May 8-11, 2025, the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center became a pixelated wonderland as it hosted PAX East 2025, the biggest gaming event in the world. Thousands of fans, creators, and developers from around the globe gathered for a weekend of all things interactive.
The expo floor had 280+ exhibitors, each with something unique and awesome. Larian Studios blew RPG fans away with new Baldur’s Gate 3 content, The Pokémon Company had exclusive demos and limited edition merch for all ages, FUNCOM dropped jaws with a playable teaser for Dune: Awakening, Behaviour Interactive served up horror with new Dead by Daylight updates, Owlchemy Labs pushed the boundaries of VR and Devolver Digital had a quirky lineup of indie games.
Tabletop gaming was also in full effect. Fans rolled dice and formed alliances in Gloomhaven, Marvel’s Dice Throne and CATAN. It was loud and creative.
The guest lineup was also fan service in the best way possible. Voice actors Samantha Béart, Anjali Bhimani, and Doug Cockle (Geralt from The Witcher) did panels and autographs. Musical guest Jonathan Coulton turned nostalgia into a live show and gamer-wrestlers Austin Creed and Kenny Omega brought the energy to the main stage. Actress Karen Fukuhara (of The Boys) was also on site, bringing a touch of Hollywood to the gaming extravaganza.
Meanwhile the PAX Arena was where competitive gaming took over. Top talent went head to head in high stakes esports tournaments. The legendary Omegathon returned where randomly selected attendees competed in secret games for ultimate bragging rights. The crowd was on their feet, shouting, laughing and cheering in a celebration of competitive spirit.But the party didn’t stop at the expo doors. Boston turned PAX East into a city wide party. Local bars had retro game nights, developers threw after parties and the famous SideQuesting Party List made sure no one missed a beat. Meanwhile Boston Gamedev Week helped up and coming game developers connect with mentors, publishers and peers.
PAX East 2025 was more than a bunch of booths and panels – it was a living breathing celebration of how games bring us together. Whether you came to demo new games, cosplay or just hang with your digital tribe, Boston had a home for you for four days.
As fans pack up their swag and developers get back to work, one thing is for sure – PAX East 2026 has big shoes to fill.
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