The high street titan had as many as 300 stores and has been trading since 1990.
A UK high street giant has collapsed into administration (Image: Getty)
A former titan of the UK high street which had as many as 300 stores in its heyday has collapsed into administration again with debts of an eyewatering £16M. GAME, established in 1990, became the UK’s leading high street chain for games and games consoles.
It also took over its once fierce rival Gamestation, becoming the single biggest player in the market. James Saunders and Lauren Wentworth, of KR8 Advisory, were appointed joint administrators in April, and now their report details the final efforts made to save the company. The administrators have set out how the company was incorporated as Game Retail Limited after its acquisition in 2011.
They said: “The Game brand was originally established in 1990 and developed into the UK’s leading high street retailer of video games and consoles.
“The company started trading in 2012 following the acquisition of the UK trade and assets of the former The Game Group Plc out of administration.
“At the point of acquisition, the business operated over 300 retail stores together with two e-commerce platforms under the Game and Gamestation brand names.
“Following the completion of the acquisition, the company consolidated its operations under the single Game brand and undertook a financial and operational review, which resulted in the closure of certain loss-making stores but included plans to open new stores.”
But administrators pointed to difficult market conditions in the years that followed, including Brexit and the rise of digital downloads, adding: “Market conditions remained difficult in the subsequent years driven by changes in consumer behaviour, including the transition from physical games to digital downloads, uncertainty associated with Brexit, and increased competition within the sector.”
The loss then widened to £43M by 2019 before the company’s brand was bought out by the Frasers Group, which saw stores incorporated into Sports Direct shops instead.
The administrators added: “Despite these efforts, the company’s financial position continued to deteriorate during the final quarter of 2025, which historically had been one of the busiest trading months for the business.
“There have been no major console releases since 2020, and large manufacturers have cited global chip shortages as a reason for further delays.
“Having reviewed the company financial and operational position,” the administrators said. “It was concluded that the business was no longer viable.”