Media Release:
If you’ve ever lost track of time in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s Tabletop Hall, prepare yourself—PAX Aus 2026 is officially rolling out its biggest tabletop area to date.
With eBay Australia returning as the official Tabletop sponsor, this year’s hall is stacked with major distributors, massive TCG showcases, hands-on indie demos, and some seriously big headline releases from the likes of Wizards of the Coast, Asmodee, Bandai, and more.
Here is everything you need to know about what’s going down in the Tabletop Hall when PAX Aus kicks off from October 9–11.
Big Names & Major TCG Showcases
Trading Card Game fans and competitive strategists are getting a massive spread this year, featuring everything from legacy powerhouses to fresh indie contenders.
- Magic: The Gathering & Dungeons & Dragons: Wizards of the Coast is making a major return. MTG players can dive into the newly revealed ‘Reality Fracture’ set—a multiverse-bending release featuring alternate-reality takes on classic characters and spells. Beyond the Learn to Play areas and on-site shop, Saturday, Oct 10 will see a live Commander Showdown in the Main Theatre featuring top local and international creators.
Meanwhile, D&D adventurers can check out a dedicated retail experience in collaboration with Let’s Play Games. - Riftbound: League of Legends TCG: After making a splash at last year’s show, Riot’s Runeterra-based card game is back with plenty of hands-on demo stations run by experienced staff.
- Bandai Card Games: Bandai is bringing a massive footprint featuring guided learn-to-play sessions and tournaments for One Piece Card Game, Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World, Digimon Card Game, and the Gundam Card Game.
- Disney Lorcana & Flesh and Blood: Modern Brands is bringing Disney Lorcana back to the floor, alongside dedicated tournament spaces and intro sessions for Flesh and Blood and the Cyberpunk CCG.
- Hellbreak: Keep an eye out for Hellbreak, a dark new horror trading card game running demo sessions and an official tournament on Friday.
Asmodee, Party Games & Aussie Game Designers
Asmodee and local distributors are bringing an extensive lineup of fresh releases, social party games, and heavy-hitter adaptations to demo throughout the weekend:
- Heavy Hitters & Strategy: Get hands-on with Star Wars™: Unlimited – Homeworlds (featuring a tournament on Saturday), Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Hunted, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game, Citadels Duel, and Z-Man Games’ Schadenfreude.
- Party & Casual Hits: Exploding Kittens is rolling out a giant slate including Sell Me a Sasquatch, Exploding Kittens: Curse You, Flat Earth, I Suck at Drawing, Berry Cherry Parrot Punch, Exploding Kittens Rage Mode, 9 Lives, and Boba Blast.
- Other Highlights: Hands-on demos will also be running for LEGO® NINJAGO® and K-Pop Demon Hunters: Battle for the Spotlight.
Local Designer Spotlights
PAX continues to be a crucial platform for homegrown talent. Keep an eye out for special sessions featuring Australian game designers Jay Bendixen, Ryan Boucher, Natalie Delaney-John, and Cam Jasson, who will be showcasing and running sessions for Gretchen’s Garden and That Dicey Word Game.
If you’re a fan of tabletop games looking for something new to try, then head straight over to Collaboratory!
Collaboratory is our selection of in-development tabletop games that homegrown talent is bringing to PAX. Chat with the designers themselves, playtest their in-progress games and take part in the future of the Australian tabletop scene.
PAX Collaboratory is made possible through the support of Tabletop Game Designers Australia – https://tgda.org.au/.
eBay Live & The Collectors Club Studio
Beyond the publisher booths, eBay Australia is elevating its sponsorship presence with the debut of eBay Live and The Collectors Club Studio.
Attendees can drop by for special guest appearances, live streams, and “Penny Drops” across the weekend. If you like a bit of floor hunting, you can grab a Collectors Club Card on site to complete challenges across the expo hall and unlock exclusive prizes.
Event Details
- When: October 9–11, 2026
- Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
- Badges & Info: Head over to the official PAX Aus website to grab remaining badges and check the full tournament schedule.
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