The Midwest Gaming Classic (MGC) has made breaking its attendance record an annual tradition the past few years. The 2024 edition did that handily, surpassing the 30,000 mark for the first time in the event’s history. Now, with the Baird Center fully open for business, it’s hard to imagine the MGC not beating that number when it returns April 4-6.
"In 2001, we started as an in-person gathering for an online fan group. Today, we have become the gathering place for hundreds of online fan groups to share their passions in person,” co-founder Dan Loosen said in a release. “[W]e have something for everyone: cosplay contests, live music, tattoo artists, and even Family Day to introduce the next generation to the endless possibility of games you can play.”
Milwaukee’s revamped convention center wrapped up construction just after last year’s event, which means the 2025 version will cover more space than ever: more than 350,000 square feet of arcade cabinets, pinball machines, home consoles from every generation, tabletop games, vendors, art and more.
The extra elbow room also allows for a few new activities this year, including a speedcubing tournament, plus a “massive expansion” in tabletop games and brand-new pinball games. Other familiar touches will return as well: the playable gaming museum, esports competitions and an official after-party.
On the celebrity side, the MGC will welcome the creators of Activision and actor Christopher Sean, who has provided his voice and motion-capture abilities to games like Gotham Knights, Ghost of Tsushima and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
This year’s event will take a familiar approach across its three days, with a preview night April 4 from 6 p.m. to midnight ($50), the full show open April 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($55), and a family day April 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($30).
As a relative latecomer to the MGC and a rabid consumer of arcade-cabinet gaming since the heyday of Chuck E. Cheese and Northridge Mall, it’s really something to have an event like this right in our own backyard. The wave of nostalgia is only one part of it. Walking around the convention hall is like diving into the entire run of gaming history, taking you from Pong to VR shoot-em-ups.
The vendors are a whole other experience and essentially a giant trap for gaming fans or anyone with a child at their hip. Getting out of that part of the MGC without buying a clever shirt or Funko Pop or to-scale replica of Sphiroth’s sword from Final Fantasy VII is basically impossible.
To experience any or all of that, head over to the Midwest Gaming Classic website for tickets.
