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Why Onyx Path's virtual convention is a win for professional gaming. Links may earn Geeknative money (hopefully) Onyx Path Publishing has announced that it will again use the professional game-finding platform StartPlaying to coordinate its upcoming Onyx Path Virtual Game Convention, scheduled for 5-8 June 2026. The move underpins a trend in how established tabletop publishers manage online events, moving away from fragmented Discord-only solutions toward a centralised, commercial infrastructure. The partnership comes as StartPlaying, a San Francisco-based startup backed by over $6M in venture capital, appears to have reached a "virtuous cycle" of growth. By providing a stable marketplace where players can find reliable, professional Game Masters, the platform has secured the critical mass needed to attract industry giants like Onyx Path, who now use it to anchor their digital flagship events. For those of you who are interested in running or playing its games during the convention, Geeknative is partnering with Startplaying.Games to provide a place for folks to set up listings for their games! You can charge for games or set your listings up for free, and if you need an online place to host your game, Geeknative has several dedicated voice and text channels on the Onyx Path Discord for people to play!" This is not the first time Onyx Path has used StartPlaying. Geeknative wrote about it back in 2021. It's clearly working for the publisher. The flywheel effect. For years, "Looking For Group" sites have struggled with the "chicken and egg" problem: players won't join a site without GMs, and GMs won't list games without a player base. StartPlaying has broken this deadlock by leaning into the need for dependability. By allowing GMs to charge for their time, the platform ensures a level of reliability and quality that volunteer-run Discord servers often struggle to maintain. With Onyx Path bringing its "Game Night" events and the 2026 convention to the platform, the "flywheel" is spinning faster. This tactical endorsement introduces thousands of Scion, Curseborne, and World of Darkness fans to the ecosystem, further cementing StartPlaying as the industry's primary digital lobby. A new standard for Virtual cons. The convention will serve as a high-profile showcase for the new Storypath Ultra core manual and the urban horror setting Curseborne. While Onyx Path will still provide dedicated voice and text channels on their own Discord server, the logistical heavy lifting, scheduling, payment processing, and seat reservations are being outsourced to the StartPlaying tech stack. This shift represents a "coming of age" for the paid-GM model. While some community members remain wary of the transition from volunteer-led convention gaming to a service-based economy, the sheer efficiency of the StartPlaying model is proving difficult for publishers to ignore. Quick links. Topic Authority 6 Years Active Independently covering startplaying since 2020. Its archive includes 9 entries connected to this topic. Keep scrolling to discover what others think about this article.

Try to survive A new level of fear with its Alien RPG Evolved Edition launch event! Come celebrate the launch of Alien: The Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition with a one-shot or new campaign run by a professional Game Master! StartPlaying partnered with Free League to give over 100 Game Mothers early access to this new edition of the acclaimed Alien RPG, so you can play on day one! Alien RPG Evolved releases worldwide on November 18, arriving with a new Starter Set, the cinematic adventure box Rapture Protocol, and a miniatures set. Right from launch day until December 3, StartPlaying GMs will be running more online sessions of Alien. There will be trials of the new Starter Set, full campaigns with regular groups, and custom stories straight from the wicked minds of pro GMs. The Evolved Edition, also called Alien 2E by fans, keeps the dice system that gives the game its iconic sense of tension and immersion. What it adds are expanded rules for combat and stealth to make taking on Xenomorphs even more exciting. It also brings new tools and gear based on Alien: Romulus to expand what you can do. Another exciting addition is rules for miniatures play that make the experience more tactical for those who prefer stronger visual gameplay. The Alien RPG is evolving, and so can your sessions! Play with a pro GM who will set the mood with chilling music, riveting narration, and a firm grasp of the new rules. All you have to do is show up ready to die - I mean, play! Use this referral link for $10 off on your first game. Check out the Alien: The Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition launch event page here! Sergio Solórzano is the best Dungeon Master in the USA (according to a Wizards of the Coast competition, anyway). He loves minis and terrain but also goes all-in on improv!