Best Buy is ending its game subscription services, including the Gamers Club Unlocked (GCU) program, which offers discounts on new games for customers, as noted by SlashGear . The GCU originally cost $ 99.99 for a two-year membership before being cut to $ 29.99 in March 2015. With the membership, customers could receive a 20% discount on new games, including pre-orders and other benefits such as best exchange credits.
According to a memo posted to employees and shared on Twitter Best Buy will close its Gamers Club programs, including free members and paid levels, and will no longer accept new members. Current members will continue to receive benefits, but will not be able to renew their membership once it ends.
The only thing I can contribute to Best Buy's GCU reports is that & # 39; GCU is dead & # 39 ;, the memo below was sent today to employees and is real, current GCU members will get benefits until the membership expires but can not be renewed.
RIP GCU pic.twitter.com/T2t2L93wlW
– Wario64 (@ Wario64) May 18, 2018
The memo is dated May 20 and states that the point of sale of the company the system has stopped "requesting registration" and that employees must also stop offering GCU to new clients. It is perhaps not surprising that Best Buy is cutting back the program, since regular customers could recover their membership fee fairly quickly. That means that the subscription service was probably affecting the company's results.
The company has not yet confirmed the news, although several Best Buy employees have confirmed the authenticity of the previous note. Best Buy still has its My Best Buy program, which offers benefits such as member prices on select items and a points scheme. But it may not be as good as the GCU, especially if you're a player. It is not yet known if Best Buy will launch a new program to replace the GCU.