Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub. Discover SCENE In January 2021, video game retailer GameStop (GME) became the center of an unprecedented stock market phenomenon, as GME stock prices skyrocketed due to a massive short squeeze sparked by retail traders on Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets forum. Here's what you need to know about GameStop and the GME saga. What is GameStop? GameStop is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer.