GorillaCon is one giant swing for Monke
July 15, 2026
Gorilla Tag
Gaming
It’s the first time VidCon has ever hosted a standalone, dedicated sub-convention. The event was sold out three weeks in advance. “When we first started talking about creating a convention dedicated entirely to Gorilla Tag, we knew it was a big swing,” said Jake Zim, Chief Marketing Officer at Another Axiom, the developer behind the game. “This past week proved that our community was more than ready for it.”
Thousands of fans participated in activities like the Gorilla Climb championships, where competitors scaled obstacles in the game, and lined up for autographs, photos, and panels featuring the community’s top content creators.
The game’s creator, Lemming (Kerestell Smith), made special appearances to discuss the future of Gorilla Tag beyond VR, including experiences in Roblox and new games slated for release next year. Gorilla Tag Contagion is a roguelike spin-off for console and PC where players team up to survive during a mysterious outbreak in the Gorilla Tag universe. Another Axiom describes Monke Mayhem as “a free-to-play, cross-platform social sandbox action game built from the ground up to be played on the go, swinging onto mobile in 2027 with more platforms to come.” On the final day of GorillaCon, attendees participated in 50-person playtests with the developers.
GorillaCon also showcased new merchandise collections produced with Juniper Creates and Makeship. Both partners created products that were sold in person at GorillaCon and integrated into the game through redeemable cosmetics.
Makeship continued their “doughboi” collaboration with Gorilla Tag with a series of large, pillow-like Monke plush toys in different colours, including the signature lava pattern that indicates when a player is “it.” The items come with a code to get a mini lava doughboi on your shoulder in the game.
Juniper produced a variety of apparel and accessories, both to be worn in real life and to dress up the base Monke plush. All items include an in-game version of the GorillaCon shirt. Juniper also produced giant inflatable Monke that welcomed attendees throughout the venue, and a version of the shirt with Lemming’s autograph that was sold exclusively at GorillaCon. “GorillaCon added an entirely new dimension for us,” said Chris Berneck, Marketing Manager at Juniper. “Our previous Gorilla Tag launches were primarily digital experiences, but this event gave us the unique opportunity to create something people could experience together in person.”
Juniper also created a new large plush of a fan favourite in-game animal — dubbed Mega Doug the Bug — and one of VMT, a creator with over 1 million YouTube subscribers known for his Gorilla Tag gameplay challenges.
A key part of what made Gorilla Tag a natural fit for VidCon was its expansive creator program, with roughly 1,000 members. Gorilla Tag creators run social media channels with a focus on the game and community, and get access to exclusive Discord channels and early access to game updates. The program’s highest tier is the Illustrators, which includes VMT and creators like Chivi, who focuses on news around the game. “Illustrators have close contact with our dev team, and we share game insights and unique business opportunities,” said Jake Zim.
Hundreds of Gorilla Tag creators, including several Illustrators, were present at GorillaCon. They took part in game announcements and panels, hosted live activities, and premiered new content in front of a live audience.
“A highlight for me has been watching Gorilla Tag continue its evolution from a hit VR game into a true entertainment franchise,” said Jake Zim. But his favourite moment was a personal one. “My twin sons, who were the ones responsible for introducing me to Gorilla Tag, worked the event. Watching them see the passion, kindness, excitement, and sheer joy of this fandom through their own eyes was incredibly special. As a dad, it’s hard to describe how proud that made me.”
The GorillaCon products were available on the Gorilla Tag store until July 12. The Makeship doughbois are available on Makeship until July 30.
Credits
Alexander Clifford, Geoffrey Hill, Jordan Wray
Product DesignKelsey Byrne, Victor Chang, Mirelys Colón, Kristyn Gazey, Stephen Gillis, Jen Han
Product DevelopmentBen Bliss, Tina Xia, Phil Xue
MarketingChris Berneck
Store DesignJoel Berg, Jemuel Datiles
Project ManagementAda Yu
PhotographyAnother Axiom, Kuma Xiong
Game ImagesChivi