October 2026 Gaming Events: Cons, Expos & Esports Worth Your Ticket
New York Comic Con, PGX, GDEX, League of Legends Worlds in Texas, PAX Aus, Brasil Game Show, Gamescom Asia and more — the biggest gaming events of October 2026, with ticket links.
October isn't just spooky season it's convention season. From retro swap meets and indie showcases to one of the biggest comic cons on the planet and the League of Legends World Championship, there's something happening almost every weekend. We rounded up the biggest gaming events of the month, starting here in the U.S. and then heading around the world, with links to grab your tickets.
October at a Glance
🇺🇸 In the U.S.
| Dates | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2–4 | Pittsburgh Gaming Expo (PGX) | Monroeville, PA |
| Oct 3–4 | Retro Video Game Expo VIII | Stone Mountain, GA |
| Oct 8–11 | New York Comic Con | New York, NY |
| Oct 15–18 | GDEX | Newark, OH (Columbus area) |
| Oct 23–25 | GalaxyCon St. Louis | St. Louis, MO |
| Oct 23–31 | League of Legends Worlds 2026 — Swiss Stage | Allen, TX |
🌍 Around the World
| Dates | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 7–8 | Mobidictum Conference 2026 | Istanbul, Türkiye |
| Oct 8–9 | Student Games Festival | Warsaw, Poland |
| Oct 8–15 | LudoNarraCon 2026 | Online (Steam) |
| Oct 9–12 | Brasil Game Show | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Oct 9–11 | PAX Australia | Melbourne, Australia |
| Oct 10 | GAMELAND | Tokyo, Japan |
| Oct 14–16 | Level Up KL | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Oct 20–21 | Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics | Helsinki, Finland |
| Oct 28–31 | India Game Developer Conference | Chennai, India |
| Oct 29–Nov 1 | Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show | Bangkok, Thailand |
🇺🇸 Across the U.S.
Oct. 2–4 — Pittsburgh Gaming Expo (PGX)
Pittsburgh Gaming Expo (PGX)
Monroeville Convention Center, 209 Mall Plaza Blvd, Monroeville, PAPittsburgh kicks off the month with a full weekend built for players of every kind. Think rows of arcade cabinets and pinball, retro consoles you can actually sit down and play, tabletop and TTRPG sessions running all day, plus cosplay, special guests and a vendor hall that's dangerous for your wallet.
- Arcade & pinball
- Retro consoles
- Tabletop & TTRPGs
- Cosplay & guests
- Vendor hall
Oct. 3–4 — Retro Video Game Expo VIII
Retro Video Game Expo VIII
6009 Memorial Dr, Unit 14, Stone Mountain, GAA love letter to the classics, and it won't cost you a dime to get in. Charlie's Collectible Show packs the room with free-play stations — N64, SNES, GameCube, PS2, Saturn, Genesis and more — alongside Rock Band, Guitar Hero and pinball. Stick around for the tournaments: Smash and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on Saturday, Melee and Soulcalibur II on Sunday.
- Free-play retro consoles
- Rock Band & Guitar Hero
- Pinball
- Smash, Melee, MvC3 & Soulcalibur II tournaments
Oct. 8–11 — New York Comic Con
New York Comic Con
Javits Center, New York, NYThe big one on the East Coast turns 20 this year, and it's going all-in on a Coney Island theme. Beyond the comics and celebrity panels, NYCC's show floor is a gamer's playground — publisher booths, hands-on demos, surprise reveals and showcases you'll be seeing clips of all weekend. If you're going, move fast.
- 20th anniversary
- Publisher showcases
- Hands-on demos
- Panels & reveals
Oct. 15–18 — GDEX
GDEX
Cherry Valley Hotel, 2299 Cherry Valley Rd SE, Newark, OHOhio's celebration of game makers and the people who play their games. GDEX opens with a Dev Day for creators, then throws the doors open for two expo days packed with indie showcases, arcade zones, developer panels and tournaments, before wrapping up with a Family Day. It's one of the best places in the Midwest to find your next favorite indie before everyone else does.
- Indie showcase
- Arcade zone
- Dev panels
- Tournaments
- Family Day (Oct 18)
Oct. 23–25 — GalaxyCon St. Louis
GalaxyCon St. Louis
America's Center Convention Complex, 701 Convention Plaza, St. Louis, MOGalaxyCon rolls into St. Louis with a little bit of everything pop culture — and gaming is right in the mix. Meet voice actors from your favorite games, browse artist alley, show off your cosplay and hang out with a community that loves this stuff as much as you do.
- Voice actors & celebrities
- Gaming & pop culture
- Artist alley
- Cosplay
- Community panels
Oct. 23–31 — League of Legends Worlds 2026 — Swiss Stage
League of Legends Worlds 2026 — Swiss Stage
Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen, TXWorlds is coming to North America, and Texas gets the opening act. The best League teams on the planet battle through the Swiss Stage in Allen, where every series can make or break a season. The run continues with the Quarterfinals and Semifinals in the same arena in early November, before the Final heads to Barclays Center in Brooklyn on November 14.
- Pro esports
- Swiss Stage (Oct 23–31)
- Quarters & Semis in Allen (Nov 3–8)
- Final in Brooklyn (Nov 14)
🌍 Around the World
Can't make it to a U.S. show? The rest of the world is just as busy this month — and a couple of these you can enjoy from your couch.
Oct. 7–8 — Mobidictum Conference 2026
Mobidictum Conference 2026
Lütfi Kırdar ICEC, Istanbul, TürkiyeWhere East meets West for the games business. Mobidictum brings together 2,000+ developers, publishers and investors from more than 65 countries for two days of talks, deals and networking — a huge spotlight on the booming Turkish and regional game scenes.
- Industry talks
- Networking & investors
- 65+ countries
Oct. 8–9 — Student Games Festival
Student Games Festival
Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw, PolandTomorrow's game makers take the stage. Hosted by 11 bit studios (the team behind Frostpunk) and the Kultura Interaktywna Foundation, this festival shows off the best student-made games, with talks, mentoring and the Best Student Game Awards gala on October 9.
- Student game showcase
- Best Student Game Awards
- Talks & mentoring
Oct. 8–15 — LudoNarraCon 2026
LudoNarraCon 2026
SteamNo plane ticket needed. Fellow Traveller's festival of story-driven games takes over Steam for a week, with a 50-game Official Selection, developer streams, demos and a Narrative Game Sale. Perfect for anyone who plays games for the stories.
- 50-game Official Selection
- Demos & dev streams
- Narrative Game Sale
Oct. 9–12 — Brasil Game Show
Brasil Game Show
Distrito Anhembi, São Paulo, BrazilLatin America's biggest gaming show moves into a brand-new home at Distrito Anhembi. Expect giant booths from SEGA, Nintendo, Square Enix and more, playable demos, esports and the kind of electric crowd only Brazil can bring.
- SEGA, Nintendo & Square Enix
- Playable demos
- Esports
- New venue
Oct. 9–11 — PAX Australia
PAX Australia
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, AustraliaPAX Aus is pure gamer culture — the Expo Hall, the huge Aussie indie scene, a massive tabletop area, panels and a Freeplay zone for classics. This year's theme is "PAX Land," and it's shaping up to be a theme park for players.
- Expo Hall
- Indie showcase
- Tabletop
- Panels
- "PAX Land" theme
Oct. 10 — GAMELAND (Tokyo)
GAMELAND
Impact Hub Tokyo, 2-11-3 Meguro, Meguro City, Tokyo, Japan"You bring it! We play it!" GAMELAND is a one-day social gaming party that brings Tokyo's indie developers, players and creatives together in one room. Play a curated lineup of indie games shown by the people who made them, jump on the arcade station, then kick back in the Chill Zones to meet the community. Bring your own controller for the Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls tournament on PS5.
- Indie games from the devs
- Arcade station
- Marvel Tokon tournament (PS5, 2PM)
- Dev community presentations (4PM)
- Chill Zones
Tournament rules: single elimination, best 2 out of 3 (best 3 out of 5 in Grand Finals), and the loser can change teams. Register at the door and bring your own controller.
Oct. 14–16 — Level Up KL
Level Up KL
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaNow in its 12th year, Level Up KL is Southeast Asia's go-to meetup for game developers and publishers. Run by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), it mixes talks, business matchmaking and showcases of the region's rising studios.
- 12th edition
- Developer talks
- Business matchmaking
Oct. 20–21 — Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics
Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics
Wanha Satama, Helsinki, FinlandThe home of Supercell and Remedy hosts one of the must-attend stops for mobile and indie game pros. Part of Finnish Games Week, PG Connects Nordics packs in talks, publisher and investor meetings, and plenty of chances to pitch your game.
- Mobile & indie talks
- Investor meetings
- Part of Finnish Games Week
Oct. 28–31 — India Game Developer Conference
India Game Developer Conference
Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, IndiaIndia's biggest gathering for game makers, and it keeps getting bigger. The first two days are all business — talks, deals and networking — then IGDC Playground opens to the public on October 30–31 so fans can get their hands on the latest games.
- B2B days (Oct 28–29)
- IGDC Playground for fans (Oct 30–31)
- Talks & networking
Oct. 29–Nov 1 — Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show
Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, ThailandGamescom's Asian edition teams up with the Thailand Game Show to close out the month in style. Two business days lead into a huge entertainment area full of playable games, stage shows, cosplay and esports — a perfect Halloween-weekend send-off.
- Business area (Oct 29–30)
- Entertainment area (Oct 30–Nov 1)
- Playable games & esports
See You on the Show Floor
Whether you're hunting for a boxed copy of an N64 classic in Georgia, cheering on the world's best League teams in Texas or playing story games on Steam in your pajamas, October has you covered. Pick your event, grab your badge and go have some fun.
Dates, venues and ticket availability can change — always check the official event site before you go.
Which event are you heading to this month? Let us know!
