MCM Birmingham Comic Con 2025 is the largest-scale event that I’ve been to down at the NEC in Birmingham over the past few years, after some events downsized or moved to London. Along with the regular Comic Con, the EGX gaming expo was merged into it, so I was excited to see the new form of this convention. Fortunately, the NEC is conveniently attached to Birmingham International train station, so it was no problem to head on down there to check it out.
Was EGX There?
To start on the least positive note, if you wanted to actually play games at EGX, the selection was quite limited and the gaming area itself relatively small.
There were two small areas for indie games; one where about 20 games each had their own stand, often with the developers nearby, and another where about 15 were set up in a row. There was certainly some very interesting stuff in this area; I particularly enjoyed EMITIME, a game mixing rhythm, deckbuilding, and roguelike elements. However, it is worth mentioning that a lot of the games here are probably more for those interested in more niche genres, such as a painting game, a hidden object game, and a choose-your-own-adventure game.
There was also a small ‘PC LAN space’ where people could try out about 20 titles. Most of these were slightly to somewhat old, with the exception of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. The others were more along the lines of Tekken 8, Rocket League, and Fortnite.
Unfortunately, it was incredibly lacking compared to the London events (or the pre-2019 Birmingham EGX events) in selection. As a comparison, even following the shadow of COVID shutdowns, we had the chance to try out many not-yet-released titles such as Persona 3 Reload, Persona 5 Tactica, and KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire!, along with a much wider range of indie titles at EGX 2023.
Fortunately, the rest of MCM Birmingham Comic Con 2025 was much better.
Guests, Panels, and Weaponry
There were quite a few guests and panels, both gaming-related and those more connected to other elements of pop culture. TV actors, including the fifth and eighth Doctors of Doctor Who, as well as voice actors, including the original voice of Mario, were present and signing autographs.
Panels were running over the entire event, covering anime, cosplay, gaming, and more. People hosting panels would speak about topics like navigating the developer and publisher relationship, how to break into voice acting, and the creative process behind making a cosplay. Several panels were more retellings of personal experiences over more practical tips, but it was interesting to hear their stories.
For those who did want to get more hands-on, there were more interactive and practical events. You could try a number of different artistic events, get involved in quizzes, or just ask questions at some of the panels.
A couple of events that stood out were lightsaber training and axe-throwing. The former involved learning to do some slow choreographed moves with a light saber, while the other was a Nordic-themed stand that offered axe-throwing in a cage. The former was mostly kids participating, the latter was definitely for adults only.
There was also lots to see just wandering around. The Dalek showroom was a highlight, with all sorts of full-sized Dalek models on display. Cosplayers were out in force too, and I enjoyed seeing the many costumes, whether it was the many from My Hero Academia, the variety of Spidermen, or even the few from older series like Bleach.
Emptying Your Wallet
The vast majority of the floor was covered in ways to spend money. It was to the point that I could barely find my way out of this area and back to the far smaller stages and gaming zones.
Some of these were pretty unique. Milestones 3D was showing off its full-body 3D scanners and 3D printed models of people. They were talking about how people had even taken the digital models they created and used them as avatars for programs such as VRChat, so they can meet their friends virtually in their ‘real’ bodies.
There were a number of authors selling their books at MCM Birmingham Comic Con. Unfortunately, these stalls seemed to be empty whenever I passed them, so it doesn’t seem like they were having much success.
Retailers were almost everywhere. Many of these were the normal type of goods you’d find at an event: mystery boxes, anime figures, Pokémon goods, a handful of retro game stalls, and various geek paraphernalia along the lines of T-shirts. D&D had a huge presence too, from collections of dice to candles with wax dice embedded.
The Artist Alley was huge too. Most had prints on offer, with items like keychains, pins, and other assorted items. Some offered custom goods too, like handmade plushies. It was primarily anime-related art on display, but there was some gaming and other assorted art as well.
The sheer amount of both retailers and artists was astounding. There were 24 rows of retailers and 24 rows of artists. Some of the artists even spilled into the retail area, and some of the retailers spilled out of it.
Beyond that, there were food stalls. They were pricey as you’d expect from a convention centre, but there was certainly no shortage of selection.
Final Thoughts
In terms of seeing guests, enjoying panels, or picking up a ton of merchandise or anime art, MCM Birmingham Comic Con 2025 was worth visiting. There was tons to see and do. In terms of the EGX aspect of getting hands-on with games, perhaps we’ll need to make the pricey journey over to London instead.
Many thanks go to ReedPop for providing a press pass for this event.
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A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.
