PAX 2026: What To Expect
PAX AUS 2026 is just around the corner, and like always there's much to do, see and play! If you haven't already, there are still badges available for Friday and Sunday at the time of writing this article. Surprising no one though, 3-Day Badges and Saturday badges have already sold out.
PAX 2026 will be held at it's usual home at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 9th until October 11th, 2026.
Show Dates & Hours are as follows:
Friday October 9th : 10:00AM - 11:30PM
Saturday October 10th: 10:00AM - 11:30PM
Sunday October 11th: 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Expo Halls: Open until 6:00PM daily
Expo Floor Line-Up
If you thought last year took it up a notch, this year is said to be even bigger, and even more exciting! With some of the giant publishers bringing their blockbuster releases before they hit the shelves to the latest gaming hardware and tech, here's a little glimpse at what we'll be treated to:
SEGA will have four major playable titles, including Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000, Alien: Isolation 2, Stranger Than Heaven and Persona 4 Revival. Hope you're ready to be stalked by the xenomorph again! I know I am... mostly..
ACTIVISION brings Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 down under, giving the opportunity for fans to experience a slice of the next Call of Duty multiplayer.
SQUARE ENIX returns to PAX AUS 2026 with Final Fantasy XIV, featuring a special developer panel with Localisation Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, and Global Community Producer Toshio 'Foxclon' Murouchi. The pair will reveal some behind the scenes stories while taking on an incredibly fiery hot sauce challenge. Alongside this, you'll also have the chance to look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation ahead of its slated April 2027 release. What a time to be a Final Fantasy fan!
UBISOFT - Hope you're ready to dance, sing and scope! The Ubisoft Community & Esports stage will host the Rainbow Six Siege APL Oceania Stage finals, with four of OCE's best teams battling for a whopping $40,000 prize pool, and a coveted place at the Osaka Major. You'll also be able to join in on some Assassin's Creed Sea Shanty Singalongs, Ubisoft Cosplay Runway, a Just Dance-Along. PLUS, a chance to take on Martin Copping (aka the voice behind Australian operator Mozzie) in a 1v1 Rainbow Six Siege match.
DISCOVER NEW GAMES - With over 90+ games across AUS Indie Showcase, PAX Rising and New Zealand's Centre of Digital Excellence, fans will be spoiled for choice. Discover new worlds, fresh ideas, and experience the next generation of games from local Aussies to our friends across the Tasman. There's much to be excited about! Aussies🤝Kiwis gaming together.
GAMING HARDWARE AND TECH - Explore the enhancement and future of gaming from Mwave, Aftershock, PowerA, ASUS Republic of Gamers, Bluemouth Interactive, Thermaltake, Keychron, Clever Gear, Electronic Rebellion and Turtle Beach.
INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES FROM LOCAL AND GLOBAL BRANDS - Superloop will have a major presence across PAX AUS, including sponsoring the AUS Indie Showcase and main theatre. eBay Live brings live shopping onto the show floor with special drops, guests and live shows. Red Bull will be bringing the Red Bull Wings Cup alongside EA SPORTS FC 27 - giving fans the only in person chance to secure a place in this year's national competition through the OMODA "Beat the Streak" Wildcard Tournament. If that wasn't enough, you'll also be able to get up and close to the rarest Lexus vehicles ever made - with fewer than 200 produced globally. Plus, you can put your skills to the test racing a virtual replica in the Lexus racing simulators - with exclusive prizes and limited edition Lexus drops.
Albatross Games, Royal Reign Studios Pty Ltd, Half Eaten Bread Studio, Ghostbat Games, Bin Chicken the Card Game, Footy Bash, Dungeon Pizza, Lumin's Workshop - the list goes on! Plus many, many more to check out! You can view the entire expo list here
Special Guests
You can view information on all Special Guests here. A few notable guests this year will include;
Holly Longdale - Renowned game developer and World of Warcraft executive producer, Holly will headline PAX AUS 2026 as this year's Storytime speaker, sharing stories about shaping some of the world's most defining games.
Austin Creed - A passionate gamer and professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling, and one-half of the AEW'S newest tag team, The New Level. Austin is one of the entertainment industry's most recognisable crossover personalities.
Ify Nwadiwe - Comedian, actor, writer, professional nerd, and the host of Dropout Tv's Um, Actually. He's written for TV shows like Peacock's Twisted Metal and video games Apex Legends and Borderlands 4.
Isobelle Carmody - An Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy and young adult literature. This acclaimed writer is well known for the Obernewtyn Chronicles - which she started writing when she was just fourteen years old.
Mick Gordon - This Aussie award winning composer, producer and sound designer is best known for his work on video games like DOOM (2016), Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Prey (2017) and Atomic Heart, just to name a few.
Lenore Zann - An award-wining, Australian born actor well known for the voice behind Rogue in X-Men: The Animated Series, Marvel's Rivals, Marvel vs Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and X-Men vs Street Fighter. Lenore also served as a Canadian parliamentarian for 12 years from 2009 until 2021.
PAX 2026
As usual, there will be a variety of things to do, see, and play - from checking out the latest modern blockbuster titles to putting on your wizard hat and robe. Whether your first console was an Atari 2600, your first game was Minecraft, or your entry point into gaming was a film or TV adaption, there is something for every type of gamer to explore and discover!
Expo Hall - Packed with game developers, publishers & brands. Say hello, play a few games, and add it to your wishlists/backlogs!
PAX Rising - A hand picked Indie developer area with games that stand out from the rest.
Aus Indie Showcase - Presented by Superloop, out of hundreds of games submitted, only a few make it through to be crowned as an Indie Showcase Winner.
Panels - Variety of panels elevating all aspects of gaming culture - including live performances, developer talks, community spotlights and esports analysis.
eBay Tabletop Hall - Meet up with friends or create new ones, and play from a large catalogue of board and card games.
Special Guests - See them on stage, or meet & greet personalities and performers from the gaming world.
Classic Gaming - Whether your childhood is calling for you or if you're about to discover previous generations of gaming, now's your chance!
Merch - Search the merch and find your next PAX outfit loadout and accessories.
Cosplay Land - Chill, listen, repair and watch the Australian leg of The Cosplay Central Crown Championships for the first time at PAX!
AFK Room - Need a break? Getting a bit overwhelmed? That's okay! The AFK Room has you covered. Recharge and take your time.
PAX Together - A curated selection of games and communities with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences in gaming.
Speed Running - Brought you by Level Up Psychology, enjoy watching Speed Runners finding any possible way to beat the game and set new records.
ROG PC Freeplay - Craving that 60 FPS? Already loaded with an array of games, part freeplay, part tournament zone, head over the ROG PC Freeplay.
Handheld Lounge - Lounge around while playing on a handheld device (hey, you're allowed to - PAX said so)
Social Games - All you need for this section is your phone. Sift through the easy-to-play browser and mobile games to play.
Pax Arena - Check out the official Esports stage, full of tournaments with amateur and rising players alike.
Console Freeplay - Feel like playing something? Browse through PAX's giant library of console and games.
Tournaments - Put your skills to the test, and earn bragging rights against friends or someone you've just met.
Collaboratory - A space dedicated for unreleased tabletop games. Playtest with the designers themselves to help shape the next generation of tabletop games!
Pin Trading - Pin Trading is a special tradition at PAX.
Paint & Take - Paint a miniature of your choice for free, with supplies included. Everyone is welcome here!
The Kraken's Lair Bar - A pub located inside PAX AUS. The Kraken's Lair Bar is brought you by The Kraken (don't drop your hat in the ocean!)
Omegathon - Selected champions are chosen from the audience to complete against each other for your amusement.
MIGW - Join and network with Australian and international influencers, businesses, and industry for Melbourne International Games Week - Asia Pacific's largest digital games celebration.
You can find all PAX AUS socials here. For all information, including the history of PAX AUS, Safety & Accessibility and FAQs click here.
Whatever you'll be playing, watching or cosplaying as - Happy Gaming! Have an excellent time at PAX AUS 2026!
