On a freezing Friday night in Boston, PAX East guests flocked to nightclub Boston Royale for the fifth anniversary of the Acer Predator Gaming After Party. Things quickly heated up with epic on-stage matches against esports pros Team Envy, gaming demo zones with new Predator hardware, tech and clothing giveaways and an electric set from DJ Audien.
With long lines of PAXers waiting for the event to start, staff from Acer, PC Gamer and Intel made the chilly wait easier by giving away free gaming accessories and party-branded clothing to some lucky folks in line. Meanwhile, VIP guests skipped the line and got an early shot at the gaming demo booths.
As Boston Royale filled up, PC gaming lovers flocked to the desktop and laptop demo zones, where they played their choice of APEX Legends, Overwatch or Fortnite on hardcore Predator gaming rigs like the Orion 9000, Helios 700 and Triton 500. If you were lucky, you settled in for a truly “royal” gaming experience with the ergonomic, three-monitor Predator Thronos Air.
Competitive gamers looking for a turn in the spotlight rushed straight to the stage, where they took on returning favorites Team Envy for 4v4 “Pros vs Joes” CS:GO matches. Roaring crowds and live narration from shoutcaster Bil ‘Jump’ Carter gave gamers a test of their skills and nerves under pressure. The winners left the stage with special Predator-branded prizes, and permanent bragging rights for taking down the Pros.
At midnight, the party revved up with an electric set from Grammy-winning performer DJ Audien. Guests crowded onto the floor to bop to his signature progressive house EDM music, while the anti-dancing crowd could enjoy his beats while trying out the free “Predator yourself” photo booth or enjoying drinks in the second-floor VIP lounge.
Finally, after the musical crescendo and a shower of confetti ended Audien’s set, the most hardcore partiers stuck around as Acer gave away Predator gaming laptops to a few lucky fans.
If you plan to attend PAX East 2021, and this crazy night sounds like your kind of party, keep your ear to the ground for the announcement of the 6th Gaming After Party later this year!