1. Cosplay will never not rule.
If cosplay is the currency of every great fan expo, LVL Up was loaded.
Democracy reigned supreme on the exhibit floor, where video gaming fans of the bug-splatting, Starship Troopers spiritual successor Helldivers 2 came decked out in patriotic space gear. They stood like sentries guarding a perimeter of nerds, wielding breaching hammers the size of small children and appearing toasty under all that armor. Could we get these guys a cup of liber-tea?
Fully armored costumes are some of the coolest and most cumbersome types of cosplay you can do, and there were plenty to go around. Local Matthew Gonzalez (@imageeknotanerd on Instagram) also won us over with his 3D-printed Mark III Iron Man suit. The craftsmanship is crazy with small details like the center chest piece and repulsor gauntlet glowing to life on their own. Gonzalez also worked to make the outfit look as weathered as possible. This suit’s seen some action. –AS
There’s also the creative, eccentric visionaries, like the guy who came as Patchy the Pirate from SpongeBob Squarepants—the framed head version from the theme song, no less. Or the LVL Up regular who dressed like a paramilitary Mario ready to liberate Peach from the cartel. Jesters and harlequins were another noticeable new trend, but the many roving gangs of crossover characters truly stole the show. At one point, we crossed paths with Fire Lord Zuko from Avatar: the Last Airbender rolling deep with a squad that included Byleth from Fire Emblem, Shiromuku from Silent Hill and Undertaker from Elden Ring. Talk about a dream blunt rotation. –TS
2. Fans have evolved with the expo.
Fans from around the world gathered for this year’s LVL Up Expo. But what we were most excited to see were the abundance of locals in attendance doing great things. Las Vegas podcasters Andrea Carter and Tom McLaughlin, who host the narrative-driven video gaming podcast The Other Castle, have attended multiple LVL Ups in the past, but this year marked their first as panelists. During the panel, aspiring podcasters filled the room, eager to hear about the couple’s journey from working in audiobooks and marketing to creating a 12-season podcast with thousands of listeners.
As regulars of LVL Up Expo, Carter and McLaughlin also didn’t miss a chance to express their love for the culture of it.
“We have some of the most creative fandoms here in Las Vegas, and I love that because LVL Up Expo brings everyone together,” Carter said.
“I saw somebody who was in a video game as a voice actor standing in line waiting to meet a K-Pop Demon Hunter because they were just that excited,” McLaughlin said. “You're getting all these really cool interactions with so many different fandoms and people, and I think that is one of the most unique aspects to LVL Up Expo.” –AS
3. Pokémon’s stillking.
If, like us, you’ve started to notice Pokémon card vending machines scattered throughout airport terminals, you’re not alone. The franchise’s remarkable staying power was similarly inescapable at LVL Up, where several vendors exclusively peddled Pokémon merch to fans rocking Umbreon ears and Pichu ponchos as silver-haired OGs duked it out with young whippersnappers in trading card game bouts at the Pokémon Play Lab. Dragon Ball Z reigned supreme for decades, but it’s clear that Pokémon has finally overtaken it as the most visible series in nerddom. –TS
4. A whole subculture of dancers exists in video gaming.
We embarked on a bit of a side quest to find the arcade corner of LVL Up. Over here, plenty of people were jamming out perfect scores on Dance Dance Revolution, but Dancerush Stardom, a popular rhythm dancing game that debuted first in Japan, stole the spotlight. A freestyle group I met slickly hopped aboard the dance pad, each busting out a finesse of footwork before jumping off to let another one take their place. It fell somewhere between a beautifully orchestrated ballet and wrestling, the way the group seamlessly tagged each other into the dance ring. Later, one of the dancers would tell me that he’s a part of a video game dance crew. Instances like that make this whole expo worthwhile. –AS
5.The Blue Eyes White Dragon card your mom threw out is now worth $1,000.
Like many former eight-year-olds, my dream of becoming the greatest Yu-Gi-Oh player in the world didn’t quite pan out. But that never really bothered me much until this weekend, where some of the same cards and games I swear I had as a child were selling for hundreds of dollars at LVL Up booths. If there’s a lesson to be learned here, it’s probably that hoarding your holographic Charizards was the right move. And if any of my younger cousins are reading this, I regret giving you my small fortune when I got to high school and would like it back now. –TS
