The iconic Sega Ikebukuro Gigo arcade in Tokyo has closed for good

Sega has officially closed the doors on its iconic Ikebukuro Gigo arcade in Tokyo after 28 years of operations.

As reported by Kotaku, the company had previously announced the arcade would shut down on September 20, and when the day finally arrived fans gathered outside of the legendary game hub to bid it a fond farewell.

The Ikebukuro Gigo opened in 1993 and was eventually rebranded with the Sega moniker and a striking red exterior in 2013.  According to Famitsu, the closure was due to the end of a lease agreement and the need for building renovations, both of which were cited as "unavoidable circumstances."

The arcade manager tasked with overseeing the Ikebukuro Gigo reportedly gave a speech to gathering fans, telling them "if it were in my power, I’d want to stay open forever at this location and greet the happy faces of our wonderful customers. Unfortunately, at this time, the way it turned out was, the arcade has closed."

Sega chose to sell off the bulk of its arcade business last year after suffering significant losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining its various facilities had witnessed a remarkable decline in usage.