Dragonsteel Nexus 2026 will be here before you know it, and if you were lucky enough to get tickets, you’ll want to be prepared when December rolls around. First time attendees of Nexus might be surprised to learn that your preparations need to begin WAY before you even set foot in the convention center.

I’ve attended Nexus for the past two years now, both as a regular attendee, but also as an exhibitor, sharing my channel and website with fans of the Cosmere. While each Nexus is a little different, there are some things you should plan for to make your time in Utah the best it can be.

Let’s dive into my tips for first timers.

1. Don’t sleep on the Exhibit Hall

Both literally and figuratively. If you’ve been to a convention like Nexus before, you might expect the Exhibit Hall to be filled with overpriced toys and 3d printed junk. It’s not so at Nexus. The team at Dragonsteel curated the list of exhibitors to ensure that there is a variety of offerings for attendees, not only in content but in scope and size.

You’ll find some of the big names you’d expect: Brotherwise Games will be there showing off the latest from the Cosmere RPG, the Dragonsteel Store, publishers, etc. You’ll also find smaller indie artists, authors, and community groups that come out to support Nexus and share their passion with the fans of the Cosmere. In Nexus’ past, I’ve come home with far too much art and books.

It can make an expensive trip that much more expensive, but if you set guard rails for yourself and plan ahead, you’ll do just fine. Even if you don’t spend a dime, you’ll still get to see some awesome people making awesome things, and that’s really great.

In particular you won’t want to miss the Dragonsteel Store. This is a big tip for first time attendees: the Dragonsteel Store is a double edged sword. The store is huge and is filled with merch that can be hard to get throughout the year, or otherwise unavailable, including merch from previous kickstarters and bundles. There will even be some Nexus 26 specific gear. The tough thing with the store is that there is a fairly sizable line to get into the store. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, it can take a long time to get into the store. On the other, the slow line keeps the store less crowded, giving you plenty of elbow room to move around and check things out. Be sure to sneak a peak at the store each day, as inventory and product availability can change.

2) The Conference Game

The team at Dragonsteel knows how to curate a good experience. In the past, along with your badge and other swag for the show, you received a small notebook containing the conference game. The game itself was a series of quests and puzzles that took you around the conference solving puzzles and checking boxes on different activities. One minute you were watching a panel in a specific room, the next you were translating the women’s script to solve riddles.

The real draw to the con game was the collaborative element. This is where Dragonsteel’s desire to get fans interacting and socializing really shines through. Working together isn’t strictly necessary, but is a natural occurrence when you and others happen to be in the same place at the same time doing the same thing. It’s a low-stakes, open invite to chat and problem solve together.

At the end of the con game will be some kind of reward, but the specifics for Nexus 2026 is unknown as of yet.

3) The Agenda

This is the most important thing on the list, full stop. The agenda is not only the list of panels and activities that are going on throughout the show, but will also be the sign up for some of the limited access events.

Run, do not walk, to check out the agenda when it goes live.

It’s not just about snagging a spot for a specific activity, but also ensuring you get the best time slot for the other things that are going on that you’re interested in.

Planning ahead for Nexus is incredibly important. If you show up and wing it, you’ll have a good time, but there is a high probability that you’ll miss out on something you’re really interested in.

Keep an eye on official Dragonsteel channels and the subreddit for when the agenda finally goes live.

4) Don’t skip non-Cosmere content

In addition to some really awesome Cosmere-aligned panels, there will be a whole host of non-Cosmere content covering the fantasy genre, art, writing, and other aligned interests.

Don’t sleep on this content just because you’re at Nexus. Some of my favorite panels from years past was non-Cosmere related, so be thoughtful and check out what’s on offer.

5) Play the Cosmere RPG

Playing the Cosmere RPG at the Epic event at Nexus 2025

If you get the chance, take the time to play the Cosmere RPG at Nexus. There will likely be limited officially run games by Brotherwise, and perhaps a return of the RPG Epic (400+ person campaign), but don’t be afraid to buy a copy for yourself or hop into a game with your fellow attendees.

There is something special about playing the Cosmere RPG with a group of folks so heavily invested in the Cosmere, and so taking the opportunity to find a game among the thousands of fans at Nexus this year is the way to go.

While I’m not ready to commit to anything yet, I am planning on bringing some new, in-development, homebrew content for play testing to Nexus, so keep an eye on the channel. I will likely try and put something together for my longtime fans, so if you’re going to Nexus, reach out on social media or through the site!

Will I see you at Nexus?

I hope you managed to get tickets. This may be one of the last times Nexus has such a limited capacity. With the show moving to Denver next year, waitlists and sold out tickets might become a thing of the past. Certainly once they open up to a higher capacity, it will be difficult to shrink the event size back down to manageable numbers.

Time will tell.

Either way, if you’re at Nexus, come find me! We can talk the Cosmere RPG, maybe play a round of Shards of Creation, and see all that Dragonsteel has to offer for Nexus 2026.

Dragonsteel Nexus 2026: 5 tips for first time attendees