After making a controversial joke about a man trying to trade his girlfriend for PlayStation 5 store credit, GameStop faced a public backlash that eventually resulted in the post being pulled from social media platforms. While GameStop was once a store focused primarily on selling physical copies of video games, the company has had to change its strategy in recent years. In addition to new and used video games, consumers can find a wide variety of pop culture products at physical GameStop locations, such as trading cards, Funko Pops, apparel, and tons of other products.
In early 2026, GameStop revealed it was closing hundreds of stores across the United States, a sudden move that surprised many employees and customers. When some consumers showed up at locations marked for closure, they were greeted with a sign announcing when the store would be closing. The announcement included a coupon that customers could use at other locations that remained open; many people felt it was in bad taste. After receiving a lot of customer feedback about the closure and the matching coupon, it seems the company has found itself in hot water once again with a social media post gone awry.
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GameStop removes controversial post after backlash
GameStop recently took to several social media platforms to share what was supposed to be a joke. Unfortunately, the post backfired and instead stirred up a fair amount of public backlash. At the time of writing, GameStop appears to have removed the post from its official social media platforms, though that hasn't stopped the conversation it sparked. The original post claimed that a man came into one of the company's stores wanting to trade his girlfriend for store credit to buy a PlayStation 5. The original post went on to say that the woman “appeared to be in good shape” but “the store's systems do not allow for people to be traded.” While some people thought it might be an attempt to follow up with a joke about GameStop's promotion against trading anything, many others took issue with the post.
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Shortly after the post was published, plenty of people simply said the joke wasn't funny. Others were quick to point out the post's connection to human trafficking, an extremely serious topic that doesn't lend itself to humor. In a post on Reddit, one person also suggested that the image itself appears to have been created by AI. The original post claims the woman behind the counter is an employee named Nevaeh, a well-known fictional AI character who appears in posts on the satirical Celina 52 Truck Stop Facebook page. A few people were quick to call the post “AI slop”, even making fun of how the shelves seem too well stocked at GameStop. The use of artificial intelligence in games has already proven to be a controversial issue for many consumers, with some gamers calling GameStop's use of the technology “out of touch”.
This isn't the first time GameStop has sparked controversy with a social media post that missed the mark, as the company recently commented on Amazon's first official look at Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. The actress is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Sansa Stark in the hit TV series game of thronesbut that may change with the upcoming season Tomb Raider show. The image shows Sophie Turner in her full Lara Croft costume, wearing a dark teal tank top, black shorts and circle sunglasses. It's a classic look for the character and the reception from fans seemed to be positive. However, GameStop reposted the image on Twitter with the statement “This is not Lara Croft.” Many fans were immediately displeased with the claim, with one person suggesting that the company has bigger issues to deal with and referring to hundreds of store closures. While the company has received a lot of criticism from gamers recently, many are still hopeful that GameStop will find a way forward that benefits both customers and employees.
