PAX West 2026 has taken over the Seattle Convention Center from September 4–7, and with an amusement park-themed “PAXLand” layout split between the Arch and Summit halls, the show floor is packed. Here’s what’s actually worth the queue this weekend.
Konami’s Triple Threat: Metal Gear, Castlevania, Silent Hill
The Konami booth is the show’s biggest draw, spotlighting three 2026 releases. The hands-on Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse demo is generating the strongest word-of-mouth of the show — early hands-on reports say the gothic metroidvania “lives up to the hype” ahead of its October 15 launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Nintendo Switch and Steam. Producer Tsutomu Taniguchi is on-site for a behind-the-scenes panel, and booth visitors receive an exclusive in-game Tarot Card.
The Silent Hill: Townfall space recreates the Scottish coastal town of St. Amelia with an interactive clue-deciphering experience, building hype for the September 24 launch on PS5 and PC. And the Metal Gear section celebrates Master Collection Vol. 2’s recent release with a 10-foot-tall Gekko mech photo op and a specially painted Metal Gear art car by Japanese mural collective OVER ALLs.
Square Enix and the Final Fantasy VII Trilogy Panel
Days after Revelation’s release date reveal, Square Enix brought a Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy panel to the PAX main stage — developers shared new insights into the trilogy’s making and closed with a new trailer. The Square Enix booth is also running a full slate of playable demos throughout the weekend.
Civilization’s 35th Birthday
Firaxis used its PAX panel to celebrate Civilization’s 35th anniversary in style, announcing the free Arc of Tomorrow update — which adds a fourth Atomic Age in 2027 — alongside the space race-themed Earthrise expansion and this month’s Update 1.5.0 with the long-requested Earth map.
Show Floor Standouts
Beyond the big publishers, the indie rows are doing what PAX does best. SEGA and RGG Studio are demoing Stranger than Heaven, the Yakuza-style action game whose brutal, intentional combat left strong first impressions. The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham — the new supernatural mystery from The Haunting of Joni Evers studio Causeway Studios — made its debut announcement, and Joycity’s Freestyle Football 2 kicked off its open beta on PC and consoles. Retro fans queue for Dungeon Lurker’s 32-bit nostalgia, puzzle fans for Desolum’s Portal-flavored conundrums, and card game sickos for Portentum’s meta auto-battler.
One Day Left
PAX West 2026 wraps Monday, September 7 — the show’s final day, traditionally the best time to hit anything you missed while the queues shrink. If the first three days are any indication, Seattle’s grey skies haven’t dampened a very busy show floor.