SEATTLE – August 9, 2022 – Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, will deliver the Storytime keynote address at PAX West 2022, the West Coast’s most attended celebration of gaming and gaming culture. After the keynote, attendees can hit the Seattle Convention Center show floor, where legendary game creators The Pokémon Company will join a blockbuster lineup of exhibitors from Friday, September 2, through Monday, September 5.
Keynote speaker Matt Booty welcomes the global gaming community home to PAX West on Friday, September 2 at 10:30 am PT in the Main Theater. Matt’s storied career kicked off in the ‘90s with engineering work on legendary Midway Games titles like Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and Cruis’n USA. He joined Microsoft in 2010 to help lead internal game development teams and played a pivotal role in the acquisition of Minecraft and its expansion to other platforms, including Nintendo Switch, VR, and educational spaces. Matt is currently corporate vice president of Xbox Game Studios, the organization responsible for developing and publishing Microsoft games for console, PC, and mobile platforms.
The Pokémon Company hits PAX West inviting Trainers to experience the latest and greatest from the storied monster-catching franchise. ESL Gaming brings esports tournaments to the expo floor alongside other fan-favorite exhibitors, AAA and indie alike, including Nintendo, Sega, Finji, Bandai Namco, PLAION (formerly Koch Media), tinyBuild, Devolver Digital, Apogee Entertainment, Ysbryd Games, Raw Fury, Yacht Club Games, and so many more, including tech giants Intel, AMD, and ASUS.
“Every day leading up to the show, the PAX West experience is enrichened – and now we’re proud to announce industry powerhouse Matt Booty to kick off the show,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of Penny Arcade and PAX. “Now, I gotta go. I have a whole lotta Warhammer minis to paint before the show.”
For the safety of every participant, including attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff, PAX West 2022 will require all attendees to show proof of vaccination and attendees must wear face coverings at all times. For more information, please see the official health and safety guidelines.
A limited number of four-day badges for PAX West 2022 are available for $235, with single-day badges for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday available now for $62. For travel info, event schedules, FAQs, and more, check out the official website of PAX West and follow PAX on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, and Instagram.
About PAX
PAX, or Penny Arcade Expo, is a festival for gamers to celebrate gaming culture. First held in Seattle in 2004, PAX has nearly doubled in size each successive year, with PAX Prime 2014 selling out of tickets in a matter of minutes. Connecting the world’s leading game publishers with their most avid and influential fans, PAX expanded with a second show in Boston in 2010, and a third in San Antonio in 2015, making it the three largest gaming shows in North America. The first international PAX was held in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. In 2017, Penny Arcade established PAX Unplugged, its first tabletop-focused show, held in Philadelphia.
About ReedPop
ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading events organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events across the globe as well as a full service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America and Europe, including: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), Star Trek Missions and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop also runs and operates the Gamer Network and its portfolio of leading gaming websites including Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun and GamesIndustry.Biz. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based, globally focused group of professionals that are uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.
About Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade has been the world’s most popular webcomic for over 20 years, with over 3.5 million readers. Started in 1998 in the living room of Mike Krahulik & Jerry Holkins, it has grown into a media empire encompassing multiple beloved properties such as Lookouts, Automata, and beloved D&D live-play series Acquisitions Incorporated. Penny Arcade was responsible for the creation of Child’s Play, a gaming charity that has raised over $45 million dollars for children across the world. They are also the founders of PAX, the number one consumer gaming festival in North America, with hundreds of thousands of loyal visitors every year.
