GameStop’s latest pivot takes it into the NFT business

By Cristina Alexander Published May 19, 2022

GameStop is adding another arm to its struggling business model. The company is getting into NFTs.

GameStop seems to be the last place people think would want to sell NFTs. But when other gaming companies like Square Enix and Ubisoft jumped on the controversial blockchain bandwagon, it made sense for the video game retail chain to join the trend.

Recommended Videos

The company posted a cryptic tweet on the official GameStop NFT account on Thursday with only two letters: “gm!” It’s obviously an acronym for “good morning,” but it’s the first (and so far only) tweet posted on the page since it went live in March. The simple tweet is already igniting controversy among fans who don’t want to see it saturate the gaming industry with more blockchain technology. However, the tweet served a dual purpose: It both signaled GameStop’s stock market win with a 3.45% increase earlier in the day, according to Seeking Alpha, and teased its NFT marketplace.

GameStop’s NFT marketplace is a platform for in-game digital assets that is built into an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency platform called Immutable X in order to sell the NFTs for a low price. It was slated to launch by the end of July, but Robbie Ferguson, the co-founder of Immutable X, indicated last month that it may launch four to eight weeks sooner, which puts the date somewhere between June 1 and June 3o.

Robbie Ferguson has tweeted that 4 major marketplaces are integrating with @Immutable in the next 8-12 weeks.

If one of those is GameStop NFT, this would place a launch date between June 1st and June 30th, 4-8 weeks sooner than #GME’s launch deadline of July 31st, 2022. https://t.co/8aDOjedMOa

— GMEdd.com (@GMEdd) April 7, 2022

This news comes just as GameStop found itself embroiled in a legal labor scandal. Polygon reported that a former GameStop worker filed a class-action lawsuit against the company for allegedly violating New York labor law. The suit claims that GameStop paid him and other employees every two weeks instead of weekly as required by New York Labor Law Section 191 since 25% of their job requires manual and physical labor.

Cristina Alexander

Former Gaming/Mobile Writer

Cristina Alexander is a gaming and mobile writer at Digital Trends. She blends fair coverage of games industry topics that…

Topics

Gaming

GameStop is offering more PlayStation 5 pre-orders

PlayStation 5 controller and PS5.

GameStop announced that it will be offering another round of PlayStation 5 pre-orders on Friday, September 25.

Pre-orders will be available both digitally through GameStop's website and in-store.

Gaming

Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair in Avowed

Environmental shot of Galawains Tusks Slumbering Fields in Avowed.

You will probably have a good grip on all the tips and tricks needed to beat Avowed by the time you reach the second zone, Emerald Stair. However, no matter how many abilities you have or how good your gear is, finding a missing person with just a vague hint never gets any easier. We already helped Sanza find a missing cartographer in Dawntrail, but he has lost another in Emerald Stair and needs us to track them down. Like last time, the Avowed won't tell you where to go so we explored the entire region to show you exactly where to track them down.
Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair

The first cartographer quest at least gave you the general direction to find them, but this time we are only given the name of the area within Emerald Stair. The area in question is called Naku Tedek and is the isolated island on the south end of the map.

Gaming

3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (March 14-16)

The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

The beginning of March was light in upcoming PS5 games, but the long-delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows is right around the corner. But we still have an entire weekend to fill before it comes out, which is where your PlayStation Plus subscription pays off. The Essential games for March were incredibly strong, but the back catalogue of Extra and Premium games has the perfect selection to get you excited for all the biggest upcoming video games, like Death Stranding 2. Or, it could be the perfect way to find a fun, bite-sized game to hold you over until next week's releases hit and dominate your time. As always, I have hand-selected only the best games in PlayStation Plus for you to play this weekend.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut - Announcement Trailer | PS5, PS4

Even before Shadows was announced, Ghost of Tsushima was touted as being the Japanese AC game that Ubisoft should have made years ago. While that is a reductive way to frame it, there's no denying there are similarities, and the two will be directly compared. Whether you plan on playing Shadows or not, Ghost is a magnificent game that still boasts some of the best graphics on PS5. Exploring the vibrant island of Tsushima as you follow the wind and animals rather than waypoints gives you a deep appreciation for the world you're fighting for. If you missed out on the Director's Cut content, jumping back in for the Iki Island DLC is perhaps the best part of the experience.