A new video game expo is coming to Melbourne next year, and although it promises big things, little information is known about ‘The Game Expo’ just yet. 

The date for the inaugural The Game Expo show is set for March 11th & March 12th, 2023, at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. That’s the same convention centre PAX Australia uses yearly, so there are bound to be some comparisons. 

But just who’s running this event? At first, the official website for The Game Expo wasn’t listing anyone, but in the 24 hours since sending a press release to media outlets, the website has been updated with some names. Hayden “Haydz” is listed as the Event Director, and he is also the co-founder of EventsEngine and Kanga Esports. Justin “Ultimate_Sacrifice” is the Technical Director, and Daniel “Berzerk” is the Marketing Director.

Here’s what The Game Expo says it is all about in a press release shared with Explosion Network:

“The Game Expo was formed by members of the gaming community who have come together in collaboration. With decades of experience in gaming events producing activations for the industry, or to support their favourite games and find more people to play together. This is a home grown expo from the teams behind numerous fan favourite gaming LANS , pop culture shows and esports events, including BAM (Battle Arena Melbourne), The Big LAN, ITZ Gaming, Kanga Esports, Events Engine and more.”

And what will you be doing at The Game Expo?

“You will get to dive into esports tournaments from beginner to pro level. You can show your creativity and meet creators showing wonderful cosplay, artwork, and meet Youtube or Twitch content creators. Relax and enjoy gaming of all kinds from tabletop and card gaming, to console freeplay and a massive BYOC PC LAN. And see the games from indie developers up to major publishers. Whatever you love in the gaming community, it’s at The Game Expo.”

The Game Expo also plans to colour coordinate its different events both on-floor and on the map so you can find where you want to be faster. 

  • Red – Tournaments – Community and Competitive
    Esports, Console and PC Live tournaments, and stage events with prizes.

  • Yellow – Expo Hall – Tech and Gaming Brands
    Explore new games and tech at exhibitor booths, try demos, and complete event quests.

  • Blue – Creative – Show your love of gaming
    Meet your favourite streamers and content creators, witness amazing cosplay and live performances, and discover the talent of fantastic artists.

  • Green – Freeplay – Everyone is welcome to play
    There’s fun freeplay all over the show, with special zones for console and PC play as well as a dedicated tabletop gaming zone where you can learn to play from the free library of board and card games, join tournaments, and more.

Although it’s common for tickets to go on sale for something like an aforementioned PAX before all guests and events have been announced, it’s a little bit harder a sell for a first-time convention. Weekend tickets for the event are available now for $40, VIP tickets for $250 and BYOC for $80. I’ll hold off on buying anything until we have more information.

Even with my slight wariness for any convention (there are always so many horror stories when a con goes wrong), I do hope everything can come together here for The Game Expo. I don’t love the name, but I like the idea of an Aussie-created convention that takes place at the opposite end of the year to PAX Australia. 

I’ll keep my eye on all things about The Game Expo, and I’ll share any updates to the guests and what games may be available to play as we move closer to the convention. For now, holding onto your money is my advice, and wait until I can provide you with a little more information. If you want to peruse the website yourself, do that at www.thegameexpo.com.