Organisers of Bahrain's largest gaming convention are gearing up for another edition later this month, boasting a roster of international stars.

Thousands are expected to attend the second IGN Convention at Bahrain International Circuit on October 24 and 25 to revel in a shared love of video games, movies, comics, pop culture and more, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The celebrity guest list has now been finalised and organisers hope that star appearances, alongside panel-style question-and-answer sessions, will serve to draw a more diverse audience this time around.

“We have four international celebrities confirmed for this year's IGN Convention,” said convention media and public relations head Fatima Fairooz.

“The first is Hafthor Bjornsson, who played 'The Mountain' in HBO's Game of Thrones and we also have Troy Baker, who is one of the most experienced and renowned voice actors in the gaming industry.

“His works include being the voice behind the main protagonist Joel from The Last of Us, and as Booker DeWitt in Bioshock Infinite.”

Other big names in the gaming world to make an appearance will include Julia Voth, a Canadian actress who served as the character model for Jill Valentine from the Resident Evil games and Naomi Kyle, of IGN's award-winning online show The Daily Fix.

“Our regional celebrities include emerging Emirati director Mohammad Ahmed Fikree and Kuwaiti social media influencer Hamad Qalam,” Fairooz added.

“This year the focus is on our celebrities, who will be doing question-and-answer sessions as well as signing sessions for fans.

“We also, for the first time ever, have a live concert with a local band that will perform tracks from hit games, TV shows and movies.

“As always, the cosplay (costume) competition will be a main feature and we look forward to seeing what Bahrain's cosplaying community will come up with for this event.”

Convention attendees will get another chance this year to try out the game-changing virtual reality headset Oculus Rift and a Batelco-sponsored gaming tournament will also be held at the event, which is being brought to Bahrain by Tarteeb Events Production and Services in collaboration with IGN Middle East. - TradeArabia News Service