PAX West

PAX West returns to the Seattle Convention Center from September 3 to 6, 2027, taking over both the original Arch Building at 705 Pike Street and the newer Summit Building at 900 Pine Street. It's the original PAX, started back in 2004 by the people behind Penny Arcade, and it was built for players rather than press and buyers. That distinction still shapes how it works: nearly everything here is hands-on. You queue up, sit down, and play an unreleased game, and the person explaining it is often the person who actually made it.

The show has grown to span two buildings because, as the organizers put it, "gaming cannot be contained to just one building." That expansion pulls tens of thousands of people into a few walkable blocks of downtown Seattle over the four days. The indie section, the PAX Rising floor, is where most veterans say to spend your time, and the whole thing is as much an evening convention as a daytime one. Enforcers help it run smoothly every year.

Across the weekend, the show runs from 10 AM to midnight each day, while the Expo Hall stays open from 10 AM to 6 PM. The two buildings are the Arch and the Summit, both in the heart of downtown.