Amusement Expo International 2026 brought a strong selection of new arcade, redemption, racing, pinball and location-based entertainment products to Las Vegas. The show was smaller than IAAPA but more focused on traditional coin-operated entertainment, with several notable debuts from emerging manufacturers and a clear emphasis on licensed brands.
What changed at Amusement Expo 2026?
The main exhibition ran on 18 and 19 March at the Las Vegas Convention Center, following two days of education sessions. Known to industry veterans as the Spring show, or by its former AMOA and AAMA names, AEI moved to the West Hall and Resorts World in 2026. The new venues supported more exhibitors and larger stands for some returning companies.
Attendance fell by roughly 300 visitors compared with 2025. A severe Midwest storm disrupted travel, while the US government shutdown affected airport operations and TSA queues. Some visitors passed through quickly, while others reported waits of about an hour. Shipping problems also kept several announced products away from the show, including items held at Californian docks.
Some show footage was lost after a faulty SD card emptied a folder containing phone recordings. The missing material included an ICE booth tour and additional footage from exA-Arcadia and other exhibitors. Surviving videos were published on the event coverage channel.
For Australian operators and home collectors comparing cabinet types, our arcade machine buying guide provides useful context on space, servicing and game selection.
Advertiser and headline displays
Raw Thrills and Betson
Raw Thrills presented a smaller version of its IAAPA 2025 display with Betson. Visitors who missed that event could play Jackpot Racer and Godzilla Kaiju Wars DX, alongside other games in production and products distributed by Betson.
Angry Birds Boom! had received a software update adding leaderboards and jackpots. The booth also previewed Series 5 cards for Minecraft Dungeons Arcade. A poster outlined upcoming Big Buck Hunter Reloaded content, including a Mountain Goat animal, although that update was not playable. No major software update was planned for other games such as Halo: Fireteam Raven, beyond minor online updates. Raw Thrills is developing further projects, with at least one expected to be revealed in the coming months.
TouchMagix
TouchMagix showed single cabinets of Pickleball Toss, Minions: Bullseye Mania and Treasure Chest in a compact booth near the front of the hall.
Alan-1
Alan-1 built its largest trade-show booth to date after attending AEI since 2023. New displays included the returning Atari PONG Arcade Cocktail, the final production version of Liquid Death with revised artwork, and three Atari Recharged arcade adaptations: Caverns of Mars, Breakout and Yars Recharged.
Each title used a modern Pepper’s Ghost presentation. Two monitors were layered behind glass to create a glasses-free 3D image, drawing on effects used in electromechanical arcade attractions, Taito’s Space Invaders and Sega’s Holosseum. The approach also reflects Taito’s Wyvern F-0. Caverns of Mars produced the strongest effect, while Breakout needed background and reflection improvements.
Caverns of Mars, originally released for Atari 400/800 computers in 1981, plays as a vertical-scrolling shooter with echoes of River Raid. Its arcade software adds differences from the home Recharged edition, including the need to escape Mars after destroying the reactor.
Breakout uses a revised interface and power-ups reminiscent of later Arkanoid games. Its cabinet artwork references Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who worked on the original prototype. Yars Recharged marks the Yars Revenge property’s first arcade appearance. It restores elements such as the Destroyer missile and the one-hit defeat of a Qotile in saw form.
Other Alan-1 products included home and commercial Atari PONG electromechanical tables, Dr Pepper Soda Slam! and Butts On Things cranes. The company allowed players to win the crane prizes, rather than blocking the payout chute. Alan-1 also hosted its third Major League eSports World Championship. Its free MLeS app logs scores and achievements through a QR code on compatible video games. Eight players competed for cash prizes, with Yorkies TV taking the $5,000 grand prize.
Blue Motion Games
Canadian newcomer Blue Motion Games unveiled an early prototype of John Wick: Continental Pursuit. The driving-action game places John Wick in a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, travelling through three locations, fighting enemies and reaching boss encounters. Multiple routes are available. The show build did not demonstrate the motion seat, and production versions are expected to receive redesigned guns and seat changes.
The game was scheduled to roll out to North American Dave & Buster’s venues on 11 May, with international availability from the same date without venue exclusivity. Blue Motion also hosted a visit to the John Wick Experience at Area 15, an interactive attraction combining stage performance, escape-room elements and arcade-style interaction.
Other major exhibitors
Adrenaline Amusements
Adrenaline surprised visitors with Disney Speedstorm Arcade, an arcade adaptation of Gameloft’s kart racer. Cards are optional, although they provide additional content; planned boxes contain 200 cards and pricing had not been confirmed. Adrenaline was targeting production and shipping in May, with final game and cabinet changes still possible.
Amusement Source International
ASI combined products from several IAAPA displays. Its line-up included Trick Pong, Sniper Strike II, Dragon Kingdom and other redemption games. Storm Rider X was absent despite earlier plans, while three Storm Racer 2 cabinets were available.
Andamiro USA
Andamiro presented Nickelodeon Kart Racers Arcade, its traditional cabinet designed without a motion base or vertical screen. The game was expected around May or June, with a smaller footprint and lower expected price than many motion-based racers. A missing jump feature was due to be corrected before release, although the early build also felt slow at maximum speed.
The booth also featured the Dragons pusher based on How to Train Your Dragon. Pump It Up Phoenix II was described as nearly complete and due in summer, despite not appearing at AEI.
Bandai Namco and Bay Tek
Bandai Namco did not show the anticipated Resident Evil 2: Arcade, which remained a late-2026 release. Its stand repeated the IAAPA line-up, including Speed Rider 4DX and Taiko No Tatsujin. The company also received the AAMA Manufacturer of the Year award.
Bay Tek introduced a single-player version of ICEE Slush Rush with a thermal ticket printer. Locations could use it for promotions such as free ICEE giveaways, while the remainder of the stand largely repeated its IAAPA products.
exA-Arcadia
exA-Arcadia returned with Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game and G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra, reflecting the platform’s growing focus on licensed properties. A pre-release build of Wild Guns Rawhide was also playable. The company was improving G.I. Joe with better enemy behaviour, throws and overall beat-’em-up structure ahead of its summer launch. Avatar Legends offered one-on-one fighting with a relatively approachable opening match.
Additional exA footage, including Baki Hanma and a new Hunter X Hunter character, was lost. At least three AEI ARC-32 cabinets later moved into two Round1USA locations in California.
JET Games and LAI Games
JET Games left G.I. Joe Big Cannon at home while polishing it for a summer release. Instead, it debuted World Football Frenzy and Tip Off.
LAI Games showed a line-up close to IAAPA’s, with Superwin’s Smash DX off-road racer returning. One additional level of Ubisoft All Star VR was captured, while Phantom Vanguard was not played.
Sega Amusements
Sega displayed Tower Ball, a new Komuse redemption title, while Go Go Ducky did not arrive. Daytona Championship USA Motion Edition used a different art package, and Alpha Ops VR Strike remained an earlier prototype. Maimai DX returned with its Circle update and had begun appearing in North America, including Canada and Hawaii.
Stern Pinball
Pokémon was Stern’s main attraction, with six Pro and Premium machines on the floor. The unfinished software prompted discussion about game depth, but the accessible layout appeared suited to a broad audience that includes children and newcomers. Star Wars, The Walking Dead Remastered and King Kong: Terror of Myth Island were also present. A small distributor displayed additional pinball machines, including Harry Potter from Jersey Jack.
Triotech
Triotech revealed a fourth Typhoon attraction, counting Mad Wave Motion Theater. Six new ride films and a larger two-screen cabinet expanded the format. The prototype needed softer head padding and better screen alignment before its planned summer shipment.
UNIS
Shipping delays kept Ski Hero and Turbo Nova away, but UNIS brought Cyberpunk 2077: Chrome Rush, Pickleball Rivals, Spin City, Monster Kart, Monster Jet Riders and cranes.
Cyberpunk 2077: Chrome Rush offers four levels, seven characters and seven bikes. Its long races, shortcuts, wind effects, boost system and weapons earned praise, while melee responsiveness, character context and the bike-selection timer needed refinement. Cabinet artwork and side panels were designed to reflect the source property, with further bike and cabinet changes planned.
Pickleball Rivals uses a paddle-swing control system rather than a joystick. The cabinet moves the player automatically, leaving timing as the main skill. Its simplified approach may suit family entertainment centres seeking a lower-cost alternative to installing full pickleball courts.
Additional products
ICE showed a reskinned version of World Football Pro, Odin’s Hammer Strike and its established sports range, although the booth tour footage was lost. Toccata Gaming International presented Zombie Snatcher Outbreak at Team Play’s stand. The six-player game uses cool pucks with built-in LED panels and was expected to reach the market soon.
Valley Dynamo introduced Jet B-Ball, combining the air-blast technology of Jet Pong with a head-to-head electromechanical basketball format.
VR occupied less space than in previous years. Rilix showed Rush VR, a comparatively affordable system using guns to make interaction easier to understand. DOF Robotics displayed a large dome microLED attraction costing around $350,000, while its advertised Angry Birds Fury Road racer was not present.
DSM Arcade presented Perfect Pour Pabst Blue Ribbon Edition, a four-player-style arcade-bar attraction expected to compete with older video games and new pinball for operator earnings while requiring less maintenance than many pinball machines. Incredible Technologies focused on Silver Strike: League Night. Unico USA was present but missed during the visit, while Coastal Amusements had a reduced display with no new products beyond IAAPA. Several smaller redemption and crane exhibitors received limited coverage.
What AEI 2026 tells us about arcades
Amusement Expo 2026 delivered more new releases than some recent editions, particularly from mid-sized and newer companies. Larger manufacturers mostly repeated their IAAPA 2025 selections, although several confirmed that new projects were still in development.
Licensed kart racers were one of the clearest trends. Disney Speedstorm Arcade and Nickelodeon Kart Racers Arcade add competition for Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, while UNIS’s Monster Kart suggests original properties may also find an audience. John Wick, Cyberpunk 2077, Avatar, G.I. Joe and Pokémon further demonstrated how strongly recognisable intellectual property shapes arcade development.
The lower attendance was disappointing, especially after the show expanded its exhibition space. Rising event costs may influence which companies return in 2027, but the quantity of new products made AEI 2026 a worthwhile industry showcase. For readers planning a home setup, Retrocade’s arcade machine collection, racing arcade range and virtual pinball machines cover several of the formats represented at the show.
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