PAX Aus 2025: A Celebration of Community, Creativity, and the Joy of Play
Every October, the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre transforms into something magical — a crossroads of gaming culture where fans, creators, and industry icons collide. PAX Aus 2025 might just have been the most ambitious and heartfelt edition yet, a three-day love letter to games, creativity, and community.
A Weekend of Firsts
There’s always that rush when you step onto the show floor — the noise, the lights, the sound of a thousand conversations all orbiting around the same shared passion. But this year hit different. Nintendo and Xbox both arrived with major showcases, offering playable demos and hardware debuts that fans had been speculating about for months.
The crowd favourite? Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2 Edition) — and yes, exploring Lumiose City on next-gen hardware felt as good as you hoped. Add to that the surprise of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond introducing new Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X in action, and a new Kirby Air Riders that had old-school fans grinning like it was 2003 again, and you had one of the most electric show floors PAX has ever seen.
Creativity Everywhere
Beyond the big players, innovation was everywhere. MSI showed off their slick new RTX 5070 Ti Project Zero GPU, and local favourite Aftershock brought in creator @broxh_ to live-carve a wooden PC panel — a crowd-pleasing blend of craftsmanship and tech.
The PAX Rising and Indie Showcase sections continued to be the beating heart of the expo. Every year, you walk away with a list of games to follow, and this year was no exception. Studios from across Australia and New Zealand flexed their creativity, with titles like CODE’s Middle Management — complete with a giant tentacled boss — drawing constant crowds. It was a powerful reminder that the indie scene here isn’t just surviving; it’s thriving.
The Sound of Competition
For those drawn to the thrill of the contest, PAX Arena once again delivered. The Australian Esports League Nationals turned the energy up to eleven, with fans screaming through every tense play and casters matching their excitement word-for-word. The Rainbow Six Siege APL Major Qualifier Finals capped it off with an explosive finish that had even casual spectators on the edge of their seats.
Beyond the Screen
It’s easy to get lost in the pixels, but PAX continues to champion the physical side of gaming. The Tabletop area, this year powered by eBay, was bigger than ever. Warhammer led the charge with massive play zones and painting stations, while League of Legends: Rift Bound TCG drew curious crowds eager to see Riot’s new spin on card battles. Add in the Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana learn-to-play sessions, and the tabletop crowd were as spoilt for choice as the digital ones.
Panels, People, and Pure Heart
Between the noise and spectacle, the panels offered moments of reflection, education, and belly laughs. From Gearbox’s insight into the making of Borderlands to PlayStation’s nostalgic look back on 25 years of PS2, there was no shortage of variety.
Then there were the community panels — the ones that make PAX feel uniquely Australian. Pokémon Family Feud – Creator Edition delivered chaos and comedy in equal measure, while D&D: But Donations Make It Spicier turned tabletop into a fundraiser where stomachs (and egos) were truly tested.
The Legends Take the Stage
This year’s lineup of guests was as stacked as ever. Magic: The Gathering’s Gavin Verhey opened the weekend with a keynote packed full of wisdom, sharing “15 lessons from 15 years” of designing cards for Wizards of the Coast. He followed that up by running a 64-player Pauper tournament and a chaotic Aussie-flavoured Command Zone that quickly became one of the weekend’s best stories.
Joining him were Baldur’s Gate’s Amelia Tyler, Ify Nwadiwe, and Obsidian’s Josh Sawyer, all of whom brought their own charisma and expertise to packed-out panels and meet-and-greets.
A New Cosplay Champion
Of course, no PAX would be complete without its showcase of creativity and craft. The Crown Championships of Cosplay took centre stage on Sunday, and it was Giorgia Costumes, dressed as Rococo Bunny, who stole the show — taking home the title and earning a spot in the World Championships in the UK next year.
Giorgia Costumes, dressed as Rococo Bunny
Together, Always
One of the most heartwarming parts of PAX is how it continues to create space for everyone. The Together Lounge once again offered a quiet corner to connect, recharge, and play with others in a safe and welcoming environment. In a year where inclusivity and kindness feel more important than ever, this space mattered.
See You Next Year
As the last panels wrapped up and the crowd filtered out into the Melbourne night, the familiar post-PAX glow set in — a mix of exhaustion, inspiration, and the quiet sadness that it’s over for another year.
But that’s the beauty of it. PAX isn’t just an event you attend; it’s a reminder of why we play, why we create, and why this community keeps showing up year after year.
See you in 2026.
