PAX East 2019: What We’re Excited To See

Gillian: For a lot of people, PAX East is the pinnacle of their year – it’s the place where you can authentically be yourself and celebrate your passions. For me, PAX East has become synonymous with what the gaming community is for me – a celebration of my passions, my hobbies, and my job. It’s a place where the foreign and hallowing feeling of the internet is gone and I can be myself with my friends. It’s corny, I know, but I look forward to PAX because I know that regardless of what happens, what games are there or even what swag we come home with – the root of PAX East is that feeling of belonging. That being said, there are some things that I’m really looking forward to like a few particular games!

The Games

Brawlhalla! I’ve been a fan of Brawlhalla for years now and they’ve become the game I almost always look for first. Why? Many years ago they were at their first PAX East as a small Indie booth off to the side of the Expo floor but their game was enticing, even for a non-FGC player like myself. The booth attendants were so engaging and they had all levels of management manning this small booth at PAX. The game was a lot of fun and the crowds definitely favored this small Indie brand. From there, every year their booth has gotten bigger, their audience has doubled, and their annual Championship prize pool has gotten bigger and bigger! They are my Cinderella story game and I can’t wait to see what they do this year!

I’d be lying if I said I was not the most excited to see the Dead by Daylight booth by Behaviour this year. I’ve been watching the game on Twitch for years and only recently started playing – and boy, am I hooked! I’m really looking forward to talking with the Developers about the growth of the game, how the community has formed around this addictive horror game, and maybe the possibility of making it competitive? All kidding aside, I am very excited to see this game at PAX! Also, be sure to give us a follow on Instagram to see me cosplaying my favorite Killer on Sunday!

Community

PAX East has always been a celebration of our mutual love of gaming and while I’m looking forward to the actual games, I’m also looking forward to being around like-minded individuals who don’t me gushing and raving about my favorite game. As a gamer and self-identified nerd, I was often met with the stereotypical eye-roll when I’d rant and rave about my favorite game or the latest roster changes by friends and family who don’t share my passion. PAX East is the place where we all gush and rant and rave about everything that makes us happy and excited. Stoked about the new Killer in Dead by Daylight? You’ll find at least a hundred people who will jump up and down and scream about how excited you are! Still reeling from that teaser potentially hinting at a Borderlands 3? You’ll find people who will dive deep into why that hint was definitely Borderlands 3! The point is that you’re surrounded by people who love what you do and who are JUST as excited about your passions are you are.

I’m really excited to also go to the Diversity Lounge this year! The Lounge is an inclusive area where you can find organizations, both nonprofit and businesses, that support diversity initiatives. Organizations like AnyKey or AbleGamers, and even the Toronto Gaymers one year, are found in the lounge. It’s a great opportunity to support organizations that fight for inclusivity in gaming as well as get to relax from the craziness that is PAX East.

I’m excited to see what PAX East has to offer this year and I’m excited to get to see how Chelsea experiences it for the first time! There are so many things I’m excited for but at least you have an idea what I’m excited for at PAX East.

Chelsea: I’ve always wanted to go to PAX, but I’ve never had the opportunity. My sense of it is as a little chaotic and a lot of fun. I can’t wait to take it all in and really steep in the celebration of all things gaming.

First Time Experience

I’ve never been to a PAX before, so as a first-timer, I think I’m most looking forward to the total experience. Hearing about an event is always different from being there in person. The details that stand out to me may be quite a bit different from what stands out for other people. I’m looking forward to the crowds of people there to express unfettered joy for games. What a beautiful thing to unite us all! Whether you’re excited about Triple-A titles, gems from indie developers, video games or board games, we can all share a passion for this incredible form of entertainment. I look forward to immersing myself in that for the entirety of PAX.

Panels

I’m excited to sit through as many panels as I can. There are going to be some fantastic speakers on hand and I’m keen to listen to them. There are so many interesting themes running through the PAX panels this year that are near and dear to my heart. Some of the topics that really appeal to me are mental health, kids, retrospectives, esports and entertainment.

Games

Lastly, the games, oh the games. I’m looking forward to announcements for games we don’t even know about, for games we’re expected (Gearbox, I’m looking at you) and to discover games on the Expo floor that I should have already picked up and sunk hours into playing.

There are a few titles I’m already looking forward to checking out, but Destiny’s Sword by 2Dogs Games Ltd. is the one that stands out for me. It’s an MMO with the promise of a rich narrative and combat system, but also an emphasis on mental health. I’m excited to see how they bring it all together.

More generally I’m also going to be on the lookout for really good co-op games. I love to play games socially and what’s better than working together toward a common goal?  I’m sure there are more than a few gems that I’ll discover, the games I’d never heard of before, but simply must have!