PAX Aus 2026 Announces Holly Longdale as Storytime Speaker

PAX Aus today announced that globally renowned game developer and MMORPG leader Holly Longdale will headline PAX Aus 2026 as this year’s Storytime speaker, sharing stories about shaping some of the world's most defining games.

A veteran of the games industry with more than 20 years’ experience in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) with the likes of Blizzard Entertainment, Disney, and Sony Online Entertainment, Longdale has been instrumental in building, evolving and sustaining some of gaming’s most iconic franchises.

Across her career, Longdale has played a key role in some of the industry’s most recognisable franchise-based titles, contributing to major properties including Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and the long-running EverQuest series. Her work has consistently focused on building and maintaining large-scale game universes that engage millions of players over decades.

Currently serving as Executive Producer of World of Warcraft at Blizzard Entertainment, Longdale oversees one of the most successful and influential MMORPG franchises of all time. Her leadership spans World of Warcraft Classic and Modern (including the recently released World of Warcraft: Midnight expansion), helping guide the franchise and keep it fun and rewarding for millions of players around the world.

Longdale’s career began at Sony Online Entertainment, where she worked across multiple EverQuest expansions, rising to Assistant Lead Designer before later returning as Executive Producer overseeing the entire franchise. During her tenure, she led the development of expansions, live content strategies and the evolution of business models that helped define how persistent online worlds operate today.

Between her tenures at Sony Online Entertainment, Longdale joined Disney Interactive Studios as a Senior Producer, where she provided creative direction and design leadership across a slate of licensed titles, including Cars Mater-National, Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell, Up! and The Princess and the Frog.

Later she stepped into a Lead Producer role at the Walt Disney Internet Group, where she led the development of online experiences connected to major franchises such as TRON, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Hannah Montana.

“I’m honoured to be joining PAX Aus to celebrate the power of games and the communities that grow around them: places where people come together through play, creativity and connection,” said Holly Longdale, Executive Producer for World of Warcraft. “From World of Warcraft to gaming more broadly, it’s those communities that shape what we build and I’m looking forward to sharing how we’re thinking about the future of Warcraft with the same focus on listening, creativity and deep respect for the players who make Azeroth feel like home.”

“PAX Aus is thrilled to have Holly Longdale as our 2026 Storytime speaker. Holly Longdale represents the very best of what PAX Aus celebrates; creativity, community and the power of games to bring people together,” said Lauren Luciani, PAX Aus Event Director. “Her experience in shaping MMORPGs and globally recognised franchises makes her uniquely positioned to speak to the future of interactive worlds.”

Longdale’s Storytime will explore her career highlights and the many lessons learned leading teams that have brought player communities together through game experiences, particularly in the MMO space.

PAX Aus takes place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9th-11th October.