GameStop sparked a viral wave on social media after posting a mock "executive order" announcing an end to the decades-long battle between video game console brands, a parody that rather unexpectedly drew attention from the White House.
The company shared the announcement on X with the headline "GAMESTOP DECLARES THE CONSOLE WARS OVER."
Styled like a formal government decree, the post mirrored the structure and tone of an executive order, complete with "WHEREAS" statements and proclamations.
The post read, "WHEREAS, for the past two decades, the global gaming community has been engaged in an ongoing and increasingly petty conflict known as The Console Wars; WHEREAS, said conflict originated in the early 2000s with the release of Halo: Combat Evolved as an Xbox-exclusive title; WHEREAS, Halo: Campaign Evolved is officially coming on PlayStation in 2026 with cross-platform play; THEREFORE, GameStop, acting under its authority as Neutral Entity and The World’s Retail Gaming & Trade-in Destination, hereby declares the official cessation of the console wars."
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The message went on to say that "all claims to exclusivity are hereby dissolved" and called on "console loyalists" to "cease hostilities, disband militias, and enjoy this new era of gaming."
GameStop also declared it would continue to act as a "demilitarized zone," serving gamers across all platforms with hardware, accessories and trade-ins.
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The parody struck a chord across the gaming community and quickly spread beyond.
Within hours, the official White House account on X joined in by sharing an apparent AI image of President Donald Trump wearing Halo armor, saluting in front of the White House and an American flag.
The post read, "Power to the Players," referencing GameStop’s well-known slogan.
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Another viral post came from the account Rapid Response 47, which shared what appeared to be an AI-generated image of Trump shaking hands with Halo's Master Chief inside the Oval Office.
The caption read, "NUMBER 9: President Trump presides over the end of the 20-year Console Wars," suggesting this was the ninth major conflict he has solved, echoing Trump's claims that he has ended eight wars.
GameStop also responded with a meme depicting Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Halo universe.
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The online exchange between GameStop and the White House quickly took off, blending gaming culture with politics in a way that grabbed the internet’s attention. The viral moment also gave the retailer another burst of meme-fueled visibility among fans and investors.
Shares of GameStop surged more than 7% in premarket trading early on Monday morning after the viral exchange.
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