Pinball · Expo preview · 2026
Pinball Expo 2026: What to Watch
Stern’s AC/DC tease, real machines, and a very good reason to clear a few days in Schaumburg.
A pinball show starts long before the first ball hits a flipper. The rumors get louder. Somebody thinks they know what is under the cover. Collectors start making room, at least in their heads, for a machine they have not seen yet.
Pinball Expo 2026 has plenty of that energy. Stern has now officially teased AC/DC Remastered, giving fans a new reason to watch closely. The confirmed program offers its own reasons to pay attention: factory tours, talks with the people who make the games, and enough playing time to form an opinion that goes beyond a launch video.
Here is what is on the calendar, what is still speculation, and where to spend some time away from the busiest booth.
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Get the dates right
Expo is at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive in Schaumburg, Illinois. The organizer advertises October 14–17, but the main public show floor runs Thursday, October 15, through Saturday, October 17. Wednesday includes registration and the Bumper Blast welcome party; the hall is still being set up.
Sunday, October 18, belongs to the remaining tournament action and hall teardown. It is not another full day of browsing vendors and playing the exhibition floor. That distinction matters if you are planning a last-minute trip.
Stern has a full Saturday already
The latest official schedule, revised October 12, gives Stern followers three consecutive making-of sessions on Saturday: Pokémon at 3 p.m., Transformers at 4 p.m., and Fallout at 5 p.m. George Gomez, Jack Danger, and Tanio Klyce are among the Pokémon speakers; Elliot Eismin is on the Transformers panel, while Keith Elwin and other team members are scheduled for Fallout.
Even if Fallout is not your favorite theme, that is a useful afternoon. Listen for the decisions behind the playfield: which shots survived development, what had to change, and how the software turns a good mechanism into something worth chasing. Those are the details a glossy reveal can skip.
Friday’s Stern factory tour is another confirmed draw. It requires registration and the designated buses from the convention hotel. The posted schedule prohibits photography and video on the tour, so leave the camera in your pocket and enjoy seeing how the machines come together.
Sources: Official schedule, revised October 12
AC/DC Remastered is officially on the way
On October 13, Stern officially teased AC/DC Remastered with a trailer and a “COMING SOON” message. The title now has confirmation from the manufacturer. The question for Expo is when Stern will show more.
That follows Jason Knapp’s October 9 report that two separate industry-connected sources expected Stern to show the game at Expo. Stern’s brief announcement email does not confirm an Expo reveal date, pricing, specifications, or shipping.
The interesting question now is what has changed. A familiar title can get people to stop walking. The shots, rules, presentation, and overall feel have to give them a reason to stay. Watch for a playable machine, a clear explanation of the updates, and real availability information before making a shopping decision.
Sources: Official Stern teaser, October 13 · Knapp Arcade report, October 9
Keep the longer range rumors separate
Knapp’s September 22 reporting also discussed an original-series Star Trek game associated with Keith Elwin and a Ghostbusters remake for 2027. Those belong on the longer-range watch list. Neither has been confirmed as an Expo unveiling.
Meanwhile, Fallout was announced September 3 and is already reaching homes and locations, according to Stern’s October update. Its official Stern Army launch parties start October 30. There is plenty to explore in the current lineup while the next machine’s full details are still to come.
Sources: Knapp Arcade report, September 22 · Stern Fallout announcement, September 3 · Stern of the Union, October 6
Leave room for the homemade stuff
Make time for the Homebrew Village. Marco’s official Expo preview promises more than 45 original and custom games, with projects including Beastie Boys, Cuphead, The Matrix, and Wallace & Gromit: The Pinball Adventure. These are the sorts of machines that reward stopping to ask how somebody made a particular idea work.
There is a special pleasure in seeing a builder solve a problem differently. A familiar character might become a clever ball mechanism. A theme that would never reach a large production run gets an entire playfield. Some projects will be further along than others, and that is part of the interest.
Marco also lists a live Dolly Parton playfield swap. For anyone who enjoys the repair bench as much as the score display, watching the work happen could be as worthwhile as another game in the free-play area.
Sources: Marco at Pinball Expo 2026
A little planning buys more pinball
Listed single-day admission is $55 Thursday or Friday and $60 Saturday; the three-day admission pass is $160. Children 10 and under get free show admission. The hall opens at noon Thursday, then 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday, with late-night play each day. Individual vendors may close at 10 p.m., so handle parts shopping and booth questions earlier.
Check the live schedule before setting out. Seminars can begin before the show floor opens, tour tickets have their own requirements, and the organizer warns that times can change.
Sources: Pinball Expo admission and hall hours · Official schedule, revised October 12
Find the game that surprises you
AC/DC Remastered gives Stern fans an obvious headline to follow. Expo also offers something that is harder to get from a screen: the chance to put your hands on a machine, talk to its makers, and discover that a game you barely noticed has become the one you want to play again.
Follow the news. Then leave enough time for that second game.
Keep playing the good stuff.
About this preview
Updated October 13, 2026, after Stern’s AC/DC teaser. All event times are local to Schaumburg. Event details can change; check the organizer’s current schedule before traveling.
The four photographs are archival and credited individually. They retain their original framing and colors, resized for this page. Photo licenses apply to the photographs; underlying game art and trademarks remain with their respective owners. The official Pinball Expo logo is reproduced for event identification, without implying organizer endorsement.