GameStop Employees All Just Quit At Once
A GameStop location's entire staff resigned due to poor working conditions.
GameStop employees in Michigan resigned en masse on the day The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched due to poor working conditions at one of the biggest game retailers in the country. This news follows mass layoffs and a firing of an employee that leaked a photo of the recently released Zelda game—though many believe that Nintendo had a say in the decision.
As reported by Kotaku, GameStop staff posted a resignation note outside the Michigan store stating that they’re resigning, collectively and effective immediately, due to poor working conditions at the retailer. The note states that the company’s management overworks, underpays, and under-appreciates its staff and constantly threatens employment termination to employees who fail to exceed unrealistic performance expectations set by the company’s management. Does anyone else hear “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine blasting in the background?
The GameStop employees’ note made its way to local media after it became viral on social media—courtesy of a disappointed GameStop customer who came to the store before it was supposed to open on May 12—the launch day of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This is a very well-calculated move by GameStop employees; the store was supposed to supply pre-order copies of the game, which it failed to deliver, which could have some legal ramifications for the company since gamers aren’t known as the most patient bunch when it comes to their favorite releases.
In a more just world, the GameStop employees’ work stoppage would prevent gamers from obtaining their pre-order copy, which they have previously paid for, and the company has failed to deliver. Those gamers can subsequently pursue legal action against GameStop for failing to deliver their pre-order, but also against Nintendo and its army of lawyers for opting for such an irresponsible retailer. In turn, Nintendo would legally pressure GameStop, which would be forced to improve working conditions, lest it faces another work stoppage.
Of course, the scenario described above is just speculation and wishful thinking, but it goes to show just how much people could achieve by just banding together. Workers in the gaming industry, and we’ll include retailers as well, are still treated horribly, and if we learned anything from the Activision Blizzard fiasco and innumerable employee walkouts and players’ protests, it’s that even the biggest of giants can be toppled—in fact, they’ll bend backward when you slap them across the pocket, and GameStop isn’t different from the rest.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was a massive event for a retailer saved by memes, and some locations had to deal with massive lines of customers waiting for their copies. Some employees even stated that May 12 was the biggest launch GameStop had in years. So, despite being saved by the meme stock and a first profitable quarter in years, GameStop employees have reported a high turnover, more intense pressure, and unrealistic sales metrics they have to fulfill. Some stores even had to shut down due to staffing shortages. Well, serves them right.
