BLOODSTOCK may be famous for earth-shaking riffs, inflatable costumes, questionable campsite decisions and enough black T-shirts to temporarily block out the sun — but the festival has always had a gloriously geeky side too.

From its hugely popular Gaming Arena to fancy-dress themes inspired by legendary video-game characters, gaming has become firmly embedded in the BLOODSTOCK experience.

Now, to celebrate two massive milestones, Scan Computers and BattleRigs have joined forces to build an absolutely monstrous one-off gaming PC exclusively for BLOODSTOCK.

And yes, one lucky person is going to win the blooming thing.

Two Huge Anniversaries, One Ridiculous Gaming Machine 🎂🔥

The collaboration celebrates BLOODSTOCK’s 25th anniversary alongside Scan Computers’ 40th year in the technology industry.

Rather than marking the occasion with a cake, a commemorative mug or an awkward corporate buffet, the pair have decided to build something considerably more brutal: a unique custom gaming system packed with high-end components and designed specifically for BLOODSTOCK.

This isn’t your nan’s laptop struggling to open Facebook, mun.

This is a full-blown gaming beast capable of chewing through modern games while probably generating enough RGB lighting to guide aircraft into Catton Park.

What’s Inside the BLOODSTOCK Custom Gaming PC? 🖥️⚡

Underneath the custom exterior sits an impressive collection of gaming hardware, including:

  • AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D eight-core AM5 processor
  • Gigabyte AMD B850 AORUS ELITE Wi-Fi 7 ATX motherboard
  • CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Grey 32GB 6000MHz dual-profile DDR5 memory
  • Kioxia Exceria PLUS G4 1TB M.2 PCIe 5.0 NVMe 3D BiCS SSD
  • Gigabyte AORUS AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ELITE graphics card
  • be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 1000W 80PLUS Gold fully modular ATX 3.1 power supply
  • be quiet! Light Loop RGB 360mm all-in-one CPU water cooler
  • be quiet! Pure Base 501 DX black RGB mid-tower case with tempered-glass window

In other words, this thing is stacked.

With a powerful AMD processor, a Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card, fast DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 NVMe storage, the system has been created to deliver serious gaming performance.

Add in the 360mm liquid cooler, 1000W modular power supply and RGB-covered case, and you’ve got a machine that looks like it should be headlining the Ronnie James Dio Stage rather than sitting underneath someone’s desk.

Scan Celebrates BLOODSTOCK’s Gaming Community 🎮🤘

Sam Hibbert, Head of Pro Gaming at Scan, said:

“Having just celebrated our own 40th anniversary, we’re thrilled to support Bloodstock Festival in its 25th year. Music has always been closely connected to gaming, so we’re excited to be giving Bloodstock attendees the opportunity to experience the awesome design and breathtaking performance of our 3XS Systems gaming PCs during the festival.”

He’s not wrong either.

Gaming and heavy music have been sharing the same wonderfully chaotic bedroom for decades. Whether it’s metal soundtracks, rhythm games, brutal first-person shooters or spending six hours creating a character who looks suspiciously like Rob Halford, the two worlds have always fitted together perfectly.

How to Enter the BLOODSTOCK Gaming PC Giveaway 🎟️

Festival-goers can enter the competition in two ways:

  • Online through the official BLOODSTOCK giveaway
  • In person at the Gaming Arena throughout the festival weekend

The custom computer has been designed exclusively for the competition, meaning the winner will be walking away with a genuinely unique piece of BLOODSTOCK and gaming history.

That beats bringing home half a warm cider and a tent peg you accidentally stole from your neighbour.

The BLOODSTOCK Gaming Arena Returns Bigger and Beefier 🎮🔥

The giveaway isn’t the only gaming action taking place at the festival.

Scan Computers will also be bringing six powerful gaming PCs to BLOODSTOCK’s Gaming Arena, giving festival-goers the chance to escape the sunshine, rain, mud or whatever meteorological nonsense the British summer decides to throw at Catton Park.

Each system will be powered by AMD and KIOXIA hardware and connected to a giant 43-inch iiyama 4K G-Master Red Eagle monitor.

Yes, 43 inches.

That’s less of a gaming monitor and more of a cinema screen with anger issues.

Visitors will be able to get hands-on with a mixture of the latest AAA releases and established fan favourites across the weekend.

So, when your legs need a rest from stomping across the arena — or your mate has vanished into a circle pit wearing a banana costume — the Gaming Arena will be waiting.

The Gaming PCs Available at BLOODSTOCK

The six Scan 3XS systems heading to the festival include:

Scan 3XS ARC RX

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE
  • Storage: Kioxia 1TB G4 Exceria SSD

Scan 3XS Edge

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE
  • Storage: Kioxia 1TB G4 Exceria SSD

Scan 3XS Lignum

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE
  • Storage: Kioxia 1TB G4 Exceria SSD

Scan 3XS Vengeance RX

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
  • Storage: Kioxia 1TB G4 Exceria SSD

Scan 3XS Vengeance Air

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
  • Storage: Kioxia 1TB G4 Exceria SSD

Scan 3XS Helios RX

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
  • Storage: Kioxia 1TB G4 Exceria SSD

The systems will also feature ASUS and CORSAIR peripherals, completing what should be one of the most powerful gaming setups ever dropped into the middle of a British metal festival.

Heavy Metal Outside, 4K Gaming Inside 🤘🎮

Let’s be honest: BLOODSTOCK already offers plenty of escapism.

You’re standing in a field surrounded by your best mates, musical heroes and complete strangers dressed as Jesus, bananas, Vikings, dinosaurs and occasionally all four at once.

But sometimes you need a break from the riffs.

Maybe your neck has stopped working after three consecutive sets. Maybe the rain has arrived sideways. Maybe you just want to sit down somewhere that doesn’t involve balancing on a camping chair with one broken leg.

That’s where the Gaming Arena comes in.

The arena gives festival-goers an opportunity to jump into some modern PC gaming, test out powerful equipment and enjoy a slightly different kind of heavy experience.

Instead of blast beats, you get frame rates.

Instead of circle pits, you get multiplayer lobbies.

Both still contain roughly the same amount of shouting.

Scan Computers: More Than Just Gaming PCs

Scan has spent four decades working across the technology industry, specialising in areas including:

  • Gaming computers
  • Professional audio
  • Professional video
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Robotics
  • Custom-built computer systems

The company’s store near Bolton, located just off the M61, also includes Bolton’s largest professional audio and musical-instrument showroom.

That means you can walk in looking for a graphics card and somehow leave with a guitar, studio monitors and several financially irresponsible ideas.

Proper job.

Guitarists Can Win More Than £2,000 Worth of Gear 🎸🔥

Because apparently one enormous custom gaming PC wasn’t enough, Scan is also offering a second prize package aimed directly at guitarists.

Worth more than £2,000, the bundle contains a serious collection of guitar equipment, accessories and recording technology.

The prize haul includes:

  • Legator Ghost Super Shred seven-string guitar
  • IK Multimedia TONEX pedal
  • IK Multimedia TONEX Royal 45 Legends signature collection
  • A year’s supply of Ernie Ball strings — 24 sets
  • Ernie Ball fret wrap
  • Ernie Ball Jacquard strap in the winner’s chosen design
  • Ernie Ball strap blocks in the winner’s chosen colour
  • Ernie Ball Mute Noodles
  • Ernie Ball Everlast or Prodigy picks
  • Ernie Ball guitar hanger
  • Ernie Ball tool kit
  • Ernie Ball instrument-care polish kit
  • Ernie Ball ProTune USB-C rechargeable clip-on tuner
  • Ernie Ball Classic Eagle T-shirt

The Legator Ghost Super Shred seven-string alone should be enough to send metal guitarists sprinting towards the entry page like someone just announced a surprise Meshuggah set.

Throw in the TONEX pedal, signature tone collection, a year’s worth of strings and enough Ernie Ball accessories to open your own guitar shop, and this is one seriously tidy bundle.

How to Enter the Guitar Competition

To enter the guitar-gear giveaway, entrants simply need to sign up for Scan’s Pro Audio mailing list.

The competition is open to UK entrants only and closes at 12pm on Monday 10 August.

Make sure you enter before the deadline, because missing out on a seven-string guitar and more than two grand’s worth of gear because you were still recovering from the campsite would be a proper festival tragedy.

BLOODSTOCK’s Geekiest Celebration Yet 🤓🤘

BLOODSTOCK has always embraced the many different worlds surrounding heavy music.

It isn’t only about watching bands — although watching bands remains a fairly massive part of the arrangement.

It’s about community, creativity, gaming, costumes, charity, comedy, meeting strangers and somehow becoming best mates with them before the end of the weekend.

The collaboration between Scan Computers, BattleRigs and BLOODSTOCK fits that spirit perfectly.

Whether you’re battling through a modern AAA game on a giant 4K monitor, entering to win the custom PC or trying your luck at the guitar package, there’s now even more reason to visit the Gaming Arena during the festival.

Just don’t blame us when you enter every competition, test all six machines and emerge three hours later having completely forgotten which band you were supposed to be watching.

That’s BLOODSTOCK, mun.

Beautiful, loud and gloriously chaotic. 🤘🔥

A punchier social-media version or cartoon banner headline would go down a storm with this one too. 🎮🤘