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Back in May, GameStop’s CEO made headlines with his efforts to buy eBay. Along with the offer itself, CEO Ryan Cohen put up several iconic pieces of gaming history for auction on the site to help fund the deal. In the end, eBay turned him down, despite Cohen’s insistence that he had a strong plan for the business. Now, GameStop is on people’s minds yet again as PlayStation’s pivot away from physical discs leaves the future of used game sales in question. And Cohen’s new comments on the subject aren’t doing him any favors with gamers.
Many gamers have fond memories of heading to the local GameStop to buy the latest game. And for many of us, the more affordable price of used games allowed us to expand our libraries. Yet as physical game sales declined, GameStop began to pivot towards other avenues, including Pokemon TCG sales. Still, many wondered if GameStop’s surprisingly long life might finally end as Sony discontinued physical games. According to Cohen, though, physical games are “totally irrelevant” to GameStop’s future.
GameStop Ceo Claims Physical Games are “Irrelevant” To Store That Literally Has “Game” In Its Name
Ryan Cohen recently sat down with Bloomberg’s Ed Ludlow in a new episode of Bloomberg Tech. Naturally, the two discussed GameStop’s attempted eBay buyout, which eBay’s board rejected back in mid-May. Cohen remains convinced that the sale makes a lot of sense for GameStop’s future, in part due to its increased focus on buying and selling collectibles. But potential future eBay buyout aside, Cohen’s latest interview is catching attention for an entirely different reason.
The conversation eventually turned to the future of video game retail, a topic that’s been on many people’s minds following PlayStation’s controversial announcement. With one of this year’s biggest games, GTA 6, skipping physical copies entirely, the landscape is already shifting for physical game retailers like GameStop. So of course, Bloomberg asked Cohen about GameStop’s future business plans in the wake of an increasingly digital future. And his comments have rubbed many gamers the wrong way.
“It doesn’t matter at all,” Cohen told Bloomberg, going on to add that gaming software is just 12% of the overall business at GameStop. Instead, “collectibles make up over half the business. So, it’s totally, totally irrelevant.” In this case, the “it’s” presumably refers to the eventual end of physical game discs and used game sales at GameStop.
Of course, to anyone who’s been in a physical GameStop store lately, this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The shelves are largely packed with Funko Pops, plush toys, and, if you’re lucky, Pokemon cards. Physical games and consoles are still present, but in much smaller quantities than you might expect given the GameStop of it all. So the fact that gaming software makes up a smaller chunk of the retailer’s business in 2026 compared to the used gaming heyday isn’t a surprise. But calling games irrelevant to the company’s future has apparently struck a nerve.
Seems games have been irrelevant to Gamestop for awhile. Probably why Gamestop has become irrelevant to gamers
— Robert Blackwell (@rhb3hree) July 16, 2026
In response to the comment, many gamers are clapping back and calling GameStop itself irrelevant. Others can’t help but point out the fact that “game” is literally in the name of the business. Much like with the PlayStation physical disc debacle, fast food has entered the chat. “Pizza Hut CEO says pizzas are ‘irrelevant’,” jokes one response.
Humor aside, however, it’s clear gamers are frustrated at this comment, which highlights the general direction of GameStop’s priorities in recent years. The store may not have taken “game” out of its name, but the pivot to collectibles like Pokemon cards has many suggesting a new moniker might be in order.
What do you think of the GameStop CEO’s insistence that the business doesn’t need physical games to survive? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the Forum!
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