Entering the Porte de Versailles expo center of Paris Games Week 2025, I immediately felt that this was not "just" another video game fair. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a festival - colorful lights, music from various corners of the hall and a crowd of excited visitors of all generations. This year, the event returned in a reinvented edition and in just four days (October 30 - November 2) offered more than ever before: hundreds of game titles, impressive multimedia installations, e-sports competitions, cosplay and concerts.
Festival atmosphere and a new beginning
This year's edition of PGW marked a new beginning for the fair. After a few more modest post-pandemic years, the organizers joined forces with new partners (Fimalac Entertainment and GL events) in order for the event to "change the level" and expand to all forms of entertainment - not only video games, but also music, collectible card games and stage spectacles. Squeezie) and musicians (Bigflo from the duo Bigflo & Oli). That opening show set the tone - PGW 2025 decided to offer visitors a "powerful experience" that will take them out of their homes and immerse them in the world of gaming with all their senses.
The new night sessions of the fair further strengthened that festival atmosphere. For the first time in the history of PGW, on three nights (October 30 and 31 and November 1), the hall remained open until 9 p.m., turning into a space for concerts, comedy performances and interactive shows on the main stage (Grande Scène) The musical duo Bigflo & Oli had a special contribution - in addition to their own concert, the brotherly duo received carte blanche that through the entire event he creates contents at the junction of gaming and music. As a fan of both, I enjoyed the sight of hundreds of gamers waving their hands to the rhythm of a rap concert in the middle of a video game fair. It is clear that PGW has thus rebranded itself as a true gaming festival, inclusive for a wider pop-culture audience. "After covid, to get people out, you have to promise them a really powerful experience," James Rebours from the organization told me – and that's exactly what they delivered.
Crowds at the stands and hit games
Organizers boasted that at PGW 2025, more than 200 games are available to play, spread across two large pavilions. And the impression from the field confirms this: the stands were lined with demo versions, from big AAA titles to indie games. The three biggest console manufacturers – Sony (PlayStation), Nintendo and Microsoft (Xbox) – set up lavish showrooms, side by side with publishing giants such as Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Activision, Epic Games and others. Nintendo attracted special attention thanks to its new Switch 2 console, which, after its record-breaking launch in June, appeared in front of a crowd of visitors for the first time at this kind of event. Of course, I immediately got in line to try it out Pokémon Legends: Z-A i Metroid Prime 4 in the versions adapted to the new Switch – the interest in these titles was huge, which is not surprising considering that the Switch 2 "led the market" since it appeared.
An interesting retro-gaming corner delighted nostalgics: in cooperation with the association for the preservation of old consoles, old arcade machines, Sega Mega Drive, SNES and even Sega Dreamcast with legendary games were placed.
Of course, there was also the PGW Family zone adapted for the youngest. It was redesigned this year to make it even more content - in addition to games suitable for children, a corner with toys and board games was added. Many parents with children took a break right there, allowing the little ones to play in a quieter environment after touring the noisy main halls. For those older kids (and parents) interested in how to work in the video game industry, there was also the PGW Campus: a series of booths from various schools and academies for game design and programming, where professors and students shared advice for future professionals sortiraparis.com. It is clear that Paris Games Week aims to cover the entire ecosystem of video games, from education to entertainment, and thereby profile itself as the central place of European gaming culture.
The best video game fair in Europe after Gamescom
Paris Games Week 2025 proved that it is more than just a fair - it is a real festival of gaming and pop culture, with rich content for all generations. From hit games and e-sports tournaments to concerts and cosplay spectacles, every visitor could find something for himself. Despite the crowds, the experience was unforgettable and clearly shows why PGW is one of the key events on the European gaming scene. According to the organizers, 200,000 people visited the fair this year. Given the lack of major video game fairs in Europe, along with Gamescom Paris Games Week is an event worth visiting, if only once. I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit him next year as well.
