[Updated: 11/03/2026 – Added event map + more details]
Returning for it’s forth year, The Game Expo looks set to be one for the books. From March 14 -15, TGX will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Boasting a bigger-than-ever array of community-focused content, it certainly seems like the game’s event has more than found its footing.
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since The Game Expo first spawned in Melbourne, yet as I write this I remember just how humble it was in the beginning. From its outset, TGX was a community-focused games event that has since grown year after year. Where PAX Aus was the treat to saviour at the end of the year, The Game Expo feels like a warm welcome back.
In previous years, my standouts have been the indie games section and the artist alley. Before the first TGX, I never even considered that a game convention might have an artist alley, and yet it fit perfectly. I’d also go as far as to credit TGX for inspiring the artist alley we saw at Dreamhack Melbourne as well. Seeing artists out in force with plenty of goodies and game-related goodness felt long overdue in the game events space.
If you’d like to learn more about The Game Expo you can do so over on the website here.
Update: The Game Expo has officially revealed the event map for 2026!
So what’s coming for TGX 2026? For starters, it’s levelled up this year – the convention will be double the size of 2023. That’s a feat for sure, and yet they will have no problem filling out a bigger space. The standout for me is that there are currently 44 indie games confirmed – a mammoth number of games that even includes some international offerings!
If you’re eager to get among the action, there are community meet-ups, tabletop events, and performances alongside a cosplay competition and workshops for those eager to learn more about crafting.
Over 10 tournaments will be running over TGX, featuring everything from TCG to online multiplayer video games… and let’s not forget the chess!
The fan-favourite artist alley is also back in force with over 200 artists selling everything from prints to charms and other gaming goodies. Just don’t ask me how much I’ve spent in the TGX artist alley – it’s a lot.
Stamp Quest will also be back if you’re eager to spin the wheel for a prize. Attendees are encouraged to participate in activities around the event, which is a highly motivating way to explore! The official TGX trading cards will also be returning, featuring BitBot, with more cute designs this year as well.
Interview with Daniel Chlebowczyk, Co-founder and Brand Director of TGX
We had the opportunity to chat with Daniel Chlebowczyk, Co-founder and Brand Director of The Game Expo and learn more about what’s in store for the event’s fourth iteration, including what the future of the event looks like.
The Game Expo is returning for its fourth year, which is a huge accomplishment for any event. What sets it apart from other game conventions?
The key for us is that we grew the Game Expo from the ground up to include existing game communities. That’s where we come from in gaming. We thought carefully about what we like and want to see in events, and can sum up the philosophy of the event as a celebration of games culture, which we define as three Cs – Community, Creativity and Competition. This leads us to make sure there’s inclusive activity, always engaging, gaming-related and playable, there’s creativity throughout, which brings Artists and Cosplay into the core of the event, and Competition, as people who love games want to show they can be good at them too.
Another factor of starting small has meant the show feels really cosy and the attendees have developed a lot of positive ownership of the show and it feels that way on the floor. Little things like Indie Devs saying they enjoy the mix of people and having the time to chat to them, from gamers, to media, to content creators, is an example of the show blending the local industry with local communities.
What’s been the biggest change you’ve seen since it began in 2023?
We haven’t had major changes as we had a pretty clear vision, but we’re pleased with steady growth in the show and inclusion of supporting partners, without compromising on that community feeling.
Has that vision for TGX stayed the same despite that?
For sure. Every year it’s felt like it’s been building on the last year’s experience – what are the main areas of growth this year? Our commitment to the show means this year taking a little bit of a leap, and we’ve increased the floor space by 50%, taking up 6 bays at the convention centre instead of 4.
With that room to move, there seems to have been a natural response from exhibitors, indies, and artists in signing up so we’ll be confident of filling the space and maintaining core areas of fun activity, from retro zone, rhythm games, freeplay, and pc and FGC tournaments alongside the exhibits. We make sure we have fun activities around the show in general too, with the Stamp Quest continuing, the Tabletop zone offering a free board game library and we’ve got some special guests lined up across a few categories to be announced.
There’s a real sense of community at TGX. How does the team manage to prioritise this despite that growth?
It starts with community and each zone has activities which are operated by partnering with existing gaming community organisations, or the people known to lead communities. For instance, our Just Dance section and its judges, are well-known creators and regulars in the Just Dance scene. The same goes for chiptunes, retro, fighting games and cosplay. The team is regularly talking about, and now more and more, taking submissions from the community for fun things to do. There are community meetups and things like the cosplay item swap meet all happening which have come up organically around the event. We’re here to encourage and facilitate that sort of thing where we can.
More game developers have been showing their games at The Game Expo – why do you think that might be given TGX’s grassroots approach?
It’s an event with its own feeling, and devs have told us they enjoy the vibe of the event, and the sense there’s a bit more time for people to have a relaxed and engaged playtest of their games, the conversations and questions reflect that, and its kept many of them coming back
What should attendees expect from The Game Expo 2026? What are you most looking forward to?
The simple answer is that buzz of people having fun, everywhere you look. For new and cool things, we’ve got some amazing cosplay competitions, including an international qualifier for “Tournament of Champions”, thanks to the passion of our Cosplay coordinator Emily aka Emildweeb, which is a success story in itself. Emily is someone who entered our previous cosplay and did well, then joined the team. Likewise, we have some special developer guests coming this year, which is new for the show – watch out for the news items on those announcements.
What are you hoping to see more of at future TGX events?
We want to continue elevating different sections of the show, which will take some time as the industry and partners, and general growth, help us get there. For example, we’d love for each major section to have its own stage and panel program. Tabletop gaming and Indie games are big examples near the top of that list.
Does BitBot – TGX’s mascot have a favourite game?
BitBot is ever curious and is trying new and old games all the time!
The Game Expo is on March 14 -15, tickets are now available here.
