PAX Melbourne 2025 – Melbourne – a lively weekend of games, cards and community

Every October, Melbourne becomes the centre of Australia’s gaming world as PAX Australia rolls into town. PAX 2025 ran from Friday to Sunday, 10 to 12 October, and once again filled the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre with energy, colour and sound. While the event remains one of the best annual gatherings for gamers, creators and pop culture fans, this year felt a little quieter on the blockbuster front, with fewer heavy-hitting titles but still plenty to explore and enjoy.

Highlights	PAX Melbourne 2025 offered community and colour with strong tabletop play, fewer big games and fair access, but still a lively, welcoming weekend for fans.
Cost	$65 for one of the days
Location	1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf VIC 3006
Website	https://aus.paxsite.com/

A Venue that Works Well for Everyone

The Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, or MCEC, continues to be an excellent venue for PAX. Its location just outside the CBD makes it easy to reach, whether by car, tram or train. You can drive in and find parking nearby, or hop on a tram that stops right outside. For anyone coming from out of town, it is only a short walk from both Southern Cross and Flinders Street Stations, which makes logistics simple and predictable.

Inside, the space is vast, clean and well organised. The main entrance is typically buzzing from early morning, as lines form before the doors officially open at 10:00 am. If you arrive before then, you wait in the designated holding area where the excitement slowly builds. It has almost become a tradition to gather there, chatting with strangers about what you plan to see first or which new game trailer you are hoping to catch.

The energy inside once the doors open is infectious. There is always that rush to get to the main hall, find your bearings and start exploring.

A Quieter Main Hall This Year

The Main Hall has always been the heart of PAX, where the biggest names in gaming showcase their latest titles. This year, though, it felt more subdued. The absence of major new releases from several large studios gave it a calmer tone than usual. Nintendo easily dominated the floor, with the largest and most elaborate booth.

Nintendo’s lineup included some major upcoming titles — Pokémon Legends Z-A, Metroid 4, Hyrule Warriors and Kirby Air Riders. The booth design was impressive, complete with colourful displays and large screens looping gameplay footage that drew big crowds. The queue, however, was a bit of a headache. Even when it looked half empty, staff would stop new people from joining until the next session cycle. It was frustrating at times, especially when you could see space still available inside.

Apart from Nintendo, the other major booths this year were The Sims, Cult of the Lamb, Tetris and Xbox. Each had something to offer, but it was hard to shake the feeling that the show floor lacked the spectacle and volume of past years. Gone were the towering displays, cinematic trailers and expansive demos from multiple AAA developers. It was still good, just quieter and less intense than expected.

Where I Spent Most of My Time: The Tabletop Hall

With the main hall feeling a little sparse, I found myself spending most of my time in the Tabletop area. This is always one of the best parts of PAX for anyone who enjoys trading card games or board games. The space was packed with tables, players and plenty of laughter. There is something communal and old-school about this area that feels refreshing compared to the digital side of gaming.

Several vendors were selling trading cards and accessories, though it was clear that bargains were harder to find this year. Most prices hovered around retail or just slightly below. There were a few deals worth noting, such as Dragon Ball trading card decks selling for fifteen dollars instead of twenty-five, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 2025 Mega Packs marked down from forty to twenty-five. Still, the discounts were small and the overall atmosphere was more about browsing and chatting than chasing rare deals.

The Gundam Trading Card Game seemed to be the most popular of the bunch. All the starter decks had completely sold out by the time I checked, with remaining stock going for around twenty-five dollars each. They were running demos throughout the day for newcomers, along with sessions for other titles such as One Piece and Digimon. Watching people learn and play was a highlight, and the community vibe in that section was great.

Magic: The Gathering and Pricey Collectibles

No tabletop area would be complete without Magic: The Gathering, and this year Magic had a strong presence. The company showed off its Spider-Man decks, which immediately drew attention from both fans and collectors. The concept was cool, and the artwork looked incredible.

However, prices for Magic products across the venue were a bit disappointing. Some stores were selling Final Fantasy Gift Boxes for as high as two hundred dollars, and Collector Commander Decks at three hundred. It felt excessive, especially for items that are easily found online for less. It was a reminder that while conventions offer atmosphere and access, they do not always offer good value.

Even so, it was interesting to browse through the range of rare cards and collectible sets. The energy around the trading tables was contagious, with players swapping decks, showing off collections and challenging each other to friendly games.

Smaller Vendors and Hallway Stores

One of the unique things about PAX is how it manages to combine big names with independent creators. This year, the hallway outside the main exhibition areas featured several smaller vendors and artist stalls. These tended to be more focused on custom artwork, small-run board games and accessories rather than large-scale commercial goods.

While the selection was modest, it added character to the event. I spent some time browsing through indie merchandise, prints and tabletop accessories. You could tell that many of these smaller businesses were run by passionate people who genuinely love the gaming world. It is often in these smaller corners that you find something memorable to take home.

Trying Out Tetris

With so much happening, I only managed to try one video game this year, and that was the Tetris booth. It was simple, nostalgic and fun — a reminder that sometimes the most timeless games still draw a crowd. The booth was well organised and had a quick turnaround time, so it was easy to jump in for a few rounds. The visuals were clean, and the music captured that satisfying retro feel that makes Tetris a perennial favourite.

It was not a major showcase moment, but it added to the charm of wandering through and picking up small experiences here and there.

Skipping the Food Trucks

Food options at PAX are always a talking point, mostly because of how expensive they are. This year was no different. The food trucks parked outside and near the main concourse were selling standard festival fare — burgers, chips, coffee and soft drinks — but at inflated prices. I decided to skip them entirely. For anyone attending next year, it might be worth walking a few minutes down to South Wharf or across the river to grab something better value.

The MCEC location makes that easy, since you can reach Docklands or Southbank within minutes and have your pick of proper cafés and restaurants. It is one of those small advantages of having PAX held in Melbourne instead of a more isolated venue.

The Atmosphere and Crowd

One of the best parts of PAX each year is the community. Even though this year’s lineup was lighter, the enthusiasm among attendees was just as strong. People come dressed in cosplay, meet friends they only see once a year and join in panels, tournaments and meetups. You feel surrounded by creativity and shared passion, whether in the tabletop section, the indie gaming area or the main hall.

Crowd management was good overall. Lines moved steadily, and the open layout of the MCEC helped prevent major bottlenecks. It felt less packed than some previous years, which actually made it easier to walk around and enjoy everything without being shoulder to shoulder the whole time.

Suggestions for the Future

If there is one thing that could make PAX 2026 stronger, it would be the return of more major publishers. A few larger titles and high-profile reveals would bring back that sense of anticipation that has defined PAX in the past. The indie section and tabletop area are both excellent, but the event works best when they are balanced by big-ticket attractions.

It would also help if Nintendo and other exhibitors made their queues more flexible. The rigid entry limits this year made it unnecessarily difficult to experience demos that clearly had space available. Small tweaks like that can make a big difference to overall enjoyment.

Pricing across vendors could also use some rebalancing. While everyone understands convention mark-ups, some of the trading card and collectible prices felt out of step with market value. If organisers encourage more competitive pricing or include more official retail partners, it could create a better experience for casual buyers.

Growing Potential

Despite a few shortcomings, PAX 2025 still delivered a fun and lively weekend. The event has clearly matured over the years, and it now attracts a broader crowd than just hardcore gamers. Families, collectors, streamers and fans of all kinds fill the halls, creating an atmosphere that feels inclusive and positive.

What stood out this year was the better spacing between areas. Walking between booths and halls felt smoother, and there was less congestion. It gives the impression that the convention could easily expand in the coming years, perhaps taking up more floor space or adding additional themed zones. Melbourne certainly has the capacity and audience for it.

Final Thoughts

PAX Melbourne 2025 may not have had the blockbuster presence of some past editions, but it still offered plenty to enjoy. The venue remains ideal, the community spirit was strong, and there were enough activities to fill an entire weekend. Whether you were there for the tabletop tournaments, the indie games, or just to soak up the creative atmosphere, it was a rewarding experience.

The Nintendo booth was clearly the star of the show, even if queues tested your patience. The tabletop area was lively and social, and while some prices were higher than expected, the variety kept things interesting. The smaller vendor lanes and indie sections added texture and depth, showing that the heart of PAX is as much about people as it is about products.

Overall, PAX 2025 was a reminder that gaming conventions are as much about connection as they are about new releases. It might not have been the flashiest year, but it had soul, energy and enough moments of joy to make it memorable. With a few improvements, PAX 2026 could easily reclaim its title as the unmissable highlight of Melbourne’s gaming calendar.

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