It’s humbling to attend an event like PAX East. 60,000 people from executives to fans come together to celebrate every facet of gaming, relishing in an environment that is immediately accepting, where the camaraderie is palpable. Regardless of the types of game you’re into, events like PAX are the single most unify experience we have as gamers, and help to remind us that our community is not only vast but also capable of depth and warmth rarely found elsewhere.
At PAX East this year, we were reminded of the exciting experience of community, with our booth acting as a hub for the whirlwind of activities which surrounded us the entire 3 days of the event. Our latest partnership with MISHKA and their presence signing Speaker Tags for new fans served as a vivid re-definition of gaming-inspired art. We were able to introduce gamers to undiscovered ways to self-express, while embracing urban artists Lamour Supreme and Greg Mishka within our community, pushing the bounds of what ‘normal gamers’ are supposed to look like. Considering MISHKA celebrates the unusual and divergent, the opportunity to host MISHKA at our booth couldn’t be more perfect.
Our new partnership with Counter Logic Gaming couldn’t have happened at a better time, and the future has never been brighter. Not only did we host a CLG Meet and Greet with Smash Pro Tyrell “NAKAT” Coleman and CS:GO Captain of CLG Red Christine “Potter” Chi in our booth, we lucked out when Sky Williams and Dunkey asked to crash our booth for a Meet and Greet of their very own. We have never seen a line like that, and wrapped around the booth. We were thrilled to meet new fans, and embrace them into the ASTRO Family!
Our stream stage was also bursting with activity, with so many friends helping us to bring a small taste of PAX East to those gamers who were not able to attend in person this time. Stream Team members ImCoty, Drift0r, Blue Jay, That’s Cat, and Roylat hosted alongside new friends Jack Pattillo, Adam Ellis, Zonbi & Cati Ward, once again merging two separate communities within gaming all under big umbrella.
Finally, ASTRO Crew members took to the floor of PAX East for the return of the People of PAX. The tapestry of the gaming community is so incredibly rich and varied. We want to continue to shine a light on the phenomenal people we get to work with and fan out with, and our exploration into PAX East proved to be as insightful as ever. While we spoke to a variety of gamers, they all have something in common: the passion for this community is front and center, with everyone feeling at home, like they belong. It’s why we do what we do and why the ASTRO Family is so important to us. Thanks for being a part of it, and for following along. Be sure to check back for the full length interviews from our People of PAX.
Special thanks to our partners for working hard with us to give our community something awesome; to our incredible event staff who absolutely killed it; and to our constantly inspiring fans and ASTRO Family for giving us a reason to always do our best. We’ll see you at PAX West!