Pikachus everywhere: Fans flock to UK's biggest gaming expo

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 Thousands of comic and gaming fans headed to London on Saturday for one of the most colourful days in the UK’s convention calendar.

Fans flocked to the ExCeL centre for the UK's largest gaming, comic and pop culture convention, many of them dressed in elaborate costumes they had constructed themselves.

The event, called MCM X EGX, also brought together hundreds of actors, artists and video game publishers who gave fans a sneak peak at upcoming projects.

It was the first time the annual video games show had been combined with MCM - which runs Comic Con - meaning guests were treated to a wider range of activities, including lightsaber battles, costume contests and card game sessions.

Thomas Copeland / BBC News A young woman sat at a table eating sushi, dressed as the Joker with scraggly green hair and clown makeup, dressed in a purple suit with a green waistcoat.Thomas Copeland / BBC News
“I got up at 6am and spent two and a half hours putting this together,” Ellie, dressed as the Joker, told the BBC.
Thomas Copeland / BBC News A fan wearing a costume comprised of a white shirt, a black waistcoat, large red wings and red facepaint.Thomas Copeland / BBC News
Poppy, dressed as Husk from the cartoon Hazbin Hotel, spent three months building her costume from scratch.
Thomas Copeland / BBC News Several people wield swords behind a man in the centre, who has his arms folded over a larger swordThomas Copeland / BBC News
Faisal Mian, who has taught martial arts for 20 years, instructed fans on swordsmanship at the convention.
Thomas Copeland / BBC News Three young people in detailed costumes - one in pinstriped overalls, another with a circle skeleton mask and another in a ruffled red dress. Thomas Copeland / BBC News
Catherine Mariah (right) wore a handmade, light-up Beetlejuice-inspired costume. She convinced her siblings Melissa (left) and Tom (centre) to join her this year.

Organisers told the BBC more than 100,000 people attended the show, travelling from across the UK and beyond.

On the multiple stages dotted around the expo, fans formed long queues to hear from over 700 panellists who were speaking.

The venue’s two halls were filled with displays, stalls and gameplay areas, with more than 450 exhibitors booking places to demonstrate products or sell merchandise.

But none of those numbers can capture the energy, passion and excitement of comics and games enthusiasts at the event, on what many told the BBC was the greatest day of the year.

“My favourite part is meeting other people who are cosplaying,” said Catherine Mariah as she travelled to the event on Saturday morning.

“By the end of the day you’ll be sad it’s all over - you’ll have the 'con blues'!”

Thomas Copeland / BBC News A view of a full expo hall, with hundreds of people milling about between colourful branded stalls.Thomas Copeland / BBC News
The showcase featured stalls promoting Batman, Captain America, and other comic book characters.
Tinshui Yeung / BBC News People sit at computers set up behind statues of farm animals, with a model llama prominently in frame.Tinshui Yeung / BBC News
Several themed areas were set up around the convention halls, including this one known as The Farm.
Andrew Rogers / BBC News A bald man with a beard, wearing glasses, smiles as he holds up three Yu-Gi-Oh playing cards.Andrew Rogers / BBC News
Professional Yu-Gi-Oh player James Tiffin celebrated the card game's 25th anniversary at the show.

Gamers were given hands-on time with new releases including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - the latest instalment in the hugely popular first-person shooter series.

Fans also got a preview of Avowed - an expansive fantasy role-playing game from US developer Obsidian, which is due for release in February next year.

Smaller projects were also on display, like the gesture-controlled indie game Jazzhands, developed by two University of Nottingham students at a 24-hour programming competition.

But despite strong fan interest in the video game side of the expo, the gaming industry has been struggling.

Several big brands pulled out of this year's show after job cuts and an industry strike hit US development schedules.

Organisers at MCM X EGX may have hoped that combining EGX with Comic Con would keep the video games expo alive, while getting a bigger audience for the publishers who stuck with them.

Additional reporting by Laura Cress, Andrew Rogers and Tinshui Yeung.

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