It’s been a big week for PAX Aus reveals. From the exhibitors for the expo hall being announced to the release of the weekend's panel schedule, it’s hard to keep up with all of these major announcements. Rest assured, we here at Couch Soup have got the lowdown on all the important details from the PAX Aus news dump this week.
The exhibitors that will be on the expo floor at PAX this year have been announced, and it looks to be the most stacked year yet. The main highlight for me is the return of Nintendo after missing out on the event last year, but they’re definitely making up for lost time. This year, Nintendo is bringing multiple highly anticipated games that we’ll be able to play for the first time in Australia! This includes Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Kirby Air Riders, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and third-party titles like Hades II. I’m especially keen to get my hands on Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, but I will definitely be spending enough time at Nintendo’s booth to play everything they have to offer.
The other big heavy hitter heading to PAX Aus this year is Xbox, and it’s been a long time coming. They haven’t had a big presence at the event for the past couple of years, only having a small pop-up in 2024. However, Xbox is making a big splash this year by bringing some of its latest games and tech. The game at the centre of Xbox’s booth will be NINJA GAIDEN 4, the long-awaited sequel in this hack-and-slash series. I’m a big fan of these types of games and am looking forward to going hands-on with the game. Aside from NINJA GAIDEN 4, Xbox is also bringing the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X to PAX, letting people get a first look at Xbox’s first foray into handheld gaming.
It's not just Nintendo and Xbox; the expo floor will be filled with a wide variety of publishers, developers, and everything in between. This includes The Sims, Devolver Digital, Bethesda, Gearbox, Ubisoft, Aftershock, eBay, the Australian Esports League (AEL), and even Red Bull, of all things, just to name a few. There will be something for everyone on the expo floor this year, and you can check out the full list here.
For fans of tabletop gaming, this year is looking to be PAX Aus’s best board and card game offering yet, with the debut of the global tabletop leader, asmodee. Formerly known as VR Distribution, asmodee is one of the largest tabletop publishers, bringing a wide range of games, exclusives, and interactive experiences to PAX Aus 2025. Some of the highlights include CATAN 6th edition in celebration of the game's 30th anniversary and a first look at the new set for Star Wars: Unlimited (including an exclusive Darth Tyranus promo card for people who play the demo). Other games will include The Witcher: Gwen The Card Game, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship Trick, Pandemic: Fate of Fellowship, Exploding Kittens, Space Cowboys, and so much more.
Alongside the games, asmodee released a statement recently about Tabletop Game Designers Australia, which can be read below.
"This year, asmodee is proud to be the presenting partner of TGDA’s (Tabletop Game Designers Australia) DevCon 2025, helping foster the growth and development of tabletop game design in Australia and hopefully discover the next big Tabletop creator. By backing this annual industry gathering, asmodee strengthens its commitment to nurturing local talent and providing a platform for designers, publishers and creators"
The final piece of news for today is the announcement that the PAX Aus 2025 panel schedule is now live! Panels are one of the pillars of PAX, and this year has a wide variety to choose from. Friday will have PAX staples such as the Storytime with Gavin Verhey and Penny Arcade Make-a-Strip, alongside some more out there panels like Ranking The Best Food in Video Games with Actual Video Game Journalists and What the F* is a Kilometre?
Saturday will have a celebration of the PS2 with Going Platinum: Celebrating 25 Years of the PS2, as well as Fireside chats with Amelia Tyler of Baldur’s Gate 3 fame and Ify Nwadiwe from Dropout TV. Saturday is also when Gearbox will be holding a panel about all things Borderlands 4, including new reveals and updates for the future of the game.And Sunday will be sending off PAX Aus 2025 with a bang with a Fireside Chat – Bringing the Year of Obsidian to Life and Sorry, You Peaked – Video Game Barks and Vocal Health, alongside the finale of the OMEGATHON. There’s a panel for everyone this year at PAX Aus, and you can check out the full schedule and start planning your weekend here.
God damn, that was a lot of news for PAX Aus 2025 - must mean that we are well and truly in the PAX season. Keep checking back to stay up to date on anything and everything related to PAX Aus 2025.
Are you attending PAX Aus 2025? What are you excited for? What games do you wanna try? Let us know in the comments where we can talk all things PAX Aus.
