This year’s winter GAX will take place from February 10 to 12 at the Cultural Center.
The Moose Jaw Gamers Association normally holds two gaming expos per year that draw hundreds of people, but has decided to hold only one annual event due to volunteer and attendance issues.
The association (MJGA) usually holds a gaming expo (GAX) in February and July at the Moose Jaw Cultural Center, filling the building with a variety of activities from board games to Dungeons & Dragons to console games to card games.
However, the organization has recently changed its game model.
“We will only focus on our winter GAXs in the future. We found that GAX didn’t have such a big turnout in the summer, and when we try to make it a really good event, we rely on volunteers (who) are less present (because of vacation or work) in the summer,” explains Talon Regent, MJGA Vice President.
Instead, MJGA plans to hold GAX once a year in February, which should get people excited for when the event takes place and allow the association to make it as big as possible, he continued.
This is the first year that the MJGA will only hold a winter GAX, taking place from Friday, February 10 to Sunday, February 12. However, the organization does not intend to give up its time at the Cultural Center.
“This summer we’re going to have a big special Dungeons & Dragons event,” said Regent. “Over the years, GAX has changed from being primarily a LAN (local area network) party for video gamers…[to]board games, and now we’re seeing a shift where people are most interested in Dungeons & Dragons.
“So for the upcoming summer event, by focusing on Dungeons & Dragons, we can make that more specialized event especially fun.”
Winter Gax
GAX is one of the longest-running gaming expos in Saskatchewan, with most of the proceeds going to a local charity each year.
This year’s charity is Hunger in Moose Jaw.
Doors will open at 5PM on February 10th and close at midnight, reopen at 9AM on February 11th and close at midnight and reopen one last time on February 12th at 9AM and close at 5PM
During those 30 hours, players can play LAN games, board games, console games, Dungeons and Dragons, Flames of War, Pokémon, Battletech, Magic: The Gathering, Super Smash Bros., virtual reality and much more.
GAX will also feature vendors selling nerdy memorabilia, the much-loved Saturday night pizza party, and door prizes being handed out throughout the weekend.
General admission is $20, although the association encourages people to register at www.mjga.ca/gax.
This year’s expo will also host a national qualifying tournament for the Settlers of Catan. The winner earns a spot at the 2024 Canadian National CATAN Championship. Admission is free with a GAX ticket, but participants must be 18 years or older to play.
“I am very excited that it (GAX) is returning to ignite the passion of gaming in the hearts of Moose Javians and other Saskatchewanians,” said Regent. “I’m especially excited about the Settlers of Catan tournament coming up.”
The MJGA hosted a national qualifying tournament once before in February 2020, right before the pandemic was declared, he continued. The organization contacted the game’s creator and obtained permission to host another qualifier, while also convincing Saskatoon’s Dragon’s Den Games to provide several copies of the game and prize packages for winners.
Regent noted that he plans to compete in the qualifying tournament and has been practicing regularly in hopes of making the top 4.
Seeing large crowds of people passionate about gaming – from board games to tabletop games to role-playing games – come together to share that joy with others is one of Regent’s favorite aspects of GAX.
“This is a big event. Tons of volunteer hours are being put into it… to make sure this is a success for our community,” he added.
Since 2010, the Moose Jaw Gamers Association has volunteered thousands of volunteer hours and raised more than $16,000 for children’s charities in Moose Jaw.