GameStop has sold its Canadian branch, GameStop Canada, to French-Canadian entrepreneur and McFarlane Toys co-owner Stephan Tetrault, who has also confirmed that the retailer will re-launch as Electronics Boutique Canada Inc., or EB Games Canada.
Chief executive officer of GameStop, Ryan Cohen, announced back in February that he was looking to sell the Canadian division of the company, telling interested parties to email GameStop’s mergers and acquisitions division, saying “High taxes, Liberalism, Socialism, Progressivism, Wokeness and DEI included at no additional cost if you buy today!“
In a press release regarding the acquisition, Tetrault says, “This isn’t just a business decision – it’s about bringing something back that Canadians truly loved. We’re going to build something special here, with community, nostalgia, and innovation at its heart.”
Earlier this year, a report from The Canadian Press put the number of Canadian GameStop stores at 203, though that was before GameStop confirmed it would be shutting down more of its locations worldwide, Canada included. The press release for today’s acquisition puts the current number at “over 185” locations.
“We want EB Games Canada to be more than a store,” adds GameStop Canada president Jim Tyo. “We want it to be the hub for gaming and fandom culture across Canada. This is about passion, and that’s what’s going to drive every decision we make.”
The transition from GameStop Canada to EB Games Canada will begin across the country in the coming months, including new store signage, a new website, and new branding across all social platforms. Canadians will surely have whiplash over the change since many remember that it wasn’t too long ago that GameStop sunsetted the EB Games branding in Canada, with every EB Games becoming a GameStop.
Gamers have been lamenting the poor practices that GameStop perpetuates and how the stores have begun to sell more toys and Pop Funkos than games. It’ll be interesting to see how Tetrault tries to turn things around, and if he can bring more gamers back to the retail store after many have turned their backs on buying from GameStop for years.
