PAX West 2017 | Major Developer Event Lineup

August 30, 2017

Rejoice, friends, for PAX West 2017 is upon us. As a more fan-focused event, the Penny Arcade Expo started back in 2004 as a small two-day event in Bellevue, Washington and has massively grown in size since then, now hosting six separate events across the United States and Australia annually. Needless to say, the enormous amount of people that attend these events has enticed major video game publishers and developers to jump on board to give players early access to new games, host tournaments for existing titles, and give away plenty of exclusive items. If you managed to win the internet lottery and acquire a coveted PAX West badge or two, congratulations! Here are a few of the major developers and publishers attending the show and what they’ll have to offer:

Adult Swim Games

Adult Swim Games will be showcasing a few titles at their booth this year, including the Nintendo Switch version of Battle Chef Brigade and a demo for ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove.

Bungie

The Destiny 2 developers have rented out the entire Paramount Theatre for three days, offering an opportunity for Destiny fans to get some hands on time with the game before release, catch a few Destiny focused panels, and more.

Capcom

I just want to point out that Monster Hunter: World will be playable which is personally all I ever needed to hear. I guess there are some other games available to check out too:

Street Fighter V
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
Monster Hunter: World
Resident Evil Revelations

The Capcom booth will also be selling special edition pins, shirts, figurines and other merchandise.

Devolver Digital

Devolver typically sets up a booth with playable demos of a variety of games most people have never heard of. This year appears to be no different with games like Ruiner, Swords of Ditto, Gorn, and Reigns: Her Majesty, the sequel to a game that’s essentially Tinder crossed with casual regicide.

Nintendo

Goodness, Nintendo knows how to throw a party when they want to. Since they bothered to actually share their plans in detail unlike some of these other companies, I’ll summarize here. On Thursday, August 31st is the 3th annual Nindies@Night event at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP, formally known as the EMP Museum) to showcase titles from independent developers for the Nintendo Switch. They tend to give out a lot of swag at this event, so be there! If you can’t make it, the Nindies Arcade is available at the Convention Center and should have access to the same titles and swag.

Playable in the exhibitor hall is Super Mario Odyssey, which is incredible, and Nintendo will be giving out Odyssey exclusive items for those who spend ample time at their booth. My Nintendo members will also have a chance to acquire a My Nintendo Pass (in limited quantities), a fast-pass of sorts that allows access to a priority line with shorter wait times during specified times. There will be at least four Switch titles available to try (not including the massive list of indie games revealed during the recent Nintendo Indie Showcase) and two upcoming 3DS games:

Pokkén Tournament DX
Rocket League
NBA 2K18
FIFA 18
Metroid: Samus Returns
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions

Nintendo is also filming a live segment of Nintendo Minute with Kit and Krysta during a panel Saturday morning. They’re also giving away limited edition posters of old Nintendo Power magazines and… okay I think that’s enough to do, for now, Nintendo. Good job.

Microsoft

Team Xbox is hosting their 4th annual ID@Xbox Pre-PAX Open House at their visitor’s centre in Redmond, WA. You’ll have an opportunity to play over 50 indie games including Path of Exile and Ark: Survival Evolved. Forza 7 will also make an appearance, but be advised you must RSVP to this event to attend. It’s free and takes place Thursday evening on August 31st.

At the show proper, Microsoft will be showing off their new console, the Xbox One X, and a few high profile titles including:

Forza Motorsport 7
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Sea of Thieves
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Super Lucky’s Tale
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Cuphead
Middle Earth: Shadow of War
Black Desert Online
Hello Neighbor
Zoo Tycoon
Disneyland Adventures

Larry Hryb, Major Nelson himself, will also be hosting a live Major Nelson Radio panel for those who are interested. Also, don’t forget to snap a photo of your favourite Xbox Design Lab controller at Microsoft’s booth for a chance to win one for yourself.

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SEGA

SEGA will be providing demos of Total War: Warhammer II and Sonic Forces. Looking a bit sparse there, SEGA, but thanks for coming!

Sony

Sony was also nice enough to provide details on their game lineup, and it’s pretty packed. On PlayStation 4 there will be demos of:

Detroit: Become Human
Gran Turismo Sport
Knack 2
PlayLink: Frantics
PlayLink: Hidden Agenda
PlayLink: Knowledge is Power
PlayLink: That’s You!
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Battle Chasers: Nightwar
Burly Men at Sea
Dragon Ball Fighter Z
Hob
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Omen of Sorrow
Samurai Shodown V Special
Swords of Ditto
Tooth and Tail
Windjammers

There will a few PSVR demos as well, though you will likely need to set appointments using PlayStation’s Experience App. It’s a bit finicky in our experience, so good luck!

Bravo Team
Gran Turismo Sport
The Inpatient
Kaiju Driving Range
League of War: VR Arena
Moss
Sparc
Star Child

Square Enix

I hope you like RPGs because Square Enix wants to stuff your face with them. Games at the show include:

Lost Sphear
Final Fantasy XV
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
Life is Stange: Before the Storm
Secret of Mana
Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition
Flame vs. Blaze
King’s Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon
Mobius Final Fantasy
Children of Zodiarcs

Final Fantasy XIV, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, and Mobius Final Fantasy will also have dedicated panels throughout the event.

THQ Nordic

Recently revealed at Gamescom in Germany, Biomutant from THQ Nordic and Experiment 101 will be playable on the show floor. This game is a unique blend of open-world RPG, kung-fu, and anthropomorphic animals.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft will be hosting a live stream all weekend showing off titles such as Assassin’s Creed: Origins, For Honor, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Far Cry 5. Also, Far Cry 5 will be available to try out in the exhibitor hall and will have a dedicated panel alongside For Honor.

Bandai Namco, Bethesda, Epic Games, and WB Games will also be present at the show, but in what capacity is anyone’s guess at this point in time. PAX West 2017 takes place in Seattle, Washington from September 1-4. Have fun and stay safe out there!