Namco Funscape London closes down after 25 years

Namco Funscape in London has closed down after 25 years.

The arcade centre inside London's County Hall off Westminster Bridge shut its doors at 6.30pm last night, 12th August.

"We're heartbroken to have closed our landmark site that has been entertaining families, friends, and corporate groups from all over the world for 25 years," reads a post on the venue's Facebook page.

"We look forward to seeing you at another Namco venue soon and thank you for amazing memories!"

Namco Funscape had a bowling alley, bars, bumper cars and over 100 arcade cabinets. It recently added a VR zone running Mario Kart VR.

According to ArcadeHeroes.com, Funscape London was forced to vacate the site due to the redevelopment of part of County Hall, as opposed to issued associated with the pandemic.

Some people have taken to social media to recount their memories of Namco Funscape. Here's a snippet:

I was a regular visitor to Namco Funscape as a teenager (that was a long time ago!), and remember learning to play Tekken on the cabinets there. I was always partial to a game of Time Crisis, too.

The dwindling video game arcade scene is a global trend, of course, but there are a handful of arcades left in London, including Las Vegas Arcade in Soho, and The Heart of Gaming in Croydon.