GAME Stores Apparently About to Stop Accepting Pre-orders

TechRadar reported that it seems UK-based chain store GAME will no longer be accepting pre-orders for games in-store, though they can still be placed via the company’s online store. Existing pre-orders set to release before January 31, 2025 will still be honored, but all others are to be issued refunds. [Thanks, Eurogamer and TechRadar!]

Apparently the announcement came from an internal staff memo, and it has yet to appear on the company’s social media accounts and site. Sources that spoke to both TechRadar and Eurogamer suggested the change is a result of plans to install new till (cash register) systems in store, intended to bring them in line with other companies owned by the Frasers group that acquired GAME back in 2019. Allegedly, the new “Enactor” tills are unable to process specific services GAME was known to provide, such as rewards cards, trade-ins, and sales of pre-owned games, and so the company has decided to discontinue the services.

GAME retail stores will apparently no longer be accepting in store pre-orders, though the company hasn’t made any official announcements online yet. If things proceed as reports suggest, pre-orders set to release before January 31, 2025 will be honored, but orders for games releasing after or with unconfirmed release dates will be refunded.