PAX Aus 2025’s Storytime Speaker Has Been Revealed Alongside A Slew Of Special Guests

PAX Aus has announced that Magic: The Gathering Principal Designer Gavin Verhey will be the keynote Storytime Speaker for PAX Aus 2025.

A lifelong fan of the ever-popular trading card game, Verhey played on a professional level for years before joining Wizards of the Coast in 2011. Now working as a Principal Magic Designer, Verhey designs the cards themselves, leading the design process on sets like Battlebond, Commander Legends, and the massively successful Final Fantasy crossover set. Verhey has a vast amount of history, knowledge, and experience with the Magic series and with the design process, so his keynote will be a must for those interested in the medium.

Alongside the Storytime speaker announcement, we also know of five special guests who will be making appearances during PAX Aus this year. The first cab off the rank is Ubisoft Montreal’s Joshua Mills. Mills is the current Game Director on the tactical multiplayer first-person shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, and he will be bringing his experience with the game’s ten-year history during a fireside chat at the convention. That won’t be the only Siege representation at PAX Aus this year, as the Rainbow Six Siege Asia Pacific League 2025 Major Qualifier will also be held at the PAX arena and streamed live.

The next special guest is Josh Sawyer, Studio Design Director at Obsidian Entertainment. A veteran of the industry, Sawyer has previously worked on Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity, as well as acting as the Director on the excellent Pentiment, which earned a 10 in our review. With a wealth of knowledge in world-building, player choice, and role-playing, Josh should be on everyone’s checklist for PAX Aus this year.

On the topic of Obsidian, Lis Moberly, the Lead Game Designer for Disney 20th Century Games, will also be in attendance this year. Having previously worked at the aforementioned Obsidian, as well as Avalanche and Chuhai Labs as a writer, Moberly holds an array of insights into the gaming industry. Wonderfully, Moberly’s roots in the industry go beyond working within it, as she also continues her studies into burnout and feedback culture that previously drove her academic career.

Rounding out this year’s panellists, speakers, and guests is Jenny Windom, the founder of Geeks & Grounds, a game club and community that prioritises inclusion and thoughtful discussion, with Windom herself hosting a fortnightly podcast. Working within the industry, Windom has experience in community engagement, marketing, publishing, funding, and more, making her an ocean of knowledge that is well worth tapping into.

The folks from Good Game Morley will also be taking to the stage to run a Magic: The Gathering match against creators After Hours, as well as meeting up with fans during a meet and greet, so mark your schedules if an explosive Magic match on stage tickles your fancy. All of these guests join an already stacked line-up consisting of Amelia Tyler, Luke Dale, Ify Nwadiwe, Diana Fay, John Robertson, Mike Mason, and more.

Are you heading to PAX Aus this year? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.