Every October, the air is alive and buzzing with excitement at the MKAU headquarters; it could only mean our annual PAX trip is upon us, and we get to unite with our own community but also with others in the business.

Every convention and what it has to offer is important to us, but PAX is the pinnacle of gaming content in Australia, since the collapse of most conventions strictly gaming-orientated. So, with our bags packed, we flew down to Melbourne, for some, our first PAX, but one of many for MKAU as a crew.

At conventions, there is always some sort of sense of community. Whether it be gaming, cosplay, nerdy pop culture, or even just a curious civilian, we all belong to some sort of group, and you can find it all here.

At PAX, as a gamer, it is just so comforting to be a part of this community. With their iconic sign displaying ‘Welcome Home,’ the statement really does encapsulate the overall experience that is PAX AUS 2025.

So, what is a ‘PAX’?

Originating in America as the famous ‘Penny Arcade’ in 2004, and having been on the golden shores of Melbourne for a few years, it is one of Australia’s biggest gaming conventions. This 3-day celebration of anything in gaming culture has everything, from retro appreciation, tabletop play, cosplay, up-and-coming new releases, tournaments, and panels.

“If you love games, you’ll find a home at PAX”, in the words of the PAX website, I couldn’t say it better myself. Gaming is that safe place for a lot of people, an escape into a different world, and PAX is one convention that is literally like stepping into another dimension. Including the smell of sweat, neon signage, wide-eyed faces, and loud, animated conversations in lines, PAX encompasses everything gaming is about: bringing people together.

Thursday

Thanks to Ubisoft ANZ, MKAU Ubisoft Creators got to attend the ‘ Ubisoft Creator Mixer: Celebrating 10 years of Siege’. Celebrating everything about the infamously popular FPS, Siege X and formerly known as Rainbow Six Siege, this was a banging start to the PAX weekend. Catching up with our own MKAU Reviewers, Content Creators and Streamers, it was also such a great opportunity to match faces to the names in the illustrious UbisoftANZ Creators Discord. With temporary tattoos, a caricature artist, speed run competitions and plenty of raffles, the Siege community in Oz definitely felt very united.

Highlights on the night were guest speaker, Josh Mills, Game Director for Siege X, all the way from Ubisoft Montreal and Martin Copping arriving, an avid Twitch Streamer and voice actor of the famous Australian Operator and character in Siege, Mozzie.

Friday

Friday, despite being a weekday, brings a decent amount of con-goers to the floors of Melbourne Convention Centre. Our ‘Media Hour’ before the general public entered enabled us to catch up with PR and developers we communicate with throughout the year and to get some very cool shots of the booths they have painstakingly prepared.

At 3 pm, our very own Senior Editor (and freshly inducted PAX attendee), Ash aka WhiteDireTiger, interviewed Mike Bilders, Chief Executive Officer and Allard Laban, Chief Creative Officer of Jackbox Games. Here, he got to chat and have a laugh with these charismatic game designers while discussing the present and future of these awesome party games.

While Ash was busy rubbing shoulders with Jackbox games, Subby and I attended the panel ‘Fireside Chat with Rainbow Six Siege Game Director, Joshua Mills’ hosted by famous Australian Gaming Personality, Steaphanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen.

As huge Siege fans, we hung on every word Joshua had to say about his passion and development processes for one of our favourite Ubisoft titles. It was very informative, and we left missing Siege X waiting back at home for us, but ALAS, there was more work to be done.

Saturday

Saturday allowed us to get up, close and personal with the upcoming DLC Woolhaven for Digital Devolver’s epic title, Cult Of The Lamb. This gameplay session was guided by Harrison Gibbins, the head of programmers, and had Ash and I exploring all the new areas, weapons, and enemies that Woolhaven had to offer. Harrison was very gracious in answering all our questions, and I can’t wait to dive into Woolhaven in a future review.

This year, the Independent scene really shone; always buzzing with developers and gamers interested in these creative indie games. Ash got to chat with many projects, such as Chessplus, Silk Soar, Lighthaze World, Tingus Goose, Blood Vow: Survive the Night and Bravecart. It’s great to see indie games making such an impact in the community, and this was definitely the busiest area of the weekend.

We ended our long afternoon as an MKAU group to settle in and watch about 3 hours of the Siege X APL Major Qualifiers, a tournament over 2 days with eight of APAC’s most skilled 5 stacks battling out for $70,000 and four spots to attend the Munch Majors. It was relaxing as we talked about our favourite maps, operators and strategies while cheering on the teams we watched.

Sunday 

Sunday was one of the quieter days for MKAU, giving us a perfect chance to mingle and to support one of our favourite communities, the cosplayers. Hours of time and dedication are utilised to showcase some of our favourite pop culture characters, and this weekend, boy, did they shine.

Ash once again got amongst it in the PAX Rising Area and Indie section (we can’t drag this man away lol), Pro Jank Footy, Enter the Chronosphere, Lunars, Killing Things With Your Friends, Dream Team Supreme, How Was Your Day?, Project Storm: The Ultimate Chase Begins, and the Winner of the PAX Indie Showcase this year, Memory’s Reach.

Subby got to catch up with his friends at Bluemouth Interactive on Sunday, too. Here, he got to discuss with Marketing Manager, Sarah Katz, about upcoming brands and products for future collaborations. BlueMouth Interactive had an impressive little booth area showcasing their own passion for bringing a diverse range of accessories to gamers in Australia.

Final Thoughts…

It was a very full-on weekend with what felt like a much larger expansion of panels and exhibitors this year compared to last year. This made for so much to look at, interact with and learn about.

PAX is always well organised, entertaining, and content-driven, and it still has the sort of atmosphere and community that the organiser endeavours to create. Overall, PAX AUS 2025 delivered a convention that had something for everyone. I can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store for this ever-growing industry. Once again, well played, see you next year, Melbourne! 

If you’d like to check out all our photos, cosplay, and highlight reels from PAX Australia 2025, you can do so below.