The Magic of PAX Is Stronger Than Ever

Access to game news as it was happening was difficult back in the day.

Even with the advent of the internet, communication between game publishers and journalists was still a very elite affair.  I used to fake credentials—via fax machine!—to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo, mostly just known as E3. It was simultaneously as loud as possible and strangely cloistered.  

PAX started moving the conversation away from that and toward a direct dialogue with the people who buy and play games. I think it’s become centralized again, this time through influencers, but these things come and go. For obvious reasons, it’s important to meet the people on the other side of the screen—and that goes in both directions. I think it needs to be more down to earth.  So here, on the earth, is a good place to do it.     

When Mike Krahulik and I founded PAX in 2004, it probably wouldn’t have been super hard to guess who the majority of attendees were. There were a lot of black T-shirts. Cosplay was few and far between, and almost everybody fit within a very specific demographic profile. Now, I can safely say that every conceivable type of person rolls into PAX with their own entourage. The way I typically say it is that people bring PAX with them—our job is to stay out of the way. I’ve met and welcomed absolutely every kind of person: throngs of anime teens, groups gathering for their once-a-year ritual, and everyone in between. 

Jerry Holkins is a co-founder of Penny Arcade and PAX. He and Mike Krahulik launched the original PAX—now known as PAX West—in Bellevue in 2004.

I often meet couples who met at the show, perhaps on some ancient date, and now they’re pushing a stroller around. It’s been incredible watching the world around the show change.  

My youngest daughter was born during PAX West in 2009, so there’ll always be something special above and beyond that makes me feel a certain way about this show. These days, she goes with her friends all four days—I can see her and the crew down in the front row. It might be that kids around her age had some pretty key hangout times stolen from them during the pandemic, but I literally drove them to the mall recently, and I could see that whole thing was done. They want to go out and do stuff. And PAX—any PAX—is a great place for it.  

I’m not saying things that happen online aren’t real—that would be silly—but the dynamics are very different. There are a lot of conflicts that take place online that would be hard to get off the ground out here on solid ground. My experience with the show is day after day of meeting creative, curious people engaged in a mutual appreciation society. The online world could learn a few things from that.      

What to Know About PAX West 2026

New this year is the Creator Stage, where streamers, developers, media personalities and community groups will participate in game shows, challenges and live playthroughs. The new PAX Art Hub will put professional artists and their work in the spotlight.

Other highlights include Roberta Vaughan’s new Full Motion Video Zone, which celebrates games from the CD-ROM era, and an expanded Arcade Freeplay area. Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill will deliver the opening Storytime keynote, and exhibitors include Konami, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Atari Interactive.

Beyond the expo halls, the weekend includes tabletop gaming, panels, tournaments, cosplay, community meetups and concerts. Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone will join Seattle’s Phinney Ridge Steel Band and Winds5 for a set of video game music to kick off the Omegathon Final Round on Monday. Electronic trio Magic Sword will headline Friday night.

PAX West runs at the Seattle Convention Center from Friday, Sept. 4, through Monday, Sept. 7. Hours are 10 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday. The expo halls close at 6 p.m. each day. See the complete schedule and ticket information.