GAME Head Office Experiences Significant Staff Reductions Since August

A substantial portion of GAME's head office staff has reportedly been laid off in recent months, exacerbating the challenges faced by the struggling game retailer. According to a report by Eurogamer, which consulted with numerous managers, shop floor staff, and sources close to the head office, Frasers Group has significantly downsized GAME's leadership team. Estimates suggest that approximately 78% of head office staff have been let go since GAME's full integration with Frasers Group on August 1, 2024, with another source claiming that the department now has around 20 staff members, down from at least 100 previously. A current employee noted that all area managers have been made redundant, requiring store managers to communicate directly with the diminished head office team. Following its acquisition by Sports Direct in June 2019, GAME has undergone significant changes, including the closure and replacement of many stores with concessions within Sports Direct branches. In 2024, GAME has reportedly discontinued its pre-owned business, ceased selling physical currency cards, and no longer accepts in-store pre-orders for new releases. The retailer has struggled to fulfill online pre-orders for key releases, often shipping copies late, with affected titles including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the Silent Hill 2 remake. Sources claim that Frasers Group's ordering and logistics managers, unfamiliar with the games industry, have failed to order sufficient stock, resulting in late or incomplete deliveries. As one staff member stated, 'Anything that hasn't been EA Sports FC or Call of Duty has been late arriving, or not arrived at all. And if we do get it, maybe we get a handful of copies. I've genuinely been sending more people away than serving.'