A new beginning is on the horizon for The Rift Games. The popular hobby/gaming store, located at 913 South Street, is closing their Peekskill location and moving to Cortlandt. Last week, owner Joris Dyckman announced the move on the store’s Instagram account where he cited flooding as the main reason for the closure.
When speaking to the Herald last week, Dyckman expressed sadness in leaving Peekskill, which has been the home of The Rift for six years. Dyckman opened The Rift Games, formerly known as The Rift Collectibles, in September 2017, after noticing a lack of comic/game and hobby stores in the area. After managing the store by himself, Dyckman brought on his cousin Garrett Pezzello and long-time friend Joco, as partners. In the years since, the trio have transformed the store into a staple in the comic/gaming community, building a loyal following along the way.
The Rift Games buys and sells cards, video games, tabletop games, comics, and consoles. The store is well known for their Magic The Gathering, Pokemon, and Dungeons and Dragons merchandise, as well as hosting gaming events where people are “doing what they love with people they love.” The Rift currently employs five people.
Unfortunately, good things don’t always last. This past summer, The Rift had flooding issues after heavy rainfall which left the owners in a tough spot. “We had to close the store. We lost about a couple thousand dollars in merchandise,” said Dyckman. He added that the flooding was not the only reason for the store’s closure, noting that the lack of parking affected the store. The owners were in the process of looking for a new location and the flooding simply expedited the inevitable. “We’ve been looking for a spot for about two years. Trying to stay in Peekskill was our goal but the flooding made it so that we had to leave,” said Dyckman.
The Rift Games will be opening their new location at 2085 E. Main Street in Cortlandt in early December. Dyckman has made it clear that the closure of the Peekskill location is not a goodbye but more of a ‘see you soon.’ “We are not closing. We are going to be in Cortlandt. We hope everyone comes and joins us. We’re going to try our best to keep the same vibes we have going on here,” said Dyckman.
The new store will have almost the same space as the Peekskill location but will offer parking, something the current store had been sorely lacking. All the same games and offerings will be available at the new location. “It’s going to be really sad to leave Peekskill. Peekskill has been our home for six years. We’ve built an amazing community,” said Dyckman. The owners are currently renovating the new location and working with the town of Cortlandt for permits.
The Peekskill location held its final pre-release of Magic The Gathering this past weekend and is expected to close later this month. Fans are encouraged to visit the store as they prepare to leave and purchase exclusive merchandise designed by local artist Dana Arkontaky to support The Rift. Merchandise available here.
