It’s that time of the year again: Fan Expo Canada.
The country’s largest pop-culture convention takes place from Thursday, August 24th to Sunday, August 27th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC). This year is a little different because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike, meaning that attending guests will be unable to promote any upcoming shows.
However, video games are unaffected by the strike, and Fan Expo actually has more gaming-related programming this year than it has since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up all of the gaming attractions at Fan Expo Canada this year.
Actors
Gaming guests are queued up for FAN EXPO Canada. Meet the voice actors from Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Genshin Impact, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and more. Get your tickets TODAY: https://t.co/JVYRVzFpuy pic.twitter.com/skPU1jooC4
— FANEXPO Canada (@FANEXPOCANADA) July 5, 2023
While Fan Expo’s list of gaming-related voice actors is relatively light this year, there are still a few notable guests, all of whom will be in attendance for photos, autographs and panels.
In particular, Nadji Jeter, the voice of Miles Morales in Insomniac’s Spider-Man games will be in attendance all four days. He’ll also have his own panel Friday, August 25th at 1pm in the North Building’s Room 206. Given that he’s the co-lead of this October’s highly anticipated Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, fans will no doubt be excited to see him.
Additionally, Stephanie Panisello, the voice of Claire Redfield in Resident Evil 2 and other Resident Evil projects, is heading to the show on Thursday and Friday.
Five Nights at Freddy’s star Kellen Goff will also be at the show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. His panel will take place on Friday, August 25th at 4pm in the North Building’s Room 206.
Finally, there’s Fred Tatasciore, the prolific voice actor behind the likes of Mass Effect‘s Saren and Gears of War‘s Baird. Tatasciore will be present on Friday and Saturday, with his panel set for Friday, August 25th at 12pm in the North Building’s Room 206.
Bell Esports Challenge
We’re excited to announce our official casters for the Bell Esports Challenge Live Finals! We can’t wait to see them hit the stage at @FANEXPOCANADA. pic.twitter.com/HbKyjQm1hh
— Bell (@Bell) August 17, 2023
Returning this year is Bell’s series of competitive gaming tournaments. Those attending Fan Expo Canada can watch live finals for Valorant 5v5s, Call of Duty 4v4s, and Rocket League 3v3s, with big prizes — including trips and cash — being awarded to the winners.
The schedule is as follows:
- Friday, August 25th — Valorant (10am-7pm)
- Saturday, August 26th — Call of Duty (10am-7pm)
- Sunday, August 27th — Rocket League (10am-7pm)
More information can be found here. Those who can’t make it to Fan Expo can also tune in via Bell’s Twitch account.
Cosplay
It's cosplay time in Toronto. Join us at FAN EXPO Canada later this month to meet famous cosplayers, learn how to create your own costumes, and take some awesome pics. Snap up your tickets TODAY: https://t.co/Ak0JvuJyBK pic.twitter.com/Vfpw3GTu5Q
— FANEXPO Canada (@FANEXPOCANADA) August 11, 2023
There will also be specific cosplay meetups for different game franchises, such as Zelda and Final Fantasy. You can check the schedule to see when and where those are happening.
Depower Ball
BIG NEWS! DepowerBall is coming to @FANEXPOCANADA! Join us at Booth 1823!
The Chairman took a few minutes away from the “investor” meeting on his cruise to say a few words, too.
DepowerBall lands on Steam August 21st!https://t.co/T5CLYxKJkU#FANEXPOCanada2023 pic.twitter.com/cQ50YY7dgI
— Mega Power Games 🔜 Anime North 🔜 ??? (@megapower_games) August 16, 2023
Toronto-based indie developer Mega Power Games is releasing its latest game, DepowerBall, on August 21st. It’s a hectic competitive party platformer in which players have to avoid each other while trying to feed a dragon.
A free demo is available on Steam, but those interested in checking it out in person can do so at Fan Expo Booth 1823. There will be daily tournaments, giveaways, temporary tattoos, merch for sale, and more.
Femme Gaming Lounge
Femme Gaming, a group that aims to promote an inclusive gaming community for women, will have a ‘Femme Gaming Free Play Lounge’ in which attendees can play some games for free.
PlayStation
PlayStation will be at FAN EXPO Canada this year! Swing by and join us! 🕷 #BeGreaterTogether pic.twitter.com/mjQNLTXtEi
— PlayStation Canada (@PlayStationCA) August 21, 2023
PlayStation will have a booth at Fan Expo Canada with a special Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 photo op and an early look at the game’s PS5 peripherals.
Quest to Conquer Cancer
Enter the Quest raffle at the Quest X AMD Booth PMF01 benefitting lifesaving cancer research for the chance to win prizes, including a limited-edition AMD x Quest PC! Buy your FAN EXPO Canada tickets & 5% of the proceeds will go to The Princess Margaret: https://t.co/VdGppQYqh1 pic.twitter.com/eIcziEaLeq
— FANEXPO Canada (@FANEXPOCANADA) August 15, 2023
The Quest x AMD booth will host game streams and raffles in support of The Princess Margaret cancer research. Altogether, over $3,000 in prizes will be available.
More information on the initiative, including other ways to support The Princess Margaret, can be found here.
Xbox
Fans will get a chance to challenge professional gamers in the Xbox PC Game Pass Arena. Inspired by an eSports Arena, it will feature a stage for competitors to face off in PC Game Pass Games, screens to watch the action, PC rigs to practice, a claw machine to win prizes, & more. pic.twitter.com/uMtpIQE6xG
— FANEXPO Canada (@FANEXPOCANADA) August 13, 2023
Xbox’s booth will be inspired by an “esports arena,” allowing attendees to play against professional gamers in various PC Game Pass titles. There will also be a claw machine to win prizes. MobileSyrup has reached out to Xbox for additional details, including which gamers and titles will be there, and we’ll update this story once a response has been received.
Of course, there’s much more happening at Fan Expo Canada.
Since we also cover streaming services, it’s worth noting that some of that programming includes a Paramount+ booth (including a Yellowstone photo booth), a Disney+ Ahsoka pop-up (featuring official props and “special photo experience”), a special Prime Video screening of The Wheel of Time Season 2, a StackTV booth (featuring games and prizes related to Rick & Morty, Chucky and Robyn Hood) and Crunchyroll is bringing a Jujutsu Kaisen experience.
Additionally, be sure to check out the website and full schedule for a complete breakdown of all of this year’s programming. Ticket information can be found here.
Finally, you can download a free mobile app on Android and iOS to make your own personal schedule, view the floor plan and more.
Image credit: PlayStation
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