What do you mean PAX is only three weeks away? *heavy breathing*
Australia’s biggest and best gaming event is back for another massive year! From the 9th – 11th of October, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will once again feature some of the world’s largest publishers are bringing blockbuster, pre-release games to Australian shores months before they hit shelves, alongside major hardware reveals, esports finals, indie showcases and interactive experiences spanning the entire show floor.
SEGA Brings Four Playable Titles
Leading the charge is SEGA, with four huge titles playable at the show. You can command the Space Marines across three gameplay scenarios in Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000, try to survive Alien: Isolation 2, experience the striking combat of Stranger Than Heaven, and go hands-on with Persona 4 Revival, the stunning remake of the beloved RPG classic. Expect MASSIVE lines for this one!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Lands in Australia Early
Australians get an early taste of one of the year’s biggest releases, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 playable on the show floor ahead of its global launch on 23 October. You can can jump into a selection of the game’s highly anticipated Multiplayer before anyone else. If you thought the SEGA line was going to long, this is going to be insane!
Final Fantasy Takes Over
Square Enix is bringing FINAL FANTASY XIV Online back to PAX Aus, with playable Nintendo Switch 2 gameplay, a bracelet-making station and a themed photo opportunity for Warriors of Light.
The experience extends beyond the show floor with A Realm Reburned, a special developer panel featuring Localisation Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and Global Community Producer Toshio ‘Foxclon’ Murouchi, who will share behind-the-scenes stories from one of the world’s biggest MMOs, all while taking on an increasingly fiery hot sauce challenge.
Square Enix will also give attendees a special look at FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, the epic conclusion to the acclaimed remake project. With the fate of the planet hanging in the balance, Cloud and his companions face their final battle against Sephiroth in the biggest chapter yet, we are hoping for a photo opp just like the one at the Tokyo Games Show.
Discover Games Before Anyone Else
Over 90 games will be playable across the Aus Indie Showcase, PAX Rising and New Zealand’s Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE), it is always the highlight of the show and gives you the chance to play titles from emerging Australian developers and new studios from across the Tasman before almost anyone else.
Hardware, Tech and a Sandpit?
The show floor will be packed with gaming hardware and peripherals from some of the biggest names in the space. Mwave is taking “build your own” literally this year, bringing a sandpit and remote-controlled excavator where attendees can dig for prizes, while Aftershock PC is going bigger with new designs, a racing simulator and the Aftershock Journey Book – collect all six stamps across themed stalls and you’ll go in the draw to win one of two custom PCs.
PowerA returns with new controllers and headsets heading into Christmas, plus a first look at the PowerA Meridian Flight Controller for Xbox and PC ahead of its planned 2027 release. Gaming favourite Bajo will meet fans at the stand on Saturday and Sunday, and PowerA is offering 40% off during PAX week.
ASUS Republic of Gamers will sponsor the PC Tournaments & Freeplay area, with Bluemouth Interactive, Thermaltake, Keychron, Clever Gear, Electronic Rebellion and Turtle Beach all showing off their latest wares.
Nintendo Enters the Chat
I won’t lie, I was very worried that none of the big three consoles were going to make it to PAX this year, fortunately Nintendo have joined the chat and will bring some of their biggest titles for the Switch 2 to PAX.
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave heads up the line-up, with attendees who play the demo receiving a special reward. When the Dagdan Empire lies on the brink of ruin in the hands of a resurrected demon god, you’re tasked with guiding the unfolding stories of four heroes to change their fates and save the world.
Star Fox sees Fox McCloud and his wingmen return in a remake of the Nintendo 64 classic Lylat Wars, strapping players in for intense aerial combat as they take the Lylat System back from Dr. Andross, one planet at a time.
Racing fans can burn rubber in Mario Kart World‘s non-stop transcontinental Knockout Tour rally, while Donkey Kong Bananza lets players help DK and Pauline hunt for Banandium Gems, smashing through a vast multilayered underground world and unleashing Bananzas to transform DK into new animal forms.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book offers something gentler, as Yoshi dives into the pages of a strange book named Mr. E to discover the worlds and creatures within. Splatoon Raiders sends players on an ink-flinging treasure hunt across the mysterious Spirahlite Islands alongside Deep Cut, kitting out with mechanical gadgets to splat, loot and raid – just watch out for those pesky Salmonids.
There’s a competitive edge too: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort brings 1v1 local multiplayer to the Nintendo booth stage, with a unique pin set for everyone who participates ahead of the game’s 22 October launch.
Over on the Pokémon side, players can dive into Pokémon Pokopia‘s Expansion Pass Part 1: Bubbly Basin, exploring a new underwater town, meeting new Pokémon and enjoying the slow life in the deep sea.
The Nintendo Booth’s Partner Line-Up Is Stacked
Nintendo’s partners are bringing the goods as well, with ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition (including Shadow of the Erdtree and new classes, armour and weapons), 007 First Light ahead of its March 2027 launch, and FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE – the first HD-2D game in the franchise – launching 22 October.
Monster Hunter Wilds will be playable ahead of its 4 December Switch 2 launch, Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s Tournament for the Throne arrives 12 November, and Dragon’s Dogma II: Dark Arisen will be on the floor from launch day on 9 October. Minecraft for Nintendo Switch 2 shows off its enhanced lighting with Vibrant Visuals support, alongside Minecraft Dungeons II and the Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection, which brings the base game plus both expansions to Switch 2 with cross-play and cross-progression. There’s also Orbitals, an intergalactic two-player co-op puzzle adventure set in a retro anime world, which launched exclusively on Switch 2 in September.
Pikmin Bloom Pops Up For The First Time In Australia
Pikmin fans are in for a treat, with Pikmin Bloom popping up at PAX Aus for the first time. Attendees can complete in-game activities and enjoy an AR photo opportunity – a first in Australia – with special Decor Pikmin up for grabs.
Esports, Experiences and a Very Rare Lexus
The Ubisoft Community & Esports Stage will host the Rainbow Six Siege APL Oceania Stage Finals, with four of OCE’s best teams battling for a $40,000 prize pool and a place at the Osaka Major. There’s also an Assassin’s Creed Sea Shanty Singalong, a Just Dance-Along, and a chance to take on Martin Copping – the voice of Australian Operator Mozzie – in a Rainbow Six Siege 1v1.
eBay Live makes its PAX Aus debut with live shopping, special drops and the eBay Collectors Club House, while Superloop powers the Aus Indie Showcase and the Superloop Main Theatre, home to some of the weekend’s biggest guests and panels.
More Than Just Games
Beyond the show floor, BlackMilk brings its gaming and pop culture-inspired clothing, Secretlab joins with its latest launches including The Pokémon Collection, and Kraken will host the first-ever Creator Lounge alongside Twitch. Crunchyroll will offer a look at what’s coming next to Australia, and charity partner Beyond Blue alongside The Inclusion Project will run the AFK Room, offering a quiet space complete with sensory tools and support from allied health occupational therapists.
With even more still to be revealed, PAX Aus 2026 is shaping up as one of the show’s biggest years yet – and your chance to play some of 2027’s most anticipated games before release.
PAX Aus 2026 runs 9-11 October at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For tickets and more information, head here
