GameStop Reportedly Struggling to Fulfill Pre-Orders For Games

GameStop is reportedly struggling to fulfill pre-orders for various new games, including major titles like NBA 2K23. GameStop is the biggest physical games retailer in America as its really the only major, nationwide chain that is dedicated to games. Target, Walmart, and other stores sell games, but they do not have the vast library of titles that sometimes stretch back to different console generations like GameStop does. For anyone still buying physical games, it’s largely your only option unless you can find a local store that can fulfill those same needs. However, over the years, GameStop has encountered all kinds of hurdles as players shift to downloading games over buying discs and the company has seen drastic changes due to changing leadership.

A major issue that GameStop is reportedly facing right now is the inability to fulfill pre-orders. As reported by Kotaku, numerous GameStop employees are noting that various system issues are leading to stores not having enough copies to give to people that already paid for the games. One employee told Kotaku that it was shorted on copies of NBA 2K23 and pre-order bonuses didn’t arrive on time. Smaller niche games were having an even harder time with pre-orders given copies were largely only distributed to people who pre-ordered and weren’t necessarily sold directly off the shelf. GameStop also grades employees on the amount of pre-orders it issues, so if people are canceling them because the game isn’t available on release day, it becomes a problem for everyone.

“Pre-orders have been hell recently,” said an employee. “We were shorted on multiple copies of NBA 2K and collectible pre-orders never arrive on time. We can only refund pre-order cancels as store credit if it’s been longer than a month too, it doesn’t matter if you paid cash or not.”

It’s unclear if or when this issue will be solved. GameStop employees noted the current solution is to just order a copy of the game to send to the customer’s house, but it’s likely not intended to be permanent. With games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Gotham Knights, and God of War Ragnarok on the horizon, this could present a massive problem if it’s not fixed soon.

Have you had any troubles with GameStop pre-orders recently? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.