High street retailer GAME is set to appoint administrators, with its final three standalone stores reportedly expected to close this year amid financial pressure
Mariam Khan and Astha Saxena
08:50, 21 Feb 2026Updated 13:42, 21 Feb 2026
The majority of GAME’s staff at its head office were laid off in August 2024 (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
A major high street retailer is set to appoint administrators.
GAME specialises in video games, consoles, accessories and gaming merchandise. Last week it emerged the company had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, triggering a 10-day period during which creditors are temporarily prevented from taking enforcement action while options are considered.
The company’s final three standalone stores are expected to close in April 2026, Express reports. The business previously entered administration in 2012 before being rescued several years later, allowing trading to continue under new ownership at the time.
In 2019, it was acquired in a £52million deal by Sports Direct, which later rebranded as Frasers Group. The takeover was set to create stability for the retailer but financial pressures continued. Despite that investment, the company steadily reduced its high street presence and scaled back staffing with the majority of staff at its head office laid off in August 2024.
Physical sales have dwindled over time (stock)(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
The retailer will continue operating through concession outlets inside other Frasers Group businesses. Around 200 locations currently trade within Sports Direct and House of Fraser stores, maintaining a physical presence even as standalone sites close.
At the start of 2024, the company withdrew from the pre-owned market, an area that had long contributed to revenue through trade-ins and second-hand sales. Later that year, it discontinued its Xbox All Access offering and phased out its customer rewards programme.
The wider gaming retail sector has also faced challenges as consumers are heading online to make purchases and digital downloads are being used to access games through subscription services, rather than buying physical copies in store.
The retailer is facing administration for a second time (stock)(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Alongside the insolvency process, leadership changes are taking place within the company. Managing director Nick Arran is stepping down after nine years in the role. Arran has longstanding experience in physical media retail, having previously worked at HMV, Blockbuster and ShopTo.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, he said: “Gaming is our core business and we will be last man standing selling physical video games.
“We see our place in the market as proving that there is a place for physical, whether that be the collector’s editions, which we see as the vinyl of video games, or the gifter who doesn’t want to wrap up a download code for Christmas. But we need to be realistic. We have a business to run and the expectation is this will decline. So we need to fill that gap.
“Expect more locations from us. We are constantly in talks with Frasers Group about where we could open up more concessions.”