PLAY Expo, the north's biggest gaming exhibition, returns for its fifth year on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9.

The event takes place at EventCity in Manchester and is host to the northern qualifier for the Red Bull 5G tournament.

The challenge will see gamers battle it out on iconic gaming titles Hearthstone, League of Legends, Project Cars, Rocket League and Street Fighter V.

The winner will be flown to Japan later this year for an all-expenses paid trip. Who said playing video games would never get you anywhere?

Gamers will also be treated to the largest Tomb Raider panel ever assembled in honour of the 20th anniversary of games icon, Lara Croft.

And the virtual reality (VR) craze comes to Play Expo thanks to a reboot of Battlezone.

You can immerse yourself in the first-person tank warfare game using a VR headset.

Among the special guests for the exhibition are Ian Livingstone, best known for the multi-million selling Fighting Fantasy books, and Mevlut Dinc, an award-winning veteran of the games industry.

Other highlights include Europe’s biggest retro gaming area, a platform for indie developers, a cosplay stage and a Minecraft zone.

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."

- Weekend tickets start at £20 while day tickets start at £12. Visit playexpomanchester.com