PAX East Returns As It Celebrates 20 Years

PAX East has brought gamers and enthusiasts from all over to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to celebrate video games. The four-day event has celebrated the video game industry through demos, panels, performances, and tournaments. The huge space in South Boston has been home to PAX East since 2010, which was started by the authors of the webcomic Penny Arcade back in 2004. 20 years later, PAX is still going strong as it went through changes in the video game industry with big studios opting out of the convention circuit in favor of digital presentations as well as the COVID pandemic. However, that hasn’t stopped PAX from helping small developers and publishers from showcasing their games to the public and spreading the word about their latest creations.

Just like the previous conventions, PAX East still fills the humungous expo hall with hundreds of exhibitors filled with booths showcasing lots of games, merch, and accessories that may catch the eyes of gamers. There’s also a huge arena in the middle of the floor that hosts tournaments for players both old and new for everyone to see up on the big screen. There were plenty of games to try, but perhaps the biggest draws were from popular titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Final Fantasy XIV Online with new content. We were also given teases for upcoming games like Dune AwakeningPath of Exile 2, and Sand Land. What was shown at the expo hall was only a small taste of the many experiences that visitors got to see as many big franchises like Pokemon and Dungeons and Dragons took the stage for fans to get some swag and new add-ons for their games.

PAX East had some big guests this year, including YouTuber MatPat of Game Theory who was the guest of honor to kick off the convention. Musical artists like Videri String Quartet, 88bit, and Pink Navel also joined in on the festivities giving concerts for visitors at the convention. Even popular podcasters like Kinda Funny Games and Giant Bomb made their presence known by hosting panels to celebrate all things gaming with their followers. It’s also not a celebration without some fun with party games like Jackbox Games returning to PAX East with some daily trivia and fun minigames throughout the day.

Speaking of panels, some big games got to host a few for fans to showcase their lineup of content coming their way. Final Fantasy XIV got to share some information from its upcoming expansion, Dawntrail which is the latest one coming later this summer. Dungeons and Dragons Online took part in a panel as they celebrated 50 years of the original D&D as well as discussing what’s coming up for the online version with some new designs. CD PROJEKT RED also hosted a discussion talking about the studio’s latest expansion Phantom Liberty from Cyberpunk 2077 as the team gave a rare look at how the installment was made.

Despite the cold weather in Boston, it hasn’t stopped gamers from enjoying what PAX East had to offer this year as far as games go. Whether it’s video games, tabletop, board games, card games, and even cosplay, there’s always something for everyone to enjoy at one of video game’s biggest conventions in the country.

Check out our site and YouTube page for more PAX East content.

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