Evercade maker Funstock has become the first hardware manufacture to freeze orders for US customers due to the country’s ongoing trade war with China.
At the start of April, sweeping international tariffs enacted by US president Trump have caused stock markets to falter and left companies struggling to react as the situation fluctuates daily.
Now, retro console and handheld maker Funstock has said it will be taking “a cautious approach to the situation” by “temporarily stopping any new orders and pre-orders for US customers”.
“Until we know more, we do not want to put our customers at risk of unexpected charges,” Funstock said in a statement emailed to existing customers this afternoon, as seen by Eurogamer.
“As soon as the situation is clearer, we’ll release a statement on our shipping policies going forward. This pause in service will be effective from Monday, 28th April and means that customers in the US will not be able to make new orders on our website.”
Existing US customers still awaiting pre-orders will need to sit tight for now, Funstock continued.
“We are exploring all available options to ascertain what our customers can expect with their pre-orders and will update you on any changes by 17th June,” the company concluded. “We will advise all customers with existing pre-orders what to expect by that date.”
Orders to customers in Canada are unaffected, Funstock noted.
Funstock is far from the only video games company which has reacted to the US tariffs. Nintendo delayed US Switch 2 pre-orders until today while it reassessed the situation and ultimately raised the prices of Switch 2 accessories in response. PlayStation, meanwhile, recently raised the price of PS5 in various countries, including the UK, citing “the backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates”.
