Skip to main content

GameStop will require masks for customers, but employees can’t enforce the rule

GameStop will now require everyone entering its stores in the U.S. to wear a mask when shopping, but employees won’t be able to enforce the measure.

“We believe this is the right thing to do to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our associates and customers from the growing spread of COVID-19,” GameStop CEO George Sherman said in a statement. “Providing a safe environment in our stores for all customers and store associates continues to be our top priority, and wearing a face covering is a simple step every one of us can take to ensure the safety of others in our stores.”

Recommended Videos

The new measure goes into effect on July 27, which will give the company “time to inform customers of the change, post signage in stores, and train associates on the new protocol.”

Employees will not be able to enforce the measure, nor can they ask customers to leave the store, according to an internal memo cited by Kotaku.

“If a customer refuses to wear a mask/face covering or is attempting to escalate the situation, calmly ask the customer what you can assist them with and complete their transaction as quickly as possible,” the memo said.

Employees were given a list of things to do when a customer won’t wear a mask, including suggesting different ways to shop or offering a complimentary mask.

In the statement, the company said that any customers with concerns or health issues can shop online or use the mobile app. The store also offers a buy online, then pick up at store option, with contactless curbside delivery.

GameStop is the latest retailer to join a growing list of stores requiring masks that includes Walmart, Best Buy, Sam’s Club, Costco, Starbucks, Menards, American Eagle, Kroger, Kohl’s, CVS, Publix, and Lowe’s.

The retailer has struggled the past few years as digital purchases have gained in popularity. Many stores across the country closed due to lower sales and underperformance. However, the retailer isn’t dead yet, and still has numerous stores around the world. In fact, the coronavirus lockdown may have helped the retailer, as online sales climbed more than 500% over the previous year.

“I was pleased with our team’s ability to adapt quickly and despite significant disruption,” Sherman said during an earnings call. “Stores managed to retain most of their planned sales volume to online and curbside pickup, and delivered total sales for the quarter just shy of original expectations.”

In April, GameStop reported that Sherman was taking a 50% pay cut as stores slowly reopened around the globe, and executive leadership would have its pay slashed by 30%. Members of the company’s board of directors also saw pay cuts, including former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé, whose compensation was decreased by 50%.

Digital Trends has reached out to GameStop for clarification on mandates for masks. This story will be updated when we hear back.

Update July 17, 2020: Added information about internal memo to employees.

Jon Silman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
This year’s biggest Game Awards snub is this can’t-miss shooter
El Paso, Elsewhere's main character leans on the hood of a car.

After months of anticipation, The Game Awards 2023 nominees were all revealed on Monday. While there will always be debates over what should and shouldn't have made the cut, there is one pretty glaring omission for me. This year's show snubbed one of the best indie games of the year: Strange Scaffold’s El Paso, Elsewhere.

Released for PC and Xbox on September 26, this indie is a narrative-focused action game inspired by games like Max Payne. While it looks like a thrilling shooter that’ll make you feel like a badass on the surface, it also tells a more compelling story about relationships and abuse. It’s one of the best games of the year and now something that might go very overlooked by general audiences as it’s not nominated at The Game Awards 2023. If you haven’t given it a shot yet, I urge you to check it out before the end of the year.
One of the year’s best
El Paso, Elsewhere's old-school third-person shooter gameplay might seem derivative at first glance, but it actually takes the formula those classic Max Payne games established and executes it better than it ever has been. The game intuitively makes me feel like a badass whenever I walk into a room and take some enemies down during a slow-motion dive. Still, players can’t ever go in completely guns-blazing, as each weapon has limited ammo. That makes each level a delicate ballet of dodging enemies and switching between guns, and that only intensifies with each new level.

Read more
The Talos Principle 2 is shaping up to be 2023’s can’t-miss puzzle game
1K looks at a cliff in The Talos Principle 2.

It's been a fantastic year for puzzle games, thanks to titles like Viewfinder, Humanity, Fantavision 202X, and Storyteller. This run of engaging puzzlers isn’t over yet, though, as one of the year’s most ambitious puzzle games, both thematically and mechanically, hasn’t come out yet. I’m talking about The Talos Principle 2 from Croteam and Devolver Digital, a long-awaited sequel that I got a hands-off look at ahead of Gamescom.

The Talos Principle 2 | Gameplay Trailer

Read more
You can’t play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox, but you can play these 6 Game Pass RPGs
A player conversation in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3 just launched on PC on August 3 and comes to PlayStation 5 shortly on September 6. Unfortunately, an Xbox Series X/S version of the RPG does not have any concrete release date. Developer Larian Studios explained in a community post that this is because it doesn't "want to compromise on quality and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30 [frames per second, aka fps] or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date." Still, it's disappointing that Xbox players can't get in on the fun anytime soon. Thankfully, there isn't a shortage of alternatives on Microsoft's gaming platforms.
Xbox Game Pass is home to dozens of RPGs, many of which share the same computer-RPG roots as Baldur's Gate 3. While Xbox players might not be able to enjoy Larian Studios' shockingly thorough and immensely enjoyable Dungeons & Dragons CRPG just yet, they can't go wrong playing these six titles right now. 
Fallout: New Vegas

Where Baldur's Gate 3 may be the pinnacle of fantasy RPG games inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, Fallout: New Vegas is that for postapocalyptic RPGs. This game from Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks -- both of which are now owned by Microsoft -- first released in 2010. Despite some in-game glitches that still persist, the Xbox 360 version of Fallout: New Vegas on Xbox Game Pass is just as enthralling of a role-playing experience as it was nearly 13 years ago. The Xbox 360 version can even be played at 60 fps on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, thanks to the FPS Boost feature.
Like Baldur's Gate 3, it's a faithful follow-up to some classic CRPGs that give players a massive amount of choice as they complete their adventure however they see fit. You can have endless fun exploring the world and creating experiences that feel personal to you while dealing with its eclectic cast of factions and characters. While it's a bit rough around the edges in certain aspects, New Vegas is still one of the best RPGs ever made. As such, it's worth replaying or trying first the first time if you want to play an RPG, but can't experience Baldur's Gate 3 right now.  
Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Read more