The impending release of Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X has been met by a huge response from video game fans. Both devices, as well as variants such as the digital-only PS5 and the Xbox Series S,sold out almost immediately as soon as pre-ordersbecame available. In Mayfield Heights, Ohio, these pre-order launches may have also led to a suspected felon’s arrest.
A 34-year-old man from Cleveland, Ohio was charged with falsification and resisting arrest on May 28, 2025, after police were called to investigate a disturbance when someone cut in line at GameStop waiting for “the release of a new video game console,” according to a report on the Mayfield Heights Police Blotter by the Cleveland Sun Messenger. It’s not specified which console the man was waiting for, but it was likely theXbox Series X/S given their pre-orders went live on September 22.
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After the police arrived, the suspect gave conflicting information about his identity before fleeing theGameStop, according to the Cleveland Sun Messenger, and he was taken to the hospital for a small fracture sustained “when jumping a brick wall.” The Mayfield Heights Police Department, which only lists public traffic accident data on its city website, turned him over to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, as he had a pre-existing felony rape warrant.
While GameStop as a corporate entity has struggled in recent months due to complications from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it recently struck amulti-year partnership with Microsoft that raised GameStop stock. With next-generation console releases coming in November, it will be interesting to see how the retailer handles itself.
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