10.PAX (PENNY ARCADE EXPO)
Believe it or not, Pax started as a small gaming event with little more than 3,000 attendees its first year. As word on the street spread and gamers (as well as developers) became interested, it has since grown into a worldwide event. Pax occurs in four different locations throughout the course of a year: Boston, Australia, Seattle, and San Antonio.
These events combined bring in roughly 70,000 attendees each year, although the exact number has yet to be counted. As a space for indie games, new developers, and popular game developers alike, Pax has managed to make the ranks as one of the biggest go-to gaming expos of the year.
9 .BLIZZCON
The only reason BlizzCon isn’t much higher on the list is because it caters to Blizzard fans – which isn’t to say that this game expo isn’t huge in its own right. It usually takes place in the beginning of November in Anaheim, California, attracting many fans nationwide as well as worldwide. Gamers come together with devs to talk about Diablo, WoW, and Starcraft, as well as finding out what’s new for the upcoming year and discuss what they’d like to see in the future.
8 .EUROGAMER EXPO
The Eurogamer Expo takes place in London and it’s the biggest in the UK, making it the go-to gaming event of the year for Europe. Similar to Pax and E3, the Eurogamer Expo has something for everyone. Fans will have the chance to try new games and get the hands-on experience we all know and love, as well as catering to those who feature creative cosplays. It brings together gamers from all genres, catering to just about everyone in the fandom community.
7.E3
Obviously, E3 has gained momentum over the last few years until recently when Sony announced they would no longer be attending. While we’re still waiting to see how this plays out, E3 has finally opened up its expo doors to the general public. This has raised its attendance significantly, making it one of the largest continually growing expos in the world. It’s E3, along with Tokyo Game Show, that we turn to when we want to find out top secret deets about what’s soon to be released.
6.DREAMHACK
DreamHack is based in several different places worldwide but one of the largest is in Sweden. While it is a gaming expo, it does cater particularly to esports, something that has a huge following in its own right.
In addition to all things esports, from gaming news to competitive tourneys, DreamHack offers much in the way of new games and cosplay as well. Not surprisingly, DreamHack also made it to the Guinness Book for throwing the largest LAN party in the world.
5 .IGRO MIR IN RUSSIA
Although Igro Mir isn’t a gaming expo that’s super well-known around the world, they still manage to see roughly 157,000 attendees each year. This gaming expo, very much like E3 and Gamescom, is a general expo that caters to all games and genres. It’s held every year by the Game Developers Conference of Russia and has been going on since 2006, so this is not an expo that’s new on the gaming scene. This expo also caters to cosplay, which many take advantage of, as it’s not only the biggest gaming expo in Russia but also one of the only events of its kind there.
4. CHINAJOY
ChinaJoy sees roughly 100,000 more attendees each year than Igro Mir which isn’t surprising, considering how many huge game developers are based throughout Asia. With an attendance rating of at least 270,000, ChinaJoy also goes by the name of the China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference – but we like ChinaJoy much better. Attendance for this gaming expo usually sees visitors from at least 30 different countries and showcases over 3,500 games per year.
3. GAMESCOM
Gamescom happens in Germany every year and just as we have E3 in the US, Gamescom is Europe’s version of a general gaming expo. If you’re looking for big names and important info, the announcements made at Gamescom are some of the biggest and best. They cater to many well-known game devs and for their 10th anniversary, the expo saw upwards of 370,000 attendees, making it undoubtedly one of the biggest in the world. This expo is always open to the general public and with so much to see and hear, it’s no wonder people travel from all over the world to attend it.
2.TOKYO GAME SHOW
The Toyko Game Show is one that we all know and love, especially those of us who are constantly rooting for Square Enix – or those of us who are tortured by their delayed releases, anyway. With just over 270,000 attendees, the Tokyo Game Show is, indeed, one of the biggest in the world.
It’s the go-to event for those who want news on upcoming game titles, as they’re known for announcing release dates and games that are currently in production. Chances are if you haven’t heard something at E3, then chance are it’ll be announced during the Tokyo Game Show later in the year.
1. BRASIL GAME SHOW
Finally, the Brasil Game Show is the largest in the world. With roughly 300,000 attendees, this expo offers opportunities for everyone: From gamers to cosplayers, to developers and Kickstarter. This expo encourages the co-mingling of game developers, particularly those who are new to the industry. However, entertainment at the Brasil Game Show also bolsters a decent amount of its attendee’s reasons for being there.