Belong Gaming Arenas ceases operations in the U.S.

Following a report, the video game center chain, Belong Gaming Arenashas ceased operations in the United States. The company’s website appears to be under maintenance and several posts on social media seem to confirm the closure.

Belong had six locations in the United States and had big plans to expand substantially in the country, although at the beginning of July, it was reported that most of the U.S. staff had been laid off. In addition, a Belong representative confirmed the termination.

The company opened locations in Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago, Columbus and Philadelphia. By the end of 2022, the company adopted a franchise model for its U.S. locations, rather than owning them outright.

After careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of our current business operations and strategic alternatives, we have regretfully made the difficult decision to discontinue operations of our Belong Gaming Arenas in the U.S. This decision has not been taken lightly, and we would like to express our deep gratitude to our extraordinarily talented and dedicated staff and valued business partners, who have been instrumental in our development and success over the past 2 years. Their hard work, commitment and passion for delivering excellent service and world-class experiences have been the backbone of our business and our culture, and we express our heartfelt thanks to each of them. We have been privileged to serve this wonderful and unique community, and we are immensely grateful for the trust and support they have shown us. Our team has worked tirelessly to provide an inclusive and fun environment for players of all types. We continue to evaluate our business model and strategy with the goal of continuing to serve this community, which we know and love, well into the future.

Representative Belong

Currently, Belong Gaming continues to operate in the United Kingdombut it is unclear what the company’s future is there. In March, the parent company of Belong Gaming Arenas, Vindexwas acquired by ESL FACEIT Group. Under the terms of that agreement, EFG acquired Vindex, along with its Esports Engine and Vindex Intelligence Platform subsidiaries. The Belong Gaming Arenas video game center business was not part of that agreement.