Entire Michigan Gamestop Staff Quits On Zelda ‘Tears of the Kingdom’ Launch Day

The latest Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, has been one of the most highly anticipated games of 2023.

For Gamestop stores across the country, when a game like this launches, it becomes one of the busiest days of the year. Gamers flock to pick up their copy, so that they can get in on the hype with everyone else.

Unfortunately even on non-launch days, it's been a struggle for a lot of Gamestop employees across the country as they complain about dwindling staff sizes, low pay, and bad work circumstances.

So that's why a Gamestop store in Brighton, Michigan decided to make noise on one of the biggest days of the year for the store, when the entire staff quit on the Friday that the game launched.

A note reportedly posted outside the store read,

Management overworks, under pays, and under-appreciates its frontline workers, sets unrealistic expectations and constantly threatens termination for any employee that cannot exceed them. To all of our loyal guests, we are terribly sorry for this inconvenience. We appreciate every one of you and your continued business, but I literally cannot pay my rent.

Ooof.

A photo of the note was posted on social media by a customer named Chris, who told reporters that he was visiting the store on May 12, the day Tears of the Kingdom launched, to hunt for some collectibles.

Chris told other reporters that “I got there right before they opened and saw the sign [...] While I was there, five people l stopped by to pick up the pre-order of Zelda.” While the game is full of creative ways to destroy things, no one expected it take out an entire Gamestop in the process.

While there's no official word on if they planned to quit on this day ahead of time, or if it was just well timed, but it sent a message.

Gamestop hasn't made a public comment yet, but we can hope that they listen up to these employees who deserve to make a living wage while they bring us some of our favorite video games every day.