PAX West 2026 Wasn’t Bad, but It Wasn’t Worth the Trip

I recently returned from my trek to Seattle, Washington, after attending my third PAX West adventure. I typically end up heading to PAX East, but I’ve always wanted to see what the original PAX gaming convention had to offer. Honestly, after this latest visit, I’m not sure it was worth what I spent to get there. Don’t get me wrong. I love attending gaming conventions, and when the experience is worthwhile, I don’t mind the cost of the trip. Unfortunately, PAX West 2026 simply didn’t feel worth it this time.

I know some people are going to tell me that I’m crazy or that I don’t know what I’m talking about, and that’s more than fine. We all have our opinions, and this is simply mine. However, most people attend these events to experience what is available, whether that means playing upcoming games, attending panels, meeting developers, or buying merchandise.

Unlike previous years, PAX West 2026 was hardly overflowing with must-play games or the companies we’ve come to expect. Nintendo wasn’t there, Intel was absent, and while Lenovo did attend, several other major gaming and hardware companies were nowhere to be found. There were still plenty of games to play, but many of the big-ticket releases simply weren’t represented.

That doesn’t mean the show was completely empty. Bandai Namco was there in force, showing off Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, Ace Combat 8, and Elden Ring for the Nintendo Switch 2. Playing Elden Ring on a monitor was slightly painful because the Switch 2 doesn’t support VRR while docked, but that’s another conversation.

Konami was also present with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, while Sega brought Stranger Than Heaven and Persona 4 Revival. NIS America was there showing off its usual assortment of good stuff, and Square Enix technically had a presence. However, its games were only available through appointments at a separate off-site event.

Among the notable no-shows were Xbox, which has normally maintained a presence at PAX West, and Capcom, which could have used the event to showcase Mega Man: Dual Override. Nintendo skipping the show was also surprising because the company has traditionally been one of PAX West’s biggest attractions. Oddly enough, Pikmin Bloom, the mobile game available for iOS and Android, still had a presence despite Nintendo itself being absent.

But what really frustrated me was that not even Wild Bill’s Soda was there. If not for gaming, I really look forward to tasting those delicious flavors of sugary drinks, that keep me moving. Which is why I was stuck drinking that plain and boring water the entire time. Where’s the fun in that?

The indie developers and their games were easily among the more enjoyable parts of the show, but even that came with a frustrating problem. Despite all the open floor space, the indie booths were confined to a cramped area, where trying to play anything was difficult. Waiting in line often meant blocking the walkway and making it harder for everyone else to move through the section. Speaking of Indies, I found a very enjoying beat ’em up/roguelike called Dungeon Lurker that is now on my list of must play games, as well as checking out Wolfhound (loved it during Steam Next Fest) and Aggrocrab’s Rebounder.

That layout was especially puzzling when so much unused space was sitting nearby. Why not give the indie developers more room to showcase their games and let attendees play them without being packed together? It felt like an obvious solution that was somehow completely overlooked.

The amount of empty space also made PAX West 2026 feel considerably quieter than my previous visits. During PAX West 2024 and 2025, I had to work around crowds and occasionally deal with Enforcers while trying to conduct interviews or record footage. This year, I could set up my tripod and camera without worrying about someone knocking it over or an Enforcer telling me that I was blocking traffic. While that made my job easier, it also demonstrated just how much less crowded the show floor felt.

The real kicker came when I stopped multiple attendees and asked what they thought about this year’s event. Not a single person told me that PAX West 2026 was better than previous years, and most felt that something was missing. Even several developers I spoke with acknowledged how quiet the show felt while discussing their concerns about where the gaming industry is headed. One developer told me the same thing on both Friday and Saturday — he’d clearly forgotten he already said it to me once, which says a lot about how much this was weighing on people’s minds.

You can argue that PAX West 2026 wasn’t a bad event, and honestly, I wouldn’t disagree. I still played some genuinely fun games, met plenty of talented developers, and had some worthwhile conversations along the way. Nobody got scammed. Nobody had a miserable time. On paper, it was a functional convention.

But “functional” isn’t why people fly across the country and book hotel rooms for PAX. It was undeniably quieter, emptier, and less exciting than the PAX West shows I attended in 2024 and 2025, and no number of good conversations changes that math. If you’re local, or can get there without draining your wallet, that quieter show might not bother you at all. But when you’re covering flights, a hotel, and everything else that comes with the trip, “it wasn’t bad” isn’t a good enough reason to go back.

I love PAX. I want these shows to succeed. But after PAX West 2026, I left Seattle wondering if my plane ticket was worth it — and I don’t think it was.

PAX West 2026 Penny Arcade Reedpop

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