ReedPop and Penny Arcade have announced the inaugural PAX Unplugged Houston, scheduled for June 2027.
The first Unplugged event, focused on tabletop games, was held in Pennsylvania in 2017. “The tabletop industry continues to grow, and tabletop gaming really flourishes among the PAX community,” PAX event manager Sean Gonzalez tells GamesIndustry.biz.
“When we made the decision to investigate the feasibility of another Unplugged, we considered a number of major cities factoring in demand from our exhibitor partners to place a tabletop PAX in this region and city infrastructure. We were always partial to returning to the South, and after comparing a few options we were happy to find that not only was Houston the best place to launch a second Unplugged, but it was a chance to bring PAX back to the PAX South fans that missed us.”
PAX South was cancelled “for the foreseeable future” back in 2021, with the last show taking place in San Antonio in January 2020.
PAX Unplugged Houston will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, from Friday, June 25, to Sunday, June 27, 2027.
The show will feature an expo floor for analogue gaming exhibitors, panels, tournaments, community meetups, and more.
Regarding potential expansion of PAX events, Gonzalez states the primary focus is to “ensure our exhibitors and attendees for current PAX events have the best experience possible.”
“We are now launching PAXU Houston and giving it the attention it deserves, before we even consider expanding any further.”
Gonzalez adds: “We’re actively expanding the shows, introducing new feature areas, stages, and programming tracks at East and West, while constantly delivering a great expo hall with new games for fans to discover.
“We’ve always been grateful for the industry names and our dedicated community that continues to support PAX. Even when the gaming industry faces challenges, our community continues to be as passionate as ever.”
Tickets for PAX Unplugged Houston, along with applications for media and content creators, will be available later this year.