GameStop, the leading video game retailer, is facing significant upheaval with reports indicating that it plans to close hundreds of stores across the United States. This news has surfaced through various online platforms and is compiled in the ‘GameStop Closing List’ blog, which confirms at least 410 closures, with an additional 11 potentially on the horizon.
Strategic Store Closures
In its recent SEC filing from February 2025, GameStop detailed a strategic review of its store portfolio, aiming to optimize operations by evaluating market conditions and store performance. This initiative followed the closure of 590 stores in fiscal 2024, with expectations of more closures in the current fiscal year.
Leadership and Financial Ambitions
The timing of these closures aligns closely with GameStop’s announcement of a substantial performance-based stock option for CEO Ryan Cohen, who could potentially earn up to $35 billion. **However, this bonus depends on an ambitious growth target, requiring GameStop’s market value to soar to $100 billion, alongside achieving $10 billion in Cumulative Performance EBITDA.** Currently, the company’s market capitalization stands at $9.51 billion, presenting a daunting challenge for Cohen. Despite past stock surges, reaching such financial heights remains a formidable task.
Global Restructuring Efforts
GameStop’s restructuring extends beyond the U.S., as the company has sold its Italian operations and exited markets in Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria. Reports suggest that the company is also contemplating the closure of its 38 stores in New Zealand, a proposal that, as of now, remains under consideration.
[Take note of the full details and implications of this development within the gaming retail landscape.]