January is often a quieter month for arcade openings, but the first weeks of 2026 delivered a strong international list. This round-up covers new venues, reopenings, museums, family entertainment centres and notable developments carried over from late 2025. Industry updates from InterGame and RePlay Magazine, along with reader tips, helped identify the locations below.
For Australian operators and enthusiasts, the variety is worth noting: dedicated retro rooms, bowling-centre arcades, pinball venues, redemption-heavy family centres and large-scale social entertainment spaces are all continuing to appear. If you are planning a home setup, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide is a useful place to compare the different approaches.
North America
Toy Box, Brockton, Massachusetts
Toy Box is a child-focused venue that recently opened with a substantial collection of cranes and redemption games. It also features Raw Thrills and UNIS titles, reflecting its association with the UNIS brand. Footage supplied by Mike at Sunstar Vending provides a look at the new location.
The Church Arcade, Duquesne, Pennsylvania
A former church has been converted into The Church Arcade, an unusual setting for a retro arcade. The venue includes a range of video games and pinball machines. Its religious surroundings have attracted both favourable and critical reactions, depending on visitors’ views of the concept.
Pinheads Bowling, Helper, Utah
Pinheads Bowling has opened in Helper after promoting the venue through television advertising. Its arcade appears to focus mainly on redemption, while the wider entertainment offer also includes billiards. More information is available from Pinheads Bowling.
Retro Rewind 209, Los Baños, California
One of the late-2025 openings that was reported after the fact, Retro Rewind 209 combines classic arcade games with a dedicated neon crane area. The venue also has both older and newer pinball machines, including King Kong, Star Wars and Stranger Things. The venue’s social media presence shows more of its pinball collection.
Sparks Passport, Troy, Michigan
Sparks Passport is a new addition to the Sparks Pinball Museum at Oakland Mall. It has absorbed several cabinets from the former Rhythm Lounge and Varcade PvP Arena spaces, combining rhythm games with other titles. Highlights include the rare 1990s Sonic arcade releases Sonic the Fighters and SegaSonic the Hedgehog. The latter has also recently appeared at the large GiGO venue in Akihabara, which has a dedicated retro floor.
Spinners Pinball Arcade, Frederick, Maryland
Spinners has returned in a new Frederick location after its original 2018 venue closed. The business now operates on an all-you-can-play model costing $20. The spacious site still has room to grow, but its current line-up includes numerous pinball machines, Skeeball lanes, video games such as Rush 2049 and Pac-Man Battle Royale, plus rhythm games including an older Pump It Up machine.
Bonus Round, Redding, California
Bonus Round is a bar arcade with a mixed classic-to-modern video game line-up and several predominantly classic pinball machines. Guests of all ages are welcome until 8pm; after that, entry is restricted to adults aged 21 and over.
Woodgrove Arcade, Nanaimo, British Columbia
Woodgrove Arcade officially opened on 10 January following a soft-opening event in November 2025. The 6,000-square-foot venue includes Chinese redemption and merchandiser games, alongside recognisable titles such as Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade DX, two Batman cabinets, Halo: Fireteam Raven, NFS Heat Takedown, Operation GHOST and StepManiaX. Its line-up also includes less familiar Chinese videmption games, including the bicycle title Super Ride GG Bond.
North American FEC updates
- The Pac-Man Pop-Up Arcade at Macy’s Herald Square has been extended through summer.
- Dave & Buster’s has opened in Santa Rosa, California.
- Round1USA has opened at Willowbrook Mall in Houston, Texas.
- EmojiPlanet has launched in Tsawwassen, British Columbia.
- Round1USA’s existing Murray, Utah venue has attracted attention in Japan.
- Chuck E. Cheese distributed free-game and pizza coupons to people stranded by recent US storms.
- Betson has built a new game room at Treasure Lanes Bowling Center in Charlotte, Florida.
- GAMETOWN is open at Plaza las Flores in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, with the game room set up by Planet Arcades.
- Elev8 Fun is preparing to open in Jensen Beach, with pickleball parks included in the launch plans.
- InterGame is seeking operators of location-based entertainment venues.
- Chuck’s Arcade in Kansas City, Missouri, has closed.
- Family Entertainment Group has appointed a new COO.
Europe
Star Pins #2, Liverpool, England
Professionals At Play, the operators behind King Pins, launched the family-oriented Star Pins brand in late 2024. The format gives arcade games a larger role alongside bowling and social entertainment. The second Star Pins venue is now operating in Liverpool, with early material showing an Asphalt Moto Blitz DX cabinet and a line-up expected to include several Sega Amusements titles.
Gameland, Charleroi, Belgium
Gameland has opened a second Belgian venue in Charleroi after its first site in Leuven. The new location contains 30 games, many of them redemption titles, plus Mario Kart, Aliens Armageddon and several less commonly seen Chinese videmption games.
Gdańsk Arcade Museum, Poland
The recently opened Gdańsk Arcade Museum joins existing museums from the same owners in Kraków and Warsaw. Its collection spans 1980s video games and pinball through to modern environmental attractions including Deadstorm Pirates, Transformers and Luigi’s Mansion.
Notable machines include an enclosed version of Star Wars Trilogy Arcade, believed to have been produced in very small numbers for Disney parks, as well as DariusBurst, rhythm games and the original Mortal Kombat trilogy displayed together. Visitors can find details through the museum’s official website.
European FEC updates
- Levels Social Entertainment and VR Facility is opening in Whitehaven, Cumbria, combining immersive VR, social entertainment and occasional educational sessions.
- Mr B’s in Rhyl, Wales, has new owners and a £1 million revamp planned. The former venue was known for an eight-player deluxe Daytona USA setup.
- Spain’s Mega Ozone Bowling has selected Intercard after being described as Europe’s largest FEC.
- The first of 11 Game Box locations is being converted into a Gamestate.
Asia, the Middle East and Oceania
Gamebox, Guam
Gamebox has opened at Micronesia Mall, Guam’s largest shopping centre. The venue contains 40 games and attractions, with a strong emphasis on Ace Amusement titles. Raw Thrills’ Halo and Minecraft Dungeons are also positioned near the front of the arcade.
City Hero, Guangzhou, China
Wahlap has opened a large new City Hero venue in Guangzhou. The company develops games as well as operating locations in China, and this site served as the debut location for its new Jubeat cabinets. The release is currently restricted to the Chinese market.
Arcade Hero, Yangon, Myanmar
Arcade Hero opened on New Year’s Day, making it one of the earliest arcade launches of 2026. Its line-up follows a familiar Southeast Asian model, with ticket redemption games supported by titles such as Aliens Armageddon, Maimai DX and DanceRush Stardom.
Asia-Pacific updates
- Kidtainment venue 360 Play is coming to Bahrain.
- A crane, toy and photo-booth store has opened in Shanghai.
- Loco Lane has opened as a competitive-socialising venue in Bengaluru, India.
- The latest Kingpin bowling venue has launched in Melbourne.
Coming soon
- A new ThrillHouse FEC is planned for Marion, Illinois.
- A 24,500-square-foot FEC is proposed for Maricopa, Arizona.
- A new Andretti Indoor Karting venue is planned for Schaumburg, Illinois.
- Round1USA is coming to Lakewood, Colorado.
- Austin’s FEC is planning a Thrillz expansion.
- F1 Arcade has announced a new Atlanta venue.
- A second Scottish King Pins venue is planned for Edinburgh.
New venues depend on visitors, not just online attention. If one of these locations is near you, consider visiting and supporting the operators who are keeping arcade entertainment active.
For readers interested in bringing the format home, explore RETROCADE’s upright arcade cabinets, racing arcades and virtual pinball machines.
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