Our Adventure at Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 – Saturday

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Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 has come to an end, but the excitement is still palpable. Let’s revisit our first impressions from the festival. Saturday marked the official opening of the event, featuring numerous concerts, competitions, panels, and other attractions. Here’s what we managed to capture during the first day.

Thick fog like curdled milk? Small inconveniences like that on the morning trip to Magnificon couldn’t stop IndieGames from arriving at Expo Kraków right after the doors opened at 9:15 AM. After picking up my press badge, I had plenty of time to explore the many booths and activities prepared for the day. And I must admit, there was a lot to see.

The first stop: a panel on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We listened to a presentation about the company’s history and growth, its most popular games, and the controversies surrounding it. The discussion also touched on topics like microtransactions, DLC releases, and bug fixes. Iconic series such as Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Starcraft were mentioned as well, usually with a humorous twist.

After the panel, it was time for a Q&A session with international cosplay guests. Fans asked questions to Shunsuke from Switzerland, Ariderion from Serbia, Reiki from Japan, and SayoChuu and SAB from Latvia. The cosplayers shared their experiences from competitions around the world, inspirations for designing new costumes, and their impressions of tasting Polish pierogi. SayoChuu and SAB even found a moment to chat with us about the beginnings of their careers, their preparations for photoshoots, and how video games influence their work, the interview will be available on our website.

At 2:00 PM, I joined the crowd at the main stage for the official opening ceremony, followed by the Anime Symphony concert. The orchestra, soloists, vocalists, custom visuals, and timeless Japanese animations (including Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan, and Fairy Tail) came together to transport the audience into the world of their favorite anime.

That became literal when the final piece, “The Rising Fighting Spirit,” turned the space in front of the stage into a racetrack. Members of Anime Symphony and the audience performed the legendary “Naruto Run” to the rhythm of the music. Naturally, I joined in. Afterwards, I met the Anime Symphony team, where we learned more about what goes on behind the scenes. You’ll find more in our interview with Wiktor Kuliński, the mind behind the initiative, who also hinted at some plans for the near future.

Returning to gaming topics, the next panel discussion focused on writing video game reviews. We approached this from two perspectives: the games themselves and the work of game journalists. We discussed classifying games by genre, evaluating their narratives, and using review keys provided by publishers. The grand finale of this brainstorming session was supposed to be a group-written review, but it ended with jokes about IGN Poland’s review of Gothic II Complete Classic. Quoting the author: “6/10, it’s fine.”

Our gaming adventures that day extended far beyond Gothic or World of Warcraft. Next on our schedule was a session about fashion design inspired by Genshin Impact characters. We explored how shape, color, and fabric attract attention in gacha games, and how that appeal resonates even with younger players. We also looked for references from various cultures, architectural styles, and even modern fashion runways.

These recognizable elements were visible outside the panel as well. In my free time, I happily visited the Genshin-inspired village and its inhabitants (someone had to check whether the ale in the tavern was real, it wasn’t). I also had a chance to stop by the Chunithm rhythm game tournament, where advanced players took part in a “dance battle royale.”

Saturday was full of gaming, anime, and cosplay. The event began at Naruto-run speed and didn’t slow down until the end of the day. It left us hungry for more adventures, we were eager to see whether the second day would bring even more experiences and surprises. Spoiler: of course it did.