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]]>This year, the theme was Undertale/Deltarune, with decorations and merch to match. Day and night, the convention was filled with music, games, and activities, and that’s meant quite literally, as the convention stayed open late into the night and well into the morning hours.
So without further ado, let’s see how MAGWest 2026 went…
Music
The “M” in MAGWest stands for “Music,” so of course that was a core element of the convention. MAGWest featured plenty of musical guests and acts, both planned and impromptu.
MAGWest’s main stage featured performances throughout the weekend by guests including Lotus Juice, Aivi & Surasshu, and singer-songwriter of Sonic the Hedgehog fame, Crush 40’s Johnny Gioeli. The stage saw big acts playing late into the night, providing no shortage of music to the con.
However, that was far from the only stage. Out by the pool, bands performed throughout the weekend, providing gaming tunes to attendees taking a swim. Inside, the Jamspace, Jampods, and Community Orchestra gave musical attendees opportunities to meet up and perform – or they could just find a nice corner to chill in and play some music.
It was impossible to go anywhere in the hotel without hearing some music, whether it was a flutist playing the Pokémon Center theme song, guitarists jamming together, or even just attendees getting into the mood and singing sea shanties.
(Okay, the sea shanties were mostly me, and I apologize for nothing.)
Gaming
Of course, MAGWest wouldn’t be MAGWest without the “G” for “Gaming,” and you’d better believe they had plenty of that too, including video gaming, arcade games, LAN gaming, and tabletop games.
MAGWest featured a large gaming hall, split into a few sections. On one end, attendees could enjoy a variety of arcade games, including dance games, rhythm games, arcade classics, and even pinball. Just beyond that, multiple televisions were set up for a variety of console games, both classic and modern, including multiple tournaments throughout the weekend. Next to that, local developers were demonstrating their indie games, giving them an opportunity to reach new customers and demonstrate their creations.
Outside the gaming hall, a long row of games included classics from gaming history and unique indie games in progress. One such game, for instance, was a co-op where a single player saw the screen and controlled a knight, while a second player served as their squire to provide potions, keys, and other tools as requested; communication and coordination were key to succeeding.
In the LAN room, attendees could play retro PC games with each other. This featured everything from Unreal Tournament to StarCraft to Worms Armageddon, providing plenty of nostalgia and no shortage of entertainment.
But what about gamers who prefer something a little more analog? The tabletop gaming room featured a wide selection of games from an expansive library, along with scheduled tabletop RPGs, a puzzle table, and even several mahjong tables right outside.
For the card gamers, not only could they grab a table in the tabletop gaming room, but there were various Magic: The Gathering drafts and tournaments throughout the weekend.
So yes, there was a lot of gaming.
Guests
MAGWest doesn’t skimp on the musical guests, and every year they bring plenty of fantastic performers. In addition to the ones mentioned earlier, the guest list included the likes of 2 Mello, Frank Klepacki, Isekai Stage, Parabellum Raps, and so much more.
However, in recent years, MAGWest has been expanding its guest selection beyond musical acts. This year, voice actor Ricco Fajardo (voice of Mirio in My Hero Academia, Isagi in Blue Lock, and Pandreo in Fire Emblem: Engage) was among the guests, signing autographs and participating in events. Voice actor Elisa Meléndez, known for voicing Tyreen Calypso in Borderlands 3, was also in attendance, hosting panels and doing meet-and-greets to interact with fans and attendees.
Panels
MAGWest had more entertainment than music alone (although the music is still very good) with multiple panels throughout the convention.
The panels covered a range of topics, including games like “Taboo! Game Show: Gaming Edition” and “Quizmania: Kaimei Riddles DX PLUS” or humorous entertainment panels like “Mazes & Monsters: Satanic Panic D&D Nonsense At Its Finest.” There were discussion panels, educational panels, discussions, and more, creating a good variety of panel programming.
Of course, the Cosplay Wrestling Federation (CWF) made its return for another MAGWest show. In the CWF, cosplaying competitors took to the stage to cut promos and issue challenges to the defending champion, The Shipper, to see who could talk the best smack and (verbally) fight their way into the panels. This year, the Dungeon Master (from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon) recruited a party of audience volunteers and DMed them to victory against The Shipper, winning the show’s title. (Full disclosure: I’m a member of CWF and the Dungeon Master cosplayer.)
Cosplay
Speaking of cosplay, of course there were plenty of cosplayers at MAGWest. Given the show’s theme, there were plenty of cosplayers from Undertale and Deltarune, but there was a great variety of cosplayers across the con. This included everything from Pokémon to Dispatch to Street Fighter.
Cosplayers who felt exceptionally proud of their cosplays could compete in the cosplay contest, hosted by cosplaying duo onecuppacoffee and judged by a trio of skilled and experienced cosplayers. The contest had prizes for multiple categories, including craftsmanship, performance, theme, and the Charity Stream Choice, so there were several opportunities for competitors to win.
There were, of course, cosplay gatherings, where attendees cosplaying from the same series could meet for photos. There were two sites for the cosplay gatherings, which included series like Undertale/Deltarune (naturally), Splatoon, SquareEnix games, and a general cosplay gathering for anyone and everyone. It’s also worth noting that the gathering areas had premium lighting, good space, and seating for attendees to rest on between groups and photos, so they were well-chosen spots.
And more!
What else? How about a marketplace with a good selection of dealers selling both handcrafted goods and a variety of games or gaming supplies? Or the paint-and-take table outside the tabletop gaming room, where attendees could sit down to paint a free miniature (with guidance from helpful staff should they need it)?
There was a charity stream to raise money for good causes, a Variety Stage with a wide range of performances, Beyblade exhibitions, arts and crafts, and so much more. Even the security room had accommodations for attendees, like sunscreen and glucose tablets.
If nothing else, attendees could always relax in the pool and enjoy the summer weather.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Doubletree Hotel held a wedding there that weekend, so the wedding guests were somewhat surprised to find the venue filled with music, games, and cosplayers. When asked, a wedding guest said it was a surprise, but still very fun.
In short: MAGWest remains a fun, chill convention with fantastic music, plenty of fun games, and great panels. Whether you’re coming by to spend a day or want to enjoy three full days of music and gaming, MAGWest has you covered.
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]]>The convention, which ran from August 8-10, is a weekend-long celebration of video games, music, and, of course, video game music. So let’s take a look at the games, the music, the events, and the cosplays of MAGWest 2025.
Gaming
First and foremost, did MAGWest have the games as promised?
Of course it did.
An entire hall was dedicated to arcade games, complete with everything from fighting games to rhythm games, pinball machines, slot machines, racing games, and more. The convention also hosted several indie game developers who could show off their latest works to attendees, get feedback, and find potential customers.
Naturally, there were also video game tournaments throughout the weekend, for those who wished to compete.
In the halls outside, rows of tables featured retro games, lovingly preserved for players to enjoy even now. Further down, in another room, the LAN gaming room let players enjoy co-op or PvP computer games, including classics like Unreal Tournament.
Tabletop gamers weren’t left out either, as there was a tabletop gaming room with a library of board games. Players could stop by to enjoy game demos, play RPGs like Starfinder or Dungeons & Dragons, or borrow a board game to play with friends. Right outside that room, a paint-and-take table let players sit down to paint a mini or contribute to a massive tarrasque painted by congoers.
Music
Gaming is only half the acronym for MAGWest, and it had plenty of music as well. The convention invited multiple performers and groups, including Mega Ran, Super Soul Bros, Aivi & Surasshu, and more. They all had performances throughout the weekend on the various stages or out in front of the pool.
Yes, the hotel had a pool, so attendees could enjoy fun in the sun while listening to live music.
Congoers were also welcome to join in the performances, with open jam sessions and jampods. Attendees walking the halls could even catch impromptu performances from other congoers who decided to sit down and break out their instruments.
Shopping
MAGWest’s marketplace was on the smaller side, but small doesn’t mean bad. The con had a good variety of vendors, whose wares included games, artwork, pins, hats, decals, and more.
The convention also had a merch booth, where attendees could buy MAGWest-themed goodies, including hats, t-shirts, bags, water bottles, and beach balls. So even without a large Dealer’s Hall, there was still shopping to be done.
Guests
Normally, MAGWest’s guest schedule was primarily composed of music guests, plus the cosplay guests they invited to judge the contest. This year, however, they stuck with the Final Fantasy VII theme by inviting several voice actors from the games for panels and signings. This included Briana White (voice of Aerith), John Eric Bentley (voice of Barret), William Christopher Stephens (voice of Rude), Arnie Pantoja (voice of Reno), and Austin Lee Matthews (voice of Roche).
The guests had booths set up at the convention, allowing them to meet fans throughout the weekend, and judging by the lines, the fans were more than happy to take them up on the offer.
Panels
Naturally, MAGWest also had plenty of panels for attendees to enjoy. Some were hosted by fans, others by guests. These covered a wide range of topics, including topics like “Arcade Games as Public Art,” “A History of Controllers,” and “Inclusive Design in Game Tutorials.”
Some of the panels were also game shows, like the always-popular “Taboo! Game Show: Gaming Edition” or the aptly-named “Pokémon Contest.”
Of course, any convention with the “Cosplay Wrestling Federation” is worth mentioning (full disclosure: this writer is a member of the CWF, and so might be slightly biased). This show drew a packed room and loud crowd, as cosplayers competed in a battle of wrestling promos to see who would win the crowd’s favor. In the end, The Shipper faced off against the Corporate Puppet, but every entry drew huge reactions from the crowd.
Cosplay
Of course, the CWF performers were far from the only cosplayers there. MAGWest drew in a good amount of fans in costume, and while many were dressed as their favorite video game characters, there were anime and comic book cosplayers as well.
Without question, the most popular series of the con was Final Fantasy VII, due in no small part to the voice actors there. Other games were also represented, with cosplayers from Pokémon, other Final Fantasy games, indie games, and more. The convention also held a few cosplay gatherings throughout the weekend, although not to the same scale as more anime-focused conventions.
Cosplayers feeling confident in their craftsmanship could also enter the cosplay contest, judged by cosplay guests Lovisa and Onecuppacoffee. During the prejudging, the judges took their time with each contestant to learn about the key details and craftsmanship. Then, during the contest, cosplayers had a chance to strut their stuff before the audience, earning prizes for categories like Judges’ choice, Fan Favorite, and Best Performer.
Overall
MAGWest has continued to grow and draw larger crowds each year, and for good reason. The con is a fun, relaxing weekend of music and games, giving attendees plenty to see and enjoy. Between the concerts, the games, the miniature painting, and more, it’s hard to be bored at MAGWest.
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