The three-day event from April 4 to 6 was a high-energy celebration of all things gaming, including esports battles, vendors and the chance to meet voice actors like Sam Witwer from "Star Wars: The Force Unleased" and Troy Baker from "The Last of Us."
Then there was all the cosplay — plentiful, creative and impossible to miss. As is the norm at any geek-heavy event, many attendees came in full costume. At Game On Expo, that meant outfits inspired by a wide range of video games, from pixelated classics to modern blockbusters.
The were costumes paying tribute to landmark gaming franchises like “Mortal Kombat” and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” as well as the always popular “Five Nights at Freddy’s” series.
Many Game On Expo attendees showed their love for "Baldur’s Gate 3," the wildly popular 2023 fantasy role-playing title, by dressing as characters from the game. The spike in cosplay inspired by the RPG was no accident — a few voice actors from its cast — including Samantha Béart and Theo Solomon — appeared at the event, prompting fans to express their fandom through intricate costumes.
Stephanie Donaldson and Amy Betts were among them, each portraying a different version of Shadowheart from "Baldur’s Gate 3" — both equally impressive. The pair told Phoenix New Times they crafted their detailed ensembles in just a month.
“But it was a really busy month,” Donaldson says. “We crammed a lot of sewing, shaping foam and hard work into whatever free time we had.”
Donaldson (a.k.a. Bleeding Fingers Cosplay) and Betts (a.k.a. Amy Does Cosplay) were rewarded for their efforts with a “Best in Show” award during Game On Expo’s costume contest.
Here’s a look at some of the most amazing costumes we encountered at Game On Expo 2025, including the bold, the bizarre and the downright breathtaking.
Lili Soto of Tolleson, left, and Grey Trotter of Phoenix crafted stunning cosplays of MC and Sylus from the otome video game “Love and Deepspace.”
Benjamin Leatherman
Las Vegas-based cosplayer Silver Pigeon brought Velkana to life, an original Githyanki character inspired by the world of "Baldur's Gate."
Benjamin Leatherman
Luis Salas of Tempe cosplayed the titular characters from the Nintendo 64 classic "Banjo-Kazooie."
Benjamin Leatherman
Baby Stay Cosplay of Tempe spent more than 200 hours crafting her costume of Riju from “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”
Benjamin Leatherman
This cosplayer came as Avocado Cookie, a character from the mobile game "Cookie Run."
Benjamin Leatherman
This group of friends dressed up as characters from the horror adventure game "Mouthwashing."
Benjamin Leatherman
In "Mortal Kombat II," you really had to work to find the secret character Jade.
Benjamin Leatherman
These twin sisters fittingly portrayed twin sisters Mileena and Kitana from "Mortal Kombat II."
Benjamin Leatherman
Zephyr Leigh of Chandler created a fantastic-looking cosplay of Rayquaza from "Pokémon."
Benjamin Leatherman
The cosplayer on the left drew inspiration from "Sonic the Hedgehog," while the one on the right was inspired by the PlayStation game "Klonoa."
Benjamin Leatherman
These friends cosplayed Amy and Gary from the PC horror game "FAITH: The Unholy Trinity."
Benjamin Leatherman
These friends were Gerudo Link, left, and Princess Zelda from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."
Benjamin Leatherman
Phoenix cosplayer Kasai Ronin as the evil version of Starkiller from "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed."
Benjamin Leatherman
Local cosplayers Yani Uriarte, left, of Surprise as Sonic the Hedgehog and Kaiven Greene of Phoenix as Tails.
Benjamin Leatherman
Siena Baire of Mesa as an original character inspired by the anime "Princess Jellyfish."
Benjamin Leatherman
Kendall Timothy of Chandler as Goblin Slayer from the anime and manga of the same name.
Benjamin Leatherman
Marissa Tiemann of Las Vegas portrayed a gender-bent version of Halsin from "Baldur's Gate 3."
Benjamin Leatherman
Tucson residents Kylan Davis, left, and Danielle Stimac dressed as Sub-Zero and Kitana, respectively, from the "Mortal Kombat" universe.
Benjamin Leatherman
Chris McCarthy of Scottsdale, left, as Red Guy and Moe McCarthy as Yellow Guy from the British horror comedy web series “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.”
Benjamin Leatherman
Local cosplayer Isabella Flores of Glendale as Angel Gabby from analog horror web-series "Angel Hare."
Benjamin Leatherman
