MAGWest 2026 has ended

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MAGWest 2026

MAGWest is a music and gaming festival featuring a 24-hour gaming hall, at least three stages of planned concerts, video game community guests/VIPs, and community-run panels. The festival runs from Friday, August 14 to Sunday, August 16. Buy your badge today!

***The schedule is subject to change!***
Make sure you check back to get the most accurate info!

PLEASE PLAN AHEAD FOR PARKING - NON-HOTEL GUESTS SHOULD PURCHASE PARKING AT PARKWHIZ PRIOR TO COMING TO THE EVENT.

Safety Issues, stop by Event Safety in the Silicon Valley Room or contact 1-833-FEST-SEC or [email protected]. Don’t forget to review our Code of Conduct.

4:15pm PDT

The Future of Games: A brief look into how we play games tomorrow.

Friday August 14, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT

The 2008 global recession forced the gaming industry into radical reinvention, leading to the gaming renaissance. Between 2010 and today, gaming transformed from a niche hobby into one of the most dominant cultural forces on the planet, weaving itself into music, film, sports, and fashion along the way.

This panel takes a hard, empirically grounded look at where the industry goes from here. I focus on socioeconomic analysis and market data to map out two potential futures: one where games become less accessible due to an intersectional collective of reasons including socioeconomics, and one where games continue to innovate to strive to make sure everyone can experience games.

Let's have an honest conversation about what's at stake, what the data is already telling us, and what the industry, creators, and communities can do to ensure the next chapter of gaming is one worth playing.

Panelists:
Tamerlane Barak [Game Economy Designer, https://tamerlanedevportfolio.com/]

Friday August 14, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

4:15pm PDT

Food Brands in Video Games: Exploring the Intercontinental Gaming Buffet

Friday August 14, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT

Spurred by a conversation in 2024, I became curious what food (and drink)-sponsored video games existed in the world. There's better-known ones, like Burger King's Xbox games and McDonald's M.C. Kids, but there were MANY more to be found. I explored everything I could, leading 100+ games with endorsements or whole games devoted to the brand. Many went beyond anything I expected, and far beyond U.S. soil. Come hungry for gaming that looks like a snack.

Panelists: Jamaal "Ryyudo" Graves [Part-Time Streamer, www.twitch.tv/ryyudo]

Friday August 14, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

5:30pm PDT

Toby Fox Music - The Art of Melody and Leitmotif

Friday August 14, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT

We're going after that little white dog, Toby Fox. This panel will focus on the history of his incredible discography, and why it so effectively reaches our hearts. We love the worlds he creates, and we love his characters, but they all become inseparable from their themes. These melodies can be both simplistically and expertly composed at the same time. We aim to examine how Toby Fox has made an art-form out of the concept of the leitmotif.

We will travel chronologically through Toby's influences which defined his style leading up to Deltarune, and even touch upon why he chose to leave certain musical pieces behind. This panel will be conducted by two musicians who have a deep love for the many projects from Toby Fox, and is mainly dedicated to the fan-base who also shares this passion. Maybe we'll play you a little something at the end!

Panelists:
Light MetaS [Musician]
Bardometer

Friday August 14, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

8:00pm PDT

Taboo! Game Show: Gaming Edition

Friday August 14, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT

It's Taboo! Gaming Edition! In this game show, the goal is to get your teammates to guess gaming-related terms without using any of the associated "taboo" words. Teams of 2-4 will compete to see who can get the most points by guessing the most words. Think fast, test your pro gamer knowledge, and rack your brain for any clues you can give to score your team points! Glory and prizes are in store for winners!

Friday August 14, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

8:00pm PDT

Leap of Faith: A Luck Pressing Game Show

Friday August 14, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT

From the host of Double NintenDare, CurtDogg brings you a game show where you need to "press your luck" on a rotating game board to win fabulous prizes and digital store credit! But watch out for that rascal, Buckley McVideogames, 'cause he's out to take all your winnings if you land on one of his spaces!

Friday August 14, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

9:15pm PDT

Triss performance

Friday August 14, 2026 9:15pm - 9:55pm PDT

Steakhouse Stage

Triss is a chiptune punk rocker based out of Oakland, CA. She writes songs about love, queerness, and stickin it to the man. When she's not shredding over 8-bit blips and boops, she's rocking the stage with her all-transfemme harcdore band, Dirty Twenties.

Performers

Triss

Triss is a chiptune punk rocker based out of Oakland, CA. She writes songs about love, queerness, and stickin it to the man. When she's not shredding over 8-bit blips and boops, she's rocking the stage with her all-transfemme harcdore band, Dirty Twenties.

Website | Instagram | Bl... Read More →

Friday August 14, 2026 9:15pm - 9:55pm PDT
Steakhouse Stage Spencer's Steakhouse

Audience 15+
Subject Concerts

10:30pm PDT

Mazes & Monsters: Satanic Panic D&D Nonsense At Its Finest

Friday August 14, 2026 10:30pm - 11:30pm PDT

"Mazes & Monsters is a far-out game"--and an even more far-out story.

The Satanic gaming and pop culture enthusiasts at Black Mass Appeal bring you the complete, dramatic, and embarrassing tale of the anti-devil worship panic that almost ruined everyone's favorite TTRPG in the 1980s, culminating in a hit exploitation paperback from the least likely author and a TV movie that subjected Tom Hanks' career to its most painful Saving Throws.

We've got the whole sordid story for you--including the long lost rules of Mazes & Monsters itself.

Panelists:
Daniel Walker [Podcaster, BlackMassAppeal.com]
Tabitha Slander
Simone Lasher

Friday August 14, 2026 10:30pm - 11:30pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

10:30pm PDT

Convention Story

Friday August 14, 2026 10:30pm - 11:30pm PDT

An opportunity to hear some amazing convention stories from those who attend regularly and a chance to share your own stories.

Panelists: Stan Rezaee

Friday August 14, 2026 10:30pm - 11:30pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

9:45am PDT

VGM Zumba: Level Up Your Rhythm!

Saturday August 15, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Join a ZUMBA™ session with high-energy dancing and moving your body to VGM + Latin hits! This is a fun, beginner-friendly activity for all dance levels and to share the joy of movement, rhythm, and energy as a community. Bring good shoes, water, and a sweat towel if needed.

Panelists:
Brooke Ferd [ZIN Instructor/VGM Musician, www.brookeferdmusic.com]

Saturday August 15, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

10:00am PDT

VHMess: Saturday Morning Madness

Saturday August 15, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm PDT

CurtDogg, aka the host of Double NintenDare, double-dips his toe into classic 80s and 90s television with some cheesy cartoons and tapes from his childhood, while riffing on them with friends. Hop in your PJs and grab a bowl of cereal and be ready to be taken back to a simpler time... for better or worse.

Saturday August 15, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

12:15pm PDT

Cadillacs, Dinosaurs, and Sillywood: When Hollywood Fell in Love With FMVs and Video Games

Saturday August 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm PDT

When technology such as the CD-ROM and early CG arrived in the late 80s and early 90s, both Hollywood and Silicon Valley lost their collective minds with excitement over new creative possibilities and scrambled to collaborate together. A slew of movies featuring early CG were released, while Full Motion Video technology and high quality audio were core to the experiences of classic games such as Myst, Rebel Assault, the 7th Guest, and Wing Commander. Yet not all were successful; for every Myst, there was a Night Trap or a Sewer Shark. Join Rob Curl and Steve Horowitz to explore game and audio design in this era of “Sillywood”! The session will examine key titles from the period, including Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, which Horowitz worked on with Rocket Science Games, and analyze the distinctive aesthetics that emerged from the fusion of Hollywood production techniques and interactive media. The talk will also address why many of these ambitious projects became fascinating failed experiments, offering insight into the challenges of integrating live-action storytelling with early interactive technologies and what their legacy reveals for contemporary game design.

Panelists:
Robert Curl [Museum Historian, www.themade.org]
Steven Horowitz [Professor of Music, Composer for Nick Studios, https://www.stevehorowitzmusic.com/]

Guests

The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE)

Nonprofit Videogame Museum

Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) is a nonprofit video game museum based in Oakland, California. MADE is dedicated to preserving the history of digital games and promoting digital creation and game development through play, education, and hands-on exhibits. Visitors... Read More →

Game Audio Institute

Game Audio Professional Development

We started the Game Audio Institute based on our experience in the classroom over the last decade, where we have been developing curriculum and teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in game audio. Interactive media is very different from linear media like film and... Read More →

Saturday August 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

12:15pm PDT

Video game production - The challenges facing AAA game dev and fun developer stories about your favorite games

Saturday August 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm PDT

(Can be the same as panel description but would prefer to write something up once ive finished the presentation)

Panelists: Andrew Sipotz [Producer - Video Games, www.gamekatsu.com]

Saturday August 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

1:30pm PDT

Waluigi Time!

Saturday August 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

Waluigi doesn't have his own game, but he has his own panel where he pays other people to talk about games he should have been in and how great he is.

Panelists:
Foundation for the Eradication of Generation 5 Pokemon [https://linktr.ee/fifthgenisntpokemon]

Saturday August 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

1:30pm PDT

Getting Real About Fiction Writing

Saturday August 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

Bring your writing! Charles Barouch is a writer and developmental editor, he's had decades working with experienced and new writers. You read, he'll offer specific feedback and guide the audience to do the same. Sign-ups will be handled in the room. We'll get to as many of you as possible.

Panelists:
Charles Barouch, Horrorwords.com [Writer/Editor/Developmental Editor/Publisher, hdwp.com]
Dani Barouch [hdwp.com]

Saturday August 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

2:45pm PDT

Journey into Voice Acting

Saturday August 15, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm PDT

Come try your hand at voice acting with Preston Yeung local voice actor. It's a safe room to come out and just have some fun reading lines from some of your favorite anime and games.

Panelists: CINEPRESTO [Voice Actor]

Saturday August 15, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

4:00pm PDT

Cosplay Wrestling Federation: Magnitude

Saturday August 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT

Team CWF returns to ALA. Who will triumph tonight? Help us decide!

Saturday August 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

5:15pm PDT

Do You Think God Stays in Heaven Because He too Lives in Fear of What He's Created? A Neopets Panel

Saturday August 15, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm PDT

Neopets is a shambling late-stage capitalism simulator cloaked in the guise of a “virtual pet website”, and it has been running for the past 26 years with absolutely zero economic regulation. Is there any way to fix this mess without inciting open class warfare between the Neopian bourgeoisie and the commoners who rely on their free daily omelette slice?

Please join us for an atrociously stupid presentation on the current state of the Neopian economy.

Saturday August 15, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

7:45pm PDT

YOU DIED: Dark Souls for Dummies

Saturday August 15, 2026 7:45pm - 8:45pm PDT

Are you dying (repeatedly) to get into Dark Souls and other Souls-likes? Take it from me, someone who can’t play games past easy mode. This panel is here for you with tips beyond “getting good.”

Panelists: Rangoon

Saturday August 15, 2026 7:45pm - 8:45pm PDT
Panels 1 San Simeon / San Martin

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

10:15pm PDT

Why Hackers (1995) is Queer Culture

Saturday August 15, 2026 10:15pm - Sunday August 16, 2026 12:15am PDT

If the creators didn't intend for <redacted> to be trans, why did they put all those trans scenes in?? Experience the absurdity of Hackers (1995) and decide what flavor of queer each of the main characters are, and why we should never deadname The Plague (no matter how much of a weenie he is). Plus learn about this movie's VERY impressive soundtrack given it's from 1995!! Missed it last year? Now's your chance! CW content containing light transphobia and racism.

Performers

Adora Blue

Adora Blue (yes, that's adorable + u ;3) is a Seattle-based DJ (and producer, activist, tiktoker, etc) you won't soon forget!

Mainly playing eurobeat and VG remixes, she also branches out toward breakcore, kawaii future bass, hhc, and j-core, and no set of hers is complete without... Read More →

Saturday August 15, 2026 10:15pm - Sunday August 16, 2026 12:15am PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

12:00am PDT

Delorean Overdrive

Sunday August 16, 2026 12:00am - 12:30am PDT

Delorean Overdrive is a high-octane synthwave band that transports listeners straight to the neon-soaked streets of the 1980s. With pulsating beats, shimmering synths, robotic vocals and a nostalgic nod to retro-futurism, Delorean Overdrive delivers an electrifying experience that blends the past and future in perfect harmony. Their music captures the essence of a time when VHS tapes and arcade games ruled, driving through soundscapes inspired by classic sci-fi, horror films, and video games. Whether you’re cruising down memory lane or revving up for the future, Delorean Overdrive will take you on a sonic ride you won’t forget.

Performers

Delorean Overdrive

Delorean Overdrive is a high-octane synthwave band that transports listeners straight to the neon-soaked streets of the 1980s. With pulsating beats, shimmering synths, robotic vocals and a nostalgic nod to retro-futurism, Delorean Overdrive delivers an electrifying experience that... Read More →

Dæmon Core

Based in San Francisco, visualist Dæmon Core formerly known as Noukon) infiltrates your eye sockets with nostalgic malfunctions, tenebrous obscurities, and synthetic nebuli built into a rhythmic, abyssal textile of light, darkness, and 8-bit teletubby entrails.

Sunday August 16, 2026 12:00am - 12:30am PDT
POW Stage Cedar/Pine

POW Stage (Main Concerts)

Audience 15+
Subject Concerts

12:40am PDT

SiIvaGunner

Sunday August 16, 2026 12:40am - 1:30am PDT

I only upload high quality video game rips.

Performers

SiIvaGunner

I only upload high quality video game rips.

Website | Bluesky | Twitter... Read More →

Sunday August 16, 2026 12:40am - 1:30am PDT
POW Stage Cedar/Pine

POW Stage (Main Concerts)

Audience 15+

11:00am PDT

The Ocarina Panel

Sunday August 16, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

We know ocarinas from gaming and anime, but they're a real instrument with extensive history! Learn more about ocarinas, their history, their status today, and how you can start playing one.

Panelists:
Andy Cormier [YouTube Creator / Musician / Public Health Data Analyst, https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyCormierYT]

Sunday August 16, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels

1:30pm PDT

Dwelling of Duels MAGWest Listening Party

Sunday August 16, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

Dwelling of Duels is a monthly video game remix competition where participants arrange, record, and mix covers that fit the contest's theme. Join us for a special MAGWest Contest Listening Party!

Panelists:
darmock
newmajoe [Lawyer, Musician, https://joenewman.bandcamp.com/]

Sunday August 16, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Panels 2 San Juan / San Carlos

Audience 15+
Subject Panels