, Currys, and select supermarket chains.
The closure of GAME's remaining high street locations represents more than just another retail casualty—it signals the accelerating decline of physical media in the gaming industry and raises questions about the future of specialised gaming retail on British high streets.
