PAX Aus 2026 Welcomes More Gaming Icons to Melbourne
PAX Aus is bringing together an extraordinary line-up of creators, performers, storytellers, voice actors and gaming legends this October, with a new wave of special guests confirmed for Australia’s biggest gaming festival.
From wrestling rings, gaming musical scores and fantasy worlds to tabletop adventures and critically acclaimed video games, this year’s guest line-up offers something for every kind of fan.
Leading the announcement is Austin Creed, formerly known to wrestling fans as WWE superstar Xavier Woods, whose passion for gaming has made him one of the industry’s most recognisable crossover personalities. Through his hugely popular gaming content and appearances across gaming culture, Creed has become a global ambassador for the intersection of gaming and entertainment.
Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and Toshio ‘Foxclon’ Murouchi from Square Enix will join PAX Aus for a special appearance celebrating the world of FINAL FANTASY XIV. Koji Fox is one of the industry’s most respected localisation directors, having worked on FINAL FANTASY XI, FINAL FANTASY XIV, FINAL FANTASY XVI and other landmark titles across the franchise. He also serves as lyricist and vocalist for THE PRIMALS, the official band of FINAL FANTASY XIV.
Joining him is Murouchi, affectionately known to fans as “Foxclon”, who serves as Head of Square Enix’s Community & Service Division and Global Community Producer for FINAL FANTASY XIV. A veteran of online gaming who helped build the management teams behind Ultima Online and FINAL FANTASY XI, Murouchi is a familiar face to players worldwide through the long-running Letter from the Producer LIVE broadcasts alongside FINAL FANTASY XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida.
Australian-born actor, author, activist and former Canadian parliamentarian Lenore Zann is best known to generations of fans as the iconic voice of Rogue in X-Men: The Animated Series, Disney’s X-Men ’97, and beloved games including Marvel vs. Capcom, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Rivals. With a career spanning film, television, animation and gaming, Zann has amassed hundreds of screen and voice acting credits, including fan-favourite roles in Outlaw Star, My Little Pony, MegaMan NT Warrior and The Mummy. Joining PAX Aus for a fireside chat, Lenore will share stories from her remarkable career in entertainment, her return to the X-Men universe and her experiences as an acclaimed author, social justice advocate and award-winning public servant. Making a special trip home to Australia, Lenore is excited to connect with the local gaming and pop culture community across all three days of PAX Aus.
Gregory Louden is an Australian creative director whose career has spanned some of the industry’s most acclaimed narrative-driven games. After beginning in visual effects on films including Prometheus and Gravity, Gregory Louden moved into games at Remedy Entertainment, where he worked on Quantum Break, before joining Housemarque as Narrative Director on the BAFTA-winning Returnal. He is now Creative Director at Housemarque having just directed PlayStation Studios’s acclaimed SAROS. Passionate about storytelling and championing Australian voices in games, Gregory Louden brings a wealth of insight into leadership, narrative design, world-building and the creative process behind some of gaming’s most memorable experiences.
Having loved his PAX adventure so much last year, Ify Nwadiwe is returning for PAX 2026. Ify is a comedian, actor, writer, professional nerd and most notably, the host of Dropout TV’s Um, Actually. He’s made you laugh on all your favourite places on the internet from Smosh and Dimension 20 to Achievement Hunter all the way to Dropout TV. He’s written for shows like Adult Swim’s Tigtone,
NBC’s Grand Crew and Peacock’s Twisted Metal, as well as writing for video games like Apex Legends and Borderlands 4. A multi-hyphenated goofball and talent.
Mick Gordon is an award-winning Australian composer, producer and sound designer whose iconic scores have redefined the sound of modern video games. Best known for his pulse-pounding soundtracks to DOOM (2016), DOOM Eternal, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Prey, Killer Instinct and Atomic Heart, Gordon has earned accolades including a Game Award for Best Music/Sound Design and a D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition. Renowned for blending crushing metal, innovative sound design and cinematic orchestration, Mick will take PAX Aus audiences behind the music that has powered some of gaming’s most unforgettable moments.
Fans of unforgettable live experiences won’t want to miss The Dark Room, the interactive comedy phenomenon where audience members become the heroes of a hilariously chaotic adventure unlike anything else on at PAX. Host and creator John Robertson says, “I’m currently in London adding weird new content, and stretching cos jumping off that big stage is hell on the knees.”
PAX Aus will also welcome Jasmine Bhullar, better known as ThatBronzeGirl, whose content celebrating gaming, pop culture and online communities has earned a devoted following across social platforms.
Tabletop enthusiasts can look forward to appearances from the legendary Good Games Morley team, whose creativity, community spirit and passion for tabletop gaming have made them fan favourites across Australia.
Rounding out the announcement is beloved Australian fantasy author Isobelle Carmody, creator of the internationally acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles, who will bring her unique perspective on world-building, storytelling and imagination to the festival. PAX Aus will also welcome Paul Tobin, Art Director at Chaosium and the creative force behind artwork for iconic tabletop worlds including Call of Cthulhu and Pendragon. With a career spanning film, video games and tabletop, Paul has also contributed to blockbuster franchises including The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia and James Cameron’s Avatar.
All these guests join the already-announced Storytime speaker, Holly Longdale, Executive Producer of World of Warcraft, who will share insights from a remarkable career spanning some of gaming’s most beloved franchises during a special Storytime session kicking off PAX Aus 2026.
“PAX Aus has always been about bringing together incredible people from every corner of gaming and gaming culture,” said Lauren Luciani, Event Director, PAX Aus.
“This year’s guests represent the breadth of the community we celebrate, from game development and content creation to tabletop gaming, fantasy literature, voice acting and live performance. We’re thrilled to welcome them to Melbourne and can’t wait for fans to experience everything they have to share.”
The newly announced guests join an already packed weekend of panels, live shows, tabletop gaming, esports, indie showcases, community events and hands-on experiences when PAX Aus returns to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 9-11 October.
More guest announcements, panels and special events will be revealed in the coming months. For tickets and the latest information, visit https://aus.paxsite.com/.
About the Author
Adrian Gunning Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.
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