Gaming exhibition hits the north west for fifth year

The PLAY Expo is returning to the north west

On Saturday, 8th and Sunday, 9th October, EventCity in Manchester will open its doors to veteran and newbie gamers alike to convene for two days of gaming giggles.

Amongst other features, Red Bull will host the northern qualifier for its Red Bull 5G Tournament as gamers do battle on classic titles including Hearthstone, League of Legends, Project Cars, Rocket League, and Street Fighter V, with the winner being flown out to Japan later this year for an all-expenses-paid trip.

Guests will also be treated to the largest Tomb Raider panel ever assembled in honour of the 20th anniversary of the original 1996 video game and of a character and a series that has defined a generation of action-adventure video game-afficionados.

There will also be a Q&A hosted by Sky Sports' eSports commentator Matt Andrews with the audience set to be treated to untold stories from the Tomb Raider series development as well as being able to take part in photo shoots and meet the game designers, with other highlights including Europe’s biggest retro gaming area, Indie developers, a huge Cosplay stage and masquerade, and the biggest Minecraft Zone to date.

Andy Brown, Director for Replay Events, said: “We're incredibly excited about PLAY Expo returning to Manchester, a hotbed of gaming talent and where the community has continued to thrive in recent years. We've already had huge interest in the event and are anticipating a full house over the two days."

UK developer Rebellion will also be offer visitors the first chance to try their stunning Virtual Reality reboot of Battlezone, designed for the next generation of devices and offering first-person tank warfare across sumptuous landscapes to combine the adrenaline rush of the arcade with a profound state-of-the-art tactical challenge.

This year's event will also be accompanied by some big names from the gaming world, including Ian Livingstone CBE, whose work spreads from the multi-million selling Fighting Fantasy gamebooks series to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Mevlut Dinc, an award-winning veteran of the games industry particularly known for his work on Enduro Racer and Last Ninja 2.

Weekend tickets start at £20 whilst day tickets start at £12. To book your tickets now, visit http://www.playexpomanchester.com