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PAX Aus has confirmed the first round of special guests for its 2026 event, with a lineup that spans wrestling, video games, tabletop gaming, voice acting, comedy and fantasy literature.
The gaming festival returns to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 9-11 October and will feature appearances from Austin Creed, two members of the Final Fantasy XIV development team, X-Men voice actor Lenore Zann, DOOM composer Mick Gordon and several other guests from across the gaming and entertainment industries.
Austin Creed
Leading the guest announcement is Austin Creed, formerly known to wrestling fans as WWE superstar Xavier Woods. Creed has built a profile as a crossover personality between wrestling and gaming through his gaming content and appearances across gaming culture.
Final Fantasy XIV
Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and Toshio “Foxclon” Murouchi from Square Enix will join the event for a special appearance celebrating Final Fantasy XIV.
Koji Fox is a Localisation Director who has worked on Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XVI and other titles across the franchise. He also serves as Lyricist and Vocalist for The Primals, the official band of Final Fantasy XIV.
Murouchi, known to fans as “Foxclon”, serves as Head of Square Enix’s Community and 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.
Lenore Zann
Australian-born actor, author, activist and former Canadian parliamentarian Lenore Zann is known to fans as the voice of Rogue in X-Men: The Animated Series, Disney’s X-Men ’97 and games including Marvel vs. Capcom, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Rivals.
Her career spans film, television, animation and gaming, with hundreds of screen and voice acting credits including roles in Outlaw Star, My Little Pony, MegaMan NT Warrior and The Mummy.
Zann will participate in a fireside chat covering her career in entertainment, her return to the X-Men universe and her experiences as an author and public servant. She is making a special trip home to Australia and will be present across all three days of PAX Aus.
Gregory Louden
Gregory Louden is an Australian Creative Director whose career has spanned narrative-driven games. After beginning in visual effects on films including Prometheus and Gravity, 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 directed PlayStation Studios’ SAROS. Louden brings insight into leadership, narrative design, world-building and the creative process behind game development.
Ify Nwadiwe
Comedian, actor, writer and host of Dropout TV’s Um, Actually, Ify Nwadiwe returns for a second year after attending PAX Aus in 2025. His credits span Smosh, Dimension 20 and Achievement Hunter through to Dropout TV.
Nwadiwe has written for shows including Adult Swim’s Tigtone, NBC’s Grand Crew and Peacock’s Twisted Metal, as well as writing for games including Apex Legends and Borderlands 4.
Mick Gordon
Australian composer, producer and Sound Designer Mick Gordon is known for his soundtracks to DOOM (2016), DOOM Eternal, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Prey, Killer Instinct and Atomic Heart. Gordon has received a Game Award for Best Music/Sound Design and a D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition.
Gordon will take PAX Aus audiences behind the music that has powered some of gaming’s most recognisable moments.
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The Dark Room
Interactive comedy show The Dark Room, where audience members become the heroes of a chaotic adventure, will return to PAX Aus. Host and Creator John Robertson commented: “I’m currently in London adding weird new content, and stretching cos jumping off that big stage is hell on the knees.”
More Guests
PAX Aus will also welcome Jasmine Bhullar, known as ThatBronzeGirl, whose content covers gaming, pop culture and online communities.
Tabletop enthusiasts can look forward to appearances from the Good Games Morley team, while Australian fantasy author Isobelle Carmody, creator of the Obernewtyn Chronicles, will bring her perspective on world-building and storytelling to the festival.
Paul Tobin, Art Director at Chaosium and the creative force behind artwork for tabletop worlds including Call of Cthulhu and Pendragon, rounds out the announcement. Tobin’s career spans film, video games and tabletop, with contributions to franchises including The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia and James Cameron’s Avatar.
These guests join the previously announced Storytime speaker Holly Longdale, Executive Producer of World of Warcraft, who will share insights from her career during a special Storytime session kicking off PAX Aus 2026.
The Festival
Lauren Luciani, Event Director at PAX Aus, described the range of this year’s guest list.
“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 guests join a weekend of panels, live shows, tabletop gaming, eSports, indie showcases, community events and hands-on experiences. More guest announcements, panels and special events will be revealed in the coming months.
PAX Aus is part of Melbourne International Games Week, which is now delivered by ACMI, Australia’s national museum of screen culture.
For tickets and the latest information, visit https://aus.paxsite.com/.
Last Updated on July 22, 2026 by Nick Ross
