The Fnatic Bunkr esports pop-up shop is closing temporarily as Fnatic explores other options.
It looks like it will be relocated to another area in London in due course.
The Bunkr retail and event space first opened in December 2016 at 28 Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, London.
Billed as ‘the world’s first esports concept store’, it contains a range of merchandise, a bar and space for event hire.
A number of decent events have been held at the Bunkr over the past year or so, including Esports Insider Forums, networking events/community gatherings, an ESL UK party, speedrunning tournaments and more.
It was originally designed to be opened for a limited period, but remained opened for longer, and sits alongside Fnatic’s offices.
“Bunkr is taking a break for a period of time as we plan the next evolution of our global retail presence, and explore options within London.”
Fnatic explained in a Facebook post: “What started as a six-week pop-up extended into a 13-month home of our dreams. Bunkr is taking a break for a period of time as we plan the next evolution of our global retail presence, and explore options within London.
“Come on down today to grab some last minute secret deals! We’ll be back bigger and stronger very soon! Stay tuned!”
Fnatic mentioned developing its ‘global retail presence’, which implies they may be considering opening other shops around the world.
Fnatic founder Sam Mathews previously said of the Bunkr: “Fnatic’s Bunkr is the very first esports-themed physical outlet where visitors can test and purchase the latest equipment, watch tournaments, meet players and interact with other esports enthusiasts.
“We’re excited to see the continued growth and enthusiasm around esports and believe Bunkr is another step toward Fnatic’s mission in integrating esports into mainstream popular culture.”
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
