Saturday, July 25, HBO Max brought the Green Lantern Corps to life with Lanterns Training Headquarters, transforming Venue 808 in the Gaslamp into an immersive recruiting station where fans could prove they had the willpower to wear the ring.

This interactive team experience leaned heavily into roleplaying, puzzles, and cooperation, all culminating in one of the best giveaway items of the con.

Upon entering, attendees were divided into four recruit groups and briefed on their mission before being led into the world of LANTERNS by in-universe characters — otherwise known as four actors who were more than up to the challenge. After a quick introduction, each team followed an actor through a darkened maze, ducking out of sight as they made their way deeper into the training facility. Right from the start, it felt like you were participating in a story rather than simply walking through an activation.

From there, the experience split into four different training scenarios, with each group completing two. That meant most groups had distinct experiences, adding a fun sense of mystery when talking with other attendees afterward.

Our team found ourselves inside a dive bar, working together to converse with the bartender and another patron to uncover clues that ultimately revealed the location of a hidden Green Lantern. After that, we moved on to target practice, where we quickly discovered that some members of our team were considerably better shots than others. Thank goodness one recruit knew what they were doing, because I sure didn’t.

The two scenarios we missed sounded just as entertaining. One group searched a sheriff’s office for clues while relaying information over walkie-talkies, while another sent a recruit to the rooftop for a simulated flight test that ended with them dramatically “falling through” as part of the illusion.

It was a clever way to make every visit feel a little different while presumably allowing as many attendees as possible to experience the activation.

Once the missions were complete, every participant officially joined the Green Lantern Corps. Together, each group received a custom Green Lantern power ring. Best of all, the rings weren’t one-size-fits-all — attendees could actually choose their ring size before reciting the Green Lantern oath in front of a Guardian.

The experience wasn’t over yet, though. Newly minted Lanterns were released into a lounge area where they could celebrate with a complimentary Heineken, browse a DC merchandise shop filled with LANTERNS and DC collectibles, and capture one final digital photo using an interactive mirror that let fans see themselves wielding the power of the ring.

Like last year’s Peacefest, HBO Max and NVE, the company behind the activation, understood that the little details matter. The actors stayed fully committed throughout the experience, making each puzzle feel like part of a larger mission rather than a series of disconnected escape room challenges. The variety of activities kept everyone engaged, and because each group experienced only half of the available scenarios, there was plenty to discuss afterward.

Even the standby line earned praise throughout the group I was in. Several attendees commented that although they had lined up long before the sun came up, roughly 12 people were making it in from standby every half hour, and several members of my group successfully entered that way.

Between the immersive storytelling, cooperative gameplay, committed cast, and one of the best freebies of the weekend, HBO Max once again proved it knows exactly how to build an offsite that fans will be talking about long after Comic-Con ends

For my money, this is the activation to beat at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend.