SCOTLAND’S first video game champ is to be crowned in an epic two-day tournament.
The Scottish Gaming Championships will be staged for the first time during the massive PLAY Expo Glasgow 2019 event next weekend.
Set to be held at Braehead in Renfrewshire from June 8-9, the event is expected to attract players from all over the country and will be twice the size of previous shows.
As well as bragging rights – and, possibly, sore thumbs – the winner will claim a trophy and a bundle of video gaming prizes.
However, they will first have to defeat rivals in a series of on-screen challenges billed as the pixelated equivalent of an “Olympic decathlon”.
The final will be streamed live around the world on gaming platform Twitch.
Organiser Andy Brown, of Replay Events, said: “There are many talented gamers in Scotland, but we want to find out who really is the best.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge and – if you pardon the pun – the winner will really need to be on their game.”
Brown went on: “It’s a bit like an Olympic decathlon event because contestants will need to excel at different types of video games to win and not just the particular one they favour and play all the time.
“As well as being intense for those taking part, the tournament will be an exciting spectacle for the audience watching the gamers battle it out.”
The first rounds take place on Saturday, when contestants will seek to prove their skills in five classic retro games on a variety of platforms throughout the day, with points scored being shown on a giant leader board.
The titles include Nintendo NES classic Balloon Fight, Super Star Soldier on PC Engine and Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo on the PlayStation.
Sega Megadrive game Super Hang On and Burnout 3 on the PlayStation 2 have also been selected.
The top 16 scorers will take part in double-elimination knockout rounds the following day, with contestants going head-to-head playing from a list of 10 randomly chosen video games.
Any players who think they are good enough to become Scottish Gaming Champion should register for the tournament on the opening day of the show.
For further details and to buy tickets, visit www.playexpoglasgow.com.
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