July 26, 2025 — SMX Convention Center, Philippines
Only in the Philippines could you walk into SMX on a Saturday and find a HoYo Fest, a weapons convention, and a game‑dev expo all under one roof. It was pure organized chaos navigating through the narrow hallways at what felt like the country’s biggest gaming event.
The Philippine Game Dev Expo (PGDX) is a groundbreaking event meant to showcase the best of the Filipino Gaming Community. It featured engaging panels, rising indie stars, international exhibitors and various activities. The expo is more of a platform to allow gamers across the country to showcase their skillset. PGDX first made its debut last August 18 to 20, 2023, a first of its kind organized by CBZN Perspective and the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP).
As soon as I entered the expo, I was transported to my happy place—a safe space to geek out with fellow gamers. The PGDX had everything from gaming technology, animation, internship opportunities, games, cosplays and the like—I wish I could go every day. I was greeted by sponsors like Mineski Global, Fantech Philippines, Mountain Dew, and Lenovo Legion. At the Lenovo Legion booth, attendees could test their latest laptops by playing Valorant for free. In true expo fashion, you could collect freebies by accomplishing booth‑specific tasks. There’s also free coffee going around, specially sponsored by Jollibee for a quick pick-me-up.
The entire venue was buzzing with simultaneous activities. On the main stage is Smart as the presenter. I decided to visit the Tito and Tita Gaming section first—named for gamers born in the ’90s. It felt like a blast from the past, with games like Tekken, Street Fighter, and Tetris on display. Fun fact: in high school, I joined a Tekken competition that took place in an empty classroom—and I was the only girl participating. It was a nostalgic moment for sure.
After some retro gaming, I watched a Mobile Legends tournament between university teams. As a player myself, I found it riveting, and the cheering crowd only added to the excitement.
Cosplayers roaming the hallways made the experience even more immersive. I tried hard to remain calm when someone dressed as Cloud from Final Fantasy walked by.
What truly stood out at PGDX was the sheer diversity of the gaming community. There were booths for MMORPGs, mobile games, VR experiences, and more. I even saw a Character.AI booth, where attendees could chat with virtual personas. There was also a dedicated board gaming area—though it was somewhat distracting, since it was located near the stage.
I got to try Halo Flashpoint, a board game demo led by an immensely enthusiastic host whose energy was contagious. The game has a learning curve, but once it starts rolling it gets more immersive. If you get the chance, I highly recommend looking it up.
The true highlight for me was the indie game showcase. I visited as many booths as I could, tried out new games, and connected with developers whose passion really shone through.
Stay tuned for my next article. I’ll be sharing a detailed list of indie games I experienced and my impressions of each one.
A big thank‑you to the virus.hr team for sending me as your representative to cover this event!
Matcha-fueled shoujo heroine who loves gaming.