New Zealand’s biggest pop culture expo is back in Auckland in October however when the announcement was made their was one big name missing from the list, Xbox.

Armageddon is the biggest showcase for gaming that we get in New Zealand and Xbox has traditionally had a big presence at the expo. Last year’s Xbox stand was a real feature for Gaming at the Expo, with a big stand that featured top Kiwi streamers streaming Xbox games live from the event as well as a strong lineup of games showcased on Xbox One consoles. Not seeing Xbox on the list of attendees immediately drew our attention, especially when you consider that the Xbox One X is due for launch just weeks after Armageddon Expo. We reached out to Xbox New Zealand and Jane Dore, Category Lead at Microsoft New Zealand confirmed focus was entirely on a dedicated launch event for the Xbox One X rather than attendance at Armageddon:

“To showcase the power of the Xbox One X Microsoft is planning a dedicated launch event for Xbox fans nearer the New Zealand launch on November 7. There will be Xbox One S consoles and games on display at various booths during Armageddon, however.”

Whilst we can expect big things from a standalone launch for the Xbox One X, the decision to give up a dedicated Xbox presence at Armageddon and just have Xbox One S consoles on other stands does seem like a missed opportunity. With attendance over the long weekend that reach into the 10’s of thousands, the ability to reach gamers at Armageddon is sure to eclipse that of attendance at a dedicated Xbox One X launch event. Last year PlayStation New Zealand featured a PS4 Pro demo at Armageddon that was well received ahead of the PS4 Pro launch so there was a chance for Xbox New Zealand to do something similar to show off the Xbox One X on their own stand.

The space that Xbox leaves behind will be tough to fill so it will be interesting to see how or what takes their place at Armageddon. It may seem like a missed opportunity for Xbox to skip the biggest expo to showcase gaming in New Zealand but the plans must be massive if they want to focus as much of their budget as possible on a standalone Xbox One X launch. We’ll keep you posted with launch plans as we get nearing to the date but in the meantime what do you think of the decision to not have a stand at Armageddon?

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