Valken is Done

[JonM]

https://www.reddit.com/r/paintball/s/cyqXUsOpp4

I’ve not seen an official statement yet, but it’s looking like Valken is closing their doors for good this time.

[lizardking132]

Huh, did the ripsaw even get out into the public?

[Trbo323]

Hmmm, part of me doesn't believe this. Valken has bought so many companies that I don't see a reason they couldn't now sell off a few to keep afloat.

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[JonM]

Time will tell. Social media typically moves faster than Google, so we'll have to see.

[RPP]

Huh, did the ripsaw even get out into the public?

Not to my knowledge.

[Ecapnation]

Gi said valken is closed?

Sounds like Burger King saying McDonald's is closed

[MrBarraclough]

I assumed it was short for Gino.

[Drcemento]

They did indicate on their instagram they will not be at world cup this year and thanks for 15 years of support. of course that could be interpreted many ways.
the "Bruuuhhh" in the reddit post gives me utmost confidence in the source 🤢.

[MAr]

The anecdotal evidence is strong: Somehow Paintball went into more of a tailspin than originally it did 10 years ago... Airsoft, Mountain biking, Paddleboarding, Drones, whatever - so many accessible hobbies and so many people doing and enjoying other things. Maybe the paintball generation is just aging out and not filling the ranks.

[Arthur]

Airsoft big time. That’s where all the ‘milsim’ went.

[TF_Aloha]

Hmmm, part of me doesn't believe this. Valken has bought so many companies that I don't see a reason they couldn't now sell off a few to keep afloat.

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What companies did Valken buy that actually are competitive in anything? They have the US rights to Milsig, but the M17 seems to be pretty unmarketable now due to the TMC, T-15, and EMF's. It just doesn't have a niche anymore and I can't see anyone paying a significant amount of money for the rights to it.

It seems like Valken wanted to be a paint supplier for fields that could also act as an "all-in-one" supplier for most everything else a field wants by being a distributor for other companies, but that's Kore's model and Kore does it better. Plus Kore owns the brands that stores actually want. Fields really want to carry JT masks/parts, Mini's and Axes, and Tippmanns because they sell fast. Valken just didn't seem to offer much unique to fields over Kore except netting and compressors, but fields can go years without caring about either of those, while they order more masks/markers/paint every week.

[Arthur]

Couldn’t agree more about the M17. I saw that as a mistake a mile away. I’ve seen a fair share of them shit the bed in the field. TMCs have the reliability and price tag. M17 has been lumped into all the other mfog markers that are practically obsolete compared to PE.

[Trbo323]

What companies did Valken buy that actually are competitive in anything? They have the US rights to Milsig, but the M17 seems to be pretty unmarketable now due to the TMC, T-15, and EMF's. It just doesn't have a niche anymore and I can't see anyone paying a significant amount of money for the rights to it.

It seems like Valken wanted to be a paint supplier for fields that could also act as an "all-in-one" supplier for most everything else a field wants by being a distributor for other companies, but that's Kore's model and Kore does it better. Plus Kore owns the brands that stores actually want. Fields really want to carry JT masks/parts, Mini's and Axes, and Tippmanns because they sell fast. Valken just didn't seem to offer much unique to fields over Kore except netting and compressors, but fields can go years without caring about either of those, while they order more masks/markers/paint every week.

So sell off the whole paint production side. There's always demand there. The company I work for just split off it's whole asphalt supply side and sold it. They didn't do it because the company was at risk of going under I'm just confused why valken who has their fingers in just about every aspect of the sport can't split off anything and sell it

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[MrBarraclough]

So here is where my interests and expertise intersect, as I am a bankruptcy lawyer and have served as a bankruptcy trustee since 2011, though not anywhere near the District of New Jersey. I have access to the federal PACER court records system.

Looking at the court filings in Valken's bankruptcy, I see that recently they consented to relief from stay being granted to one of their creditors to allow them to repossess some industrial equipment. But that it not their biggest problem.

Their biggest problem is Summitbridge, to whom they owe $1.3M which is secured by liens on their equipment, receivables, and cash. Valken was to make "adequate protection" payments over the last few months in order to keep operating and using the cash collateral. They appear to have defaulted on those payments. And their monthly operating reports show they are hemoraging money. Summitbridge filed a motion on 09/04/25 asking the court to either dismiss the bankruptcy or convert it to a Chapter 7 (liquidation). That motion is set for hearing on this coming Tuesday the 7th. This looks pretty grim.

Note that this bankruptcy includes Victory Gelcaps, LLC, which merged with Valken, Inc. earlier this year.

[JonM]

I agree. The social media post was smoke, but this is fire.

[flyweightnate]

So... who's gonna buy victory gelcaps and make .690 paint?

[Siress]

Be the change WE want to see, Nate! You already have a brand name and suitable logo

[Trbo323]

So here is where my interests and expertise intersect, as I am a bankruptcy lawyer and have served as a bankruptcy trustee since 2011, though not anywhere near the District of New Jersey. I have access to the federal PACER court records system.

Looking at the court filings in Valken's bankruptcy, I see that recently they consented to relief from stay being granted to one of their creditors to allow them to repossess some industrial equipment. But that it not their biggest problem.

Their biggest problem is Summitbridge, to whom they owe $1.3M which is secured by liens on their equipment, receivables, and cash. Valken was to make "adequate protection" payments over the last few months in order to keep operating and using the cash collateral. They appear to have defaulted on those payments. And their monthly operating reports show they are hemoraging money. Summitbridge filed a motion on 09/04/25 asking the court to either dismiss the bankruptcy or convert it to a Chapter 7 (liquidation). That motion is set for hearing on this coming Tuesday the 7th. This looks pretty grim.

Note that this bankruptcy includes Victory Gelcaps, LLC, which merged with Valken, Inc. earlier this year.

Wow, thanks for the insider info. I mean it all sucks but it's nice to have that kind of detail.

So I guess they couldn't split off stuff because they didn't actually own it

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[Jsc5150]

Wow. My old team was sponsored and the first to shoot Valken paint at a tournament. Granted, we mail ordered two cases of Redemption and played a 3man pump tournament

[Tinybear]

That’s a bummer I liked the paintball pants from them and graffiti paint used to be great.

[TF_Aloha]

"graffiti paint used to be great."

"Used to be" is doing a lot of work there. They had the opportunity to become the best supplier of fresh, high quality paint in the US and they chose to squander it because they just wanted to copy Ironbridge/Kore's model of providing cheap crap to anyone that would buy it.

[ATBen]

I knew they filed for chapter 11 a few months ago. Which to my limited Canadian understanding meant they were looking to restructuring their debts. I'm guessing this means that was not successful.

Sadly, Gino's also battling cancer right now. So, unfortunately it's not looking good for Valken. However, I would not be surprised if he beat it and launched a newer and better kinetic tag and action sports company called National Action Games or maybe Veenix (like a phoenix rising).

I really hope this isn't how Richmond wins Paintball Wars... Valken paint gas been a lot kinder to me.

[glaman5266]

This is unfortunate.

I was looking forward to the Ripsaw. And it is not good when yet another paint maker leaves the already-GI-dominated paint market, regardless of the quality. One less company to compete with GI's subpar paint products that have a stranglehold on the market.