Sim King Gaming, Darlington to close at the end of the month

Sim King Gaming, on King Street, will close its doors to the general public on Tuesday, March 31.

The gaming hub opened in 2021, with its aim to “create something special for the local community, a safe space where people of all ages could come together and share their love of gaming” according to its Facebook.

The family-run business has hosted many events and parties throughout its time in Darlington.

Writing on its Facebook, it said it has: “Hosted over a thousand parties, ran endless gaming tournaments, hosted local council and charity events, sponsored sports clubs, offered work experience opportunities to young adults, supported school gaming tournaments and been involved in a local college’s E-Sports programme.”

The gaming hub added it “couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved”.

In 2022, the hub offered its services to alternative education providers, which are organisations that offer education outside of mainstream schooling for those children who can’t attend a regular school due to exclusion, illness, or other reasons.

On its Facebook, Sim King Gaming said it wanted to “provide a service where we could make a meaningful difference to the lives and futures of young people”.

The idea grew into Skape North East Ltd, which is now registered as an alternative education provider.

It added: “The impact it’s having on young people has grown far beyond what we first imagined.

“The Skape team and the services it offers continue to grow, with exciting new ideas forming behind the scenes.”

After fighting with the decision for more than a year, the decision has been made to close Sim King Gaming to the general public at the end of the month.

Writing on Facebook, the gaming hub said: “As much as we love Sim King (and always will), the commitments and responsibility that come with running Skape from the same premises have now reached a point where we simply can’t stretch ourselves any further.

“To do right by the young people Skape supports, we need to focus all of our time, energy, and passion into this work.

“After contending with this decision for over a year, we want to let you know that Sim King Gaming will be closing its doors to the general public on March 31, 2026.”

The hub also thanked those who have “supported us, visited us, games with us, and become part of our journey”.

It added that while Sim King Gaming is closing its doors, it is excited for what the future holds for Skape.

You can keep up to date on future announcements by visiting the Sim King Gaming Facebook page.