Asmodee USA Distribution has extended its shutdown of new release distribution through at least the end of May, the company said in an announcement today.  New releases had been halted in March through at least May 1 (see “Asmodee Delays All New Releases”); that halt has now been extended. 

Asmodee Group owns and represents dozens of game studios, including Fantasy Flight Games, Catan Studios, Z-Man Games, Days of Wonder, and many more.  Its products are currently distributed directly to some retailers and through Alliance Game Distributors.

Although Alliance is currently shut down (see “Alliance Shutting Down Completely”), Asmodee USA Distribution continues to service its direct accounts on backlist. “Our sales team remains available to fulfill your reorders as best they can, but please be aware there will be delays in shipments,” Asmodee USA Distribution Andre Kieren said in the announcement.

Geppi Family Enterprises, the parent of Alliance and Diamond Comic Distributors, announced today that its comic distribution company planned to resume distribution of new products in “mid- to late May” (see “Diamond Plans to Resume Shipping New Product ‘Mid- to Late May’”).  The schedule for re-opening Alliance is apparently still up in the air.  We were told that they were “still working through the details,” but that it was likely the re-opening of Alliance would be “close” to the timing for Diamond. 

This will present an interesting situation, as at that point, Alliance will only have about a month left on its distribution contract with Asmodee (see “Asmodee USA Distribution Making Massive Shift”). Of course, that contract may have been affected by the actions taken by both Alliance and Asmodee in response to the coronavirus crisis, and as we have seen in the comics business, that can produce unexpected results (see "DC to Resume Releasing Comics Through Two New Distributors").