Play video games, win over £20,000

Videogames players heading to i39 this April could return with more than new friends and happy memories as organiser Multiplay unveils the UK's biggest gaming bounty.

A total of over £20,000 will be up for grabs across five separate tournaments, making this the largest and potentially most profitable competitive gaming event of the year.

Europe's first official Battlefield: Bad Company 2 LAN competition will be held at i-39. Other tournaments include Counter-Strike: Source, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Team Fortress 2 and Heroes of Newerth; with prize pots varying between £5,000 and £6,250.

Up to 3,500 gamers are expected to attend the Newbury Racecourse event, which combines competitive multiplayer gaming with a host of social activities to make one of the most eclectic consumer events of the year. With attendees camping on site, its relaxed vibe has led it to be dubbed the "Glastonbury of gaming".

Those unlucky enough not to attend will be able to watch the competition streamed live to the i-series website ( http://iseries.multiplay.co.uk) - which in previous years has seen upwards of 70,000 people tune in during the competition, and over 22,000 access videos after the events.

"These tournaments are always competitive," says Craig Fletcher, managing director, Multiplay, "but with over £20,000 available, they're likely to be incredible to watch, let alone participate in. The i-series of events are the UK's best competitive multiplayer competitions - the titles themselves are worth their weight in gold, but the prize money on offer makes them even more desirable."

Tickets are selling fast, ranging from GBP 10 (day spectator) to GBP 90 (weekend "Bring Your Own Computer/Console"). Outside of some of the fiercest competition in the country, a dedicated consumer exhibition area has been confirmed. Nintendo, Ubisoft, World Cyber Games, Kustom PC, FSP, Crucial, Logitech, Western Digital, Antec, Ignition Entertainment, Projector Games, S2 Games and Mad Catz will each be showcasing their latest wares, with refreshments provided by Coca Cola and Papa Johns.