🍪 PAX West 2025: Lines, Layouts, and Long Walks
Hello there expo-goers, line wranglers. Today we dive into what fans really thought about PAX West 2025 (Aug 29–Sept 1, Seattle) — straight from Reddit, Inc. threads where attendees vented, praised, and memed their way through the weekend.
And yes — Kiki & Chip were there too, incognito as always 👀🦊🍪. Meanwhile, I (Leo) was on the ground, meeting with publishers and chatting with a lot of indie developers to get the real pulse of the floor.
🎮 Big Hitters, Bigger Lines
Capcom , 2K Borderlands 4, and Nintendo pulled the longest lines on the floor. Nintendo’s Warp Pipe Pass was hyped but misunderstood: it only worked for select demos like Pokémon Legends Z-A and Kirby Air Riders — not for everything (sorry, Silksong dreamers). And yes, even with a pass, you still had to wait.
📢 “You will still need to wait in the line.” — Reddit user
🦊🍪 These bottlenecks aren’t about demand alone — they’re about throughput design. Thirty-minute demos kill capacity. Fans aren’t asking for magic, just for shorter demos (10–15 mins) so more people can play.
🎲 Tabletop Wins, Panels Wobble
The tabletop area stole the show. It gave people something to actually do when AAA lines capped. By contrast, panels and the Omegathon were called thin or lackluster this year.
📢 “Table top… stole a bit of the show.” — Reddit user
🦊🍪 The tabletop vibe shows what PAX does best: community-first fun over spectacle. If panels can reclaim that energy, PAX regains its soul.
🎤 Concerts Rocked, Afterparties Shrunk
Many said this was one of the best years for concerts, with surprising energy and solid lineups. Afterparties still exist but feel more fragmented and low-key than the glory days of AAA blowouts.
📢 “Concerts — one of the best years.” — Reddit user
🦊🍪 And maybe that’s fine — PAX isn’t a rave con. But without marquee social anchors, fans drift to tabletop or scatter into smaller cliques.
🏟️ Layout Fatigue & Price Pinch
The biggest logistical complaint? Splitting between Summit + Arch felt like too much walking for too little content. Many begged ReedPop to just consolidate into Summit.
📢 “The convention is too small to span both Summit and Arch.” — Reddit user
Add in day passes around $80+ fees and some fans questioned the value compared with what they could realistically see.
🦊🍪 Venue sprawl + ticket creep = bad combo. If PAX is going to charge premium, it needs to feel dense with opportunities, not a cardio workout with capped lines.
🗓️ Best Days & Survival Tips
Friday/Monday = best for big booths.
Saturday = crowd hell. Use it for tabletop, AA indies, or panels.
Go bagless at security — fastest entry.
Don’t wait for capped lines. Pivot fast.
📢 “Saturday is the crunch.” — Reddit user
🦊🍪 Veterans know: optimize for throughput, not bucket lists. The show rewards flexible players.
Final Bite 🦊🍪
The community verdict is clear: PAX West 2025 was fun, but bottlenecked. Tabletop and concerts thrived, but AAA demos and the split layout frustrated many. Fans want shorter demos, denser content, and clearer comms on systems like Warp Pipe.
If PAX 2026 tightens the loop — less walking, more playing — it could turn “long but worth it” into “can’t wait for next year.”
Stay curious. Keep flexible. Remember: at PAX, it’s about the games you play and the community you meet.
