When October comes around each year, I get restless and eagerly count the number of sleeps left. Yes, it’s almost my birthday, but more importantly, my favourite gaming event of the year is here again.
2025 will be my sixth PAX year- and I’m ready to celebrate🥳.
What is PAX?
You may have heard of it by its original name which was Penny Arcade Expo. If you’re American, maybe as PAX East, PAX West and others. In Australia, we call it PAX Australia (PAX Aus).
PAX is an umbrella term for a series of festivals held in Boston, Seattle and Philadelphia to celebrate all things gaming. 2004 was the inaugural year, with PAX Australia added in 2013 as another destination.
Apart from 2020 (cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), 2021 (online due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2023 (my personal reasons), I’ve marked the event in my calendar since 2017 and I’ll tell you why.
But first, I know you’re probably thinking…
How popular is PAX? Isn’t it just the same thing every year?
I die a little inside every time I hear from people that they stopped going to PAX because it’s the same each year. Or that they went to the first year and haven’t gone since.
PAX Australia has continued to grow over the years, which positively correlates to the gaming industry boom in the last decade. While I didn’t personally attend the first PAX in 2013, it was reported that there were 9000 attendees according to Impulse Gamer. In the few years I’ve attended from 2017 though, I saw the crowds and popularity rising each year with my own eyes. A case study conducted by Crowd Culture last year confirms this as there were in fact over 80,000 attendees of PAX Australia 2024. That’s almost ten times the number of attendees in the first year!
No two years are the same in terms of content. Each year there’s a variety of panels, exhibitors and games showcasing something different. Cosplayers often turn to the biggest games in any given year for inspiration and themes. This is what keeps the expo fresh.
The continued growth in popularity shows that PAX Australia isn’t a novel event that’s forgotten about after one year. It continues to thrive, and after reading the reasons for my enjoyment of it, you’ll see that it’s been successful for this long because of the culture cultivated by each attendee over time.
The top reasons I enjoy PAX Australia
There are three main reasons I celebrate PAX Australia each year.
Conveniently they all start with C, so I’ll add PACCCs to the list of names to know the festival by 😉.
Cosplay
Let’s get this C out of the way first. PAX Australia is not the first or only con I’ve ever cosplayed at. Nor was D.Va from Overwatch my first cosplay, although I’ve certainly been her the most. Back in the height of my Kingdom Hearts era, I attended an anime convention called Manifest in 2009. It was here that I got a taste of cosplay as School Girl Kairi.
From then on, I realised cosplay was for me. When the opportunity presented itself, such as on streams, parties or even work events, I would cosplay. Those characters include Lucina from Fire Emblem, Shinobu from Demon Slayer, Meg from Hercules and Kylo Ren (female version) from Star Wars.
The ‘PAX diff’
PAX Australia has really let me be free to go as hard as I want to with cosplay. The cosplay scene has always been inviting and truly inspirational to me, despite being an amateur that doesn’t make her own outfits. I’ve become more ambitious with each new character that I choose to cosplay which I’ve taken as a sign of confidence.
As I’ve mentioned above, I’ve cosplayed for a number of other occasions before. A few months ago I attended my first Oz Comic Con. Oz Comic Con is home to the Australian Championships of Cosplay and very much celebrates cosplay. While it was fun, the energy and freedom of expression is unmatched to that of PAX Australia for me.
Timeline: 2017-2019; D.Va from Overwatch (Classic and Officer skins), 2022; no cosplay, 2024; KDA Popstar Akali from League of Legends and intended for PAX 2025; Psylocke (Marvel Rivals skin), photo included from Oz Comic Con 2025.
I always get a little nervous before the expo because I madly want things to be as perfect as possible. That feeling soon flies out the window because once I get there, I just love being the character. There is a certain magic when people see you and their eyes light up because they enjoy your cosplay 🤩. It’s always a joy to find other people from the same video game universe and to take pictures with them. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people this way.
I didn’t cosplay in 2022 and although it was more chill, I definitely didn’t enjoy it as much.
I’ll be going as Psylocke again for this upcoming PAX Australia and it’ll be interesting to compare how I felt about cosplaying Psylocke after both cons.
Content
Most people probably know PAX for the content, and rightfully so. The festival isn’t just big on video games, there’s a nice spread of everything- table top games, arcade games, merch, panels and guest speakers, tournaments and big exhibitors such as Nintendo. This year’s lineup has been announced and the information can be found on the PAX website.
A few areas of interest for me are:
PAX Rising & Indie Showcase
Are you looking for a game that’s quirky or original? Each year, up and coming games are showcased by indie game developers or designers at PAX Australia. It’s a fantastic way to meet and support the people directly behind the games and to hear about their journeys. You can even play a demo of the games and provide instant feedback too!
Table top games
Going through the table top section feels kind of like going through a crafts market. As someone that dabbles in board games, I like seeing this genre come to life with endless options. The booths here are loaded with retailers selling games at a discount. Board game makers are excited to pitch their game. There’s craftsmen that make artisan pieces like dice for D&D. You can even get free items for playing. Last year I remember I received free starter decks for learning how to play the One Piece trading card game.
It’s also just so relaxing. You’ll find many people playing table top games for hours here. It’s a great way to try out a game you haven’t had a chance to play and meet new people while doing it.
Whether you’re after a game that’s been on your wishlist forever, looking for a gift or simply wanting to learn a new table top game, this area doesn’t disappoint.
Freeplay & PAX Arena
The freeplay areas have definitely gotten busier over the years, with lines being an expectation if you want to play a game that’s new, popular or being released soon. My advice for freeplay is to get in early if you can. You might be lining up for a while.
Despite the wait, I have some fond memories of it. One year I lined up to play a match of Overwatch with my friends to enter a prize draw. Another year I played the demo of Kingdom Hearts 3 before release. It was an extremely exciting moment for me.
If you’re wanting a quick break, you can watch the various tournaments happening around the con which are nothing short of hype with the crowds. Last year I watched part of the Teamfight Tactics tournament. You can also chill out and play games with friends in the PC or console freeplay areas. The games library gives you heaps of options.
It’s worth spending time getting at least an idea of what you’re interested in doing or watching at PAX Australia. Some events such as tournaments require early sign up, so planning is a must. If you want to see absolutely everything, a 3 day pass is highly recommended!
Community
I can’t mention enjoying PAX Australia without mentioning how amazing the community is.
I’ve hung out with different people at the expo throughout the years. Usually a partner, and then I would meet up with other friends while I’m there. I find that a small group works best. Bigger groups tend to split up anyway due to wanting to experience different things. One of my favourite years was 2019, where I met up with other streamers and followers. It was one of the most wholesome experiences of my life and I think back on the time with nostalgia. Another year I introduced a date to my friends from the other side of town!
PAX Australia is home to everyone, not just gamers
Another highlight from seeing the con grow over the years is seeing the diversity of people. As you know by now, I’m a bit of a nerd but it’s heartwarming to see PAX Australia be accepted as an event where people from all walks of life attend. You might appreciate it more if you’re a gamer, but the expo doesn’t gatekeep and welcomes anyone with a curiosity to explore. There’s something for everyone.
It’s endearing to see families go together and make this an event a shared experience. I would’ve given anything to have my parents bring me to events like this as a kid- not that there were any at the time, but a good sign that times have changed.
Most of all, it tells me that gaming is a universal language that transcends race, gender and age.
Even in the face of an ever increasing digital gaming presence, people from all over the country still choose to spend a day or an entire weekend roaming around the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre. I think that’s incredible and important for the preserving the gaming culture we’ve built here. I’m not someone that enjoys crowds, but I’m happy to endure them once a year for the atmosphere.
PAX Australia is still going strong as my favourite gaming event of the year. After all these years, it’s still the best place to showcase your cosplay, connect with the community and soak up all the content, to your heart’s content.
I think it’ll keep getting better 🥰.
Look after yourself,
Elena
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