Master Chief Guards Empty GameStop

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Previous customers of GameStop in a mid-sized city in the Midwest are showing great care for a large window display featuring Master Chief, more than a year and a half following the permanent closure of the store. While it’s not unusual for local GameStop stores to close, it seems that for many people, having Halo’s main character always watching them from the window provides some solace.

In 2015, GameStop boasted almost 6,700 stores spread across North America, Europe, and Australia, as per their annual report. Interestingly, more than half of these stores were situated within the U.S. However, over the past years, the company has been shutting down a substantial number of stores, leaving the current count significantly lower than the figure reported by GameStop a decade ago.

In this scenario, the GameStop store was situated at the intersection of Lincoln Way and Grand Avenue in Ames, Iowa, a city with approximately 66,000 residents, roughly 30 miles north of Des Moines. The business closed permanently on January 18, 2024, without providing a reason for its shutdown, as reported by the Ames Tribune. As of now, no new tenant has taken over the location. Interestingly, a member from the Halo community on Facebook posted an image showing that a large vinyl poster depicting Master Chief, a character from the Halo universe, which previously filled eight windows before the store’s closure, is still hanging there. Local residents have confirmed this sighting.

Master Chief Stands Vigil at GameStop 18 Months After Store Closure

The faded poster on the now-shuttered GameStop storefront in Ames has sparked a range of feelings within the community, both locally and internationally. Some Facebook users have promised to visit the building and take pictures dressed as Master Chief, while one has already posted a photo of himself having done so. However, others have expressed sadness over the closure of the GameStop store, but find comfort in the continued presence of Master Chief’s helmeted visage watching over the former gaming establishment.

For GameStop, managing brick-and-mortar stores has presented numerous challenges, particularly due to the surge in digital game downloads making the sale of physical games less profitable. In response, the company’s management is exploring alternative revenue streams to prevent permanent store closures. At their June annual meeting, they announced a shift towards boosting trading card sales, which contributed to GameStop’s first profitable opening quarter in over five years. However, some of their recent business moves have been met with controversy, such as the $500 million investment in Bitcoin, which led to a 10% drop in GameStop stock prices in May.

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2025-07-07 02:03