This year at GCX 2026, The Adventurers Guild of Giving set out with a singular mission: to bring Tamriel to life through an immersive, interactive fan experience while bringing people together in person to fight social isolation. Looking back at the crowds, the laughter, and the sheer magic of the weekend, The Elder Scrolls Experience was everything we dreamed it would be—and so much more.
Stepping Into the Starlit Plaza
When travelers stepped into our zone, they didn’t just walk up to a vendor table; they entered an interplanar bazaar. Inspired by the extra-planar city of Fargrave and the shifting realms of The Night Market, our space transformed into a bustling hub of intrigue, craft, and camaraderie.
Adventurers were immediately invited to choose their path, pledging their loyalty to one of the realm’s iconic factions. With faction ribbons in hand, attendees took on interactive quests designed to test true guild-member skills and earn a chance to take home incredible prizes from Dispel Dice. Though it was a fierce battle, the Thousand-Eyes proved victorious and took home the title.
Hands-On Quests & Challenges
We wanted guests to do more than just observe—we wanted them to play. Throughout the weekend, The Night Market was buzzing with hands-on activities that brought classic Elder Scrolls gameplay mechanics into the physical realm:
- The Lockpicking Challenge: Rogue hopefuls tested their dexterity against actual tumblers to determine if they had what it takes to make the Thieves Guild proud.
- Alchemy Crafting Station: Alchemists gathered to mix, match, and bottle custom potion brews that they were able to take on their travels home.
- Pickpocketing & Rumors: Adventurers “picked pockets” and followed cryptic clues across the convention floor, unearthing hidden secrets and deciphering rumors whispered among the stalls.
- The Sweetroll Scavenger Hunt: Sharp-eyed scouts scoured GCX to track down missing sweetrolls. Those clever enough to recover one and safely return it were rewarded with their choice of an adorable Mother Tadali or Honor plushie to take home as proof of their heroic recovery mission!
- The Stockades & Silly Justice: Posing in the guild stockades quickly turned into a prime attraction as attendees had their friends, guildmates, and family “arrested” on utterly ridiculous charges. The most heinous crime of the weekend? Being sober. Offended “officials” handed out official citations on the spot, creating hilarious scenes and unforgettable snapshot moments that attendees carried straight off the market floor
High-Powered Gaming & Daily Grinds with Paradox Customs
Equipped with top-of-the-line custom gaming rigs, our PC freeplay station sponsored by Paradox Customes gave attendees a doorway straight into The Elder Scrolls Online.
These battlestations became an incredible bridge for community connection throughout the weekend. We introduced complete newcomers to The Elder Scrolls Online, handing them the controls, walking them through character setup, and guiding them through their very first steps in Tamriel. Seeing that spark catch in real time as they realized how vibrant and welcoming the community is was unforgettable. For veteran players, convention travel didn’t have to mean breaking their streaks! Players popped in to log into their accounts, show off their characters, and get their daily writs done.
Whether it was a first-time player discovering the world or a seasoned veteran checking off their daily checklist side-by-side with fellow guildmates, the Paradox Customs rigs kept our community connected, immersed, and logged in together all weekend long.
Legendary Special Guests—Wes Johnson & Brian Wheeler
One of the undeniable highlights of the weekend was welcoming incredible franchise legends right into the heart of the experience.
Legendary voice actor Wes Johnson brought electric energy to the booth and stage. Whether greeting fans with his signature warmth or dropping instantly into the voice of Sheogorath, Hermaeus Mora, or Lucien Lachance, Wes had fans lining up with their favorite Elder Scrolls memorabilia for meet-and-greets, signatures, and unforgettable stories from across two decades of The Elder Scrolls.
Brian Wheeler, The Elder Scrolls Online’s Project Design Director, Combat & PvP, was also in attendance, hanging out with attendees and spending time directly with the community. Players loved having the chance to chat candidly with him about the game, swap combat and PvP stories, and hear about his experiences behind the scenes.
Having both Wes and Brian on the floor sharing their passion with fans underscored what makes this community so special—bridging the gap between the developers and voices who shape Tamriel and the players who call it home.
Connection, Community, and Character on the Main Stage
One of the most meaningful moments of GCX 2026 was when our team took to the Main Stage for a special panel session. Hosted by GwentheBard (Snugpodcast) Amanda (co-founder of The Adventurers Guild of Giving) alongside GoneCrazyBackSoon (AGoG Advisory Board member and Loreseekers ESO), we were joined by iconic voice talents Wes Johnson and Jason Spisak for an unforgettable, heart-to-heart conversation with the community.
The panel explored the deep, lasting impact of video game storytelling and the worlds that bring us together:
- Bringing Characters to Life: Wes and Jason shared powerful insights into what it means to give voice to characters that resonate so deeply with fans, discussing how those roles hold personal meaning for them and how they’ve watched those performances spark lifelong connections within the player base across decades of The Elder Scrolls franchise.
- Tools for Unity in ESO: We dived into how The Elder Scrolls Online has uniquely designed in-game systems, guilds, and social tools that lower barriers between players, turning virtual encounters into lasting real-world friendships. Amanda and GoneCrazyBackSoon also touched a bit on what it means to run large guilds within The Elder Scrolls Online community.
- The Heart Behind The Adventurers Guild of Giving: Bringing the conversation full circle, Amanda shared the story of how The Adventurers Guild of Giving was born directly out of this vibrant community’s passion. We talked about turning our shared love for questing and lore into a real-world force for good, building tangible spaces to combat social isolation and bring gamers face-to-face.
Standing on that stage, looking out at a room full of familiar faces and new friends, was a vivid reminder of why we do what we do.
Gathering for a Greater Cause
At its core, The Elder Scrolls Experience was created to embody what The Adventurers Guild of Giving stands for—creating physical, welcoming spaces where Elder Scrolls fans can connect face-to-face. Video games give us incredible worlds to explore, but the real magic happens when the people behind those characters sit at the same table, share a quest, and realize they aren’t alone.
Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of everyone who dropped gold into our guild chest, participated in activities, and supported our booth, we raised a total of $1,054.25! Every single dollar goes directly back into funding our upcoming immersive convention experiences, supporting our digital sanctuary, and continuing our quest to fight social isolation through in-person community engagement.
Whether you pledged to a faction, crafted a potion, or tossed a few coins toward the cause, you helped prove that gamers are a powerful force for good when we party up together.
Thank You, Adventurers!
An experience of this scale doesn’t happen without an extraordinary community behind it.
To the incredible team at LANCE Orlando for bringing our world to life with their talented volunteer roleplayers and quest givers, to the ZeniMax and The Elder Scrolls Online teams for trusting us and allowing us to bring their precious IP to life in the physical realm, to Paradox Customs for powering our booth with their gaming PCs, to Dispel Dice for donating gorgeous dice sets for our giveaways, and to the GCX team for welcoming us back year after year and working so hard to put together such an incredible event—thank you.
To every volunteer who gave their time to build sets and run activities, to every vendor who took part in our rumors and sweetroll shenanigans, to Wes Johnson, Jason Spisak and Brian Wheeler for sharing their time, talent, and passion with our community, and to every single attendee who stepped through the portal into The Night Market—we couldn’t have done this without you.
You made the Night Market an unforgettable chapter in our guild’s story. Until the next realm opens, keep your weapons sharp, your health full, and your guildmates close!
Join the Guild & Support the Mission
The Adventurers Guild of Giving is dedicated to bringing gamers together face-to-face to combat social isolation through immersive, in-person experiences and inclusive digital spaces. We rely on the generosity and passion of our community to make these events possible!
💜 Donate: Help us build our next experience by making a tax-deductible contribution or checking out our Amazon Wishlist.
💬 Discord: Connect with our community between events on Discord.
📱 Socials: Follow our quests on Bluesky, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Have a question, feedback, or an idea for a future event? Reach out to our guild leadership at info@adventurersgog.org!
*Note: The Elder Scrolls Experience is an independent, non-commercial fan tribute created by The Adventurers Guild of Giving. All trademarks and intellectual property associated with The Elder Scrolls and The Elder Scrolls Online are owned by their respective copyright holders, and this activation is not officially affiliated with Bethesda Softworks or ZeniMax Online Studios.*