Sundays at PAX East are a bittersweet spectacle of games, friends, and finishing touches. As the shortest day of the Expo, the atmosphere shifts from the Saturday frenzy to a more relaxed, curated vibe. For me, it’s the perfect time to visit dice vendors (maintaining my long-standing tradition of buying sets for friends back home), admire high-end geek fashion like those custom Mass Effect jackets, and finally stop by the booths I’ve been eyeing all weekend.
I continued my Cosplay shenanigans, this time as President Loki, wandering the halls and appreciating the other folks wandering around in costume. While PAX East was slowly coming to an end on Sunday it was great to do some final exploration and check out some interesting booths and games.
X4: Foundations – A Deep Dive with Egosoft CEO Bernd Lehahn
I was lucky enough to sit down with Bernd Lehahn, founder and CEO of Egosoft GmbH, to discuss the enduring legacy of X4: Foundations. It was inspiring to see his continued passion for a game already seven years into its lifecycle. Lehahn’s commitment to providing players with free, high-quality enhancements is clear: while several DLCs exist to expand the universe, the base game remains a complete experience, and the upcoming Version 9.00 Patch will be a major update free to all legacy players.
The “Foundations” Experience: Unlike many space sims that focus solely on dogfighting or trading, X4 allows you to transition seamlessly from a first-person pilot to a high-level empire commander. You can start with a single scout ship and eventually own massive carrier fleets and industrial complexes that span entire star systems.
Dynamic Universe: Every NPC ship you see is actually performing a task—mining, trading, or patrolling—that impacts the global economy. Factions will wage war, claim territory, and rebuild based on the availability of resources you might be providing (or sabotaging).
What’s New in the Version 9.00 Patch?
Lehahn highlighted that this update is a foundational shift for the game’s late-life cycle:
- Engine & Multithreading Optimizations: Significant backend overhauls to improve performance during massive fleet battles.
- End-Game Diplomacy: New tools for players who have established their own factions to negotiate or declare war on NPC empires.
- UI/UX Improvements: A push to streamline the notoriously complex station-building and fleet-management menus.
Free League Publishing: The Future of Tabletop RPGs
As a long-time fan who has run epic campaigns in their Blade Runner and Alien systems, stopping by the Free League booth was a must. Their books are consistently of the highest quality, with an attention to detail that stands out in the industry. I’ve always appreciated how their systems veer toward roleplay-heavy mechanics rather than constant, crunchy dice rolling.
Recent Releases & 2026 Roadmap
- Coriolis: The Great Dark: Their new sci-fi flagship is expanding with The Fractured Library & Other Tales from the Lost Horizon, featuring five standalone scenarios.
- Dragonbane: Trudvang: This legendary world is returning as a standalone RPG based on the Dragonbane engine—a project that recently shattered its $1M Kickstarter goal.
- Invincible & Fomoria: Late pledges are open for the official Invincible RPG (Skybound), and a new partnership with MÖRK BORG co-creator Johan Nohr brings the dark vision of Fomoria to the lineup.
Halloween Game – Setting a Guinness World Record
Dominating the Expo Hall with a massive replica of a creepy 1970s house, Halloween was impossible to miss. Developed in Unreal Engine 5, this 1v4 asymmetrical horror sandbox offers something unique: a standalone single-player story mode where you play through the events of the original 1978 film as “The Shape” himself.
Hands-On with Michael Myers
While 1v4 games aren’t usually my primary genre, I was genuinely impressed by the execution (pun intended) as well as the look and feel of the game. The booth was jammed the entire show with massive crowds checking out the game.
- Asymmetrical Survival: One player stalks as Michael while four “Heroes of Haddonfield” work to alert police and escape.
- Stealth & NPCs: Michael leverages shadows and nightmarish abilities, while survivors can command and equip NPCs to distract or momentarily overpower him.
A Historic Community Milestone
The real highlight wasn’t just on the screen. On Saturday, March 28, a sea of blue jumpsuits and expressionless masks flooded the area as 254 participants gathered to officially set the Guinness World Record title for the “Largest gathering of people dressed as Michael Myers.” This haunting sight perfectly captured the scale of the Halloween fandom at PAX East.
Halloween is set to launch on September 8, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.