CONTEST RULES

I. General informaion

1. The Cosplay Contest is intended for individuals who create their own costumes, dress up in them, and portray chosen characters. Participants can embody characters from manga, anime, games, movies, comics, as well as musicians or historical figures.
    

2. The Cosplay Contest will be conducted in a way that ensures the highest visual and substantive quality, as well as the safety of participants and the audience. Participants will have access to screens and other audiovisual devices provided by the organizers.
    

3. The Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 will be divided into two independent parts: Standard Cosplay (with an additional category for debutants) and the preliminaries for international competitions including World Cosplay Summit 2025 (WCS 2025) and Cosplay World Masters 2025 (CWM 2025). A participant cannot take part in more than one part of the contest.

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II. Submission of participation in the cosplay contest

1. Any attendee of Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 can participate in the Cosplay Contest, provided they fill out and submit the appropriate registration form available on the event’s website by November 8, 2024, 11:59 PM. To participate as a guest in the Standard Cosplay section, without having your costume judged or being eligible for the best costume prize, check "No" in the "Costume Evaluation" field. By default, all performances submitted are considered for the best performance award. If you wish to opt out, leave a comment in the "Notes for the Jury" section, such as “performance not judged.” For group performances, either all members of the group are judged for their performance, or none are—partial evaluation is not allowed.

   1. Participants competing in the preliminaries for international contests must meet additional requirements, detailed in sections IV and V of these rules.

   2. The Debut Cosplay category is reserved for those who have competed in no more than two stage cosplay contests previously. Those who have already won an award in a cosplay contest cannot qualify for the Debut Cosplay award but will still be considered for the grand prize.
       

2. Every individual participating in the cosplay contest, even as a guest, must submit their own registration form. People assisting with the performance or appearing as extras but not playing a character are exempt from this requirement and should not be counted in the group size. Group submissions or entries submitted on someone else's behalf are invalid. If a costume is worn by more than one person, each participant must submit their own copy of the registration form.
    

3. In the contest for best costume in the Standard Cosplay category, only costumes made by the participant and not yet debuted on stage are eligible. The best performance award can be won with previously displayed or purchased costumes, provided that at least one cosplay in the group is making its stage debut.
    

4. For the international contest preliminaries, participants may compete in a costume they made themselves, whether it's a premiere or has already been presented, as long as it debuted less than a year ago and hasn't been judged in international contest finals or won any international contest preliminaries. Cosplays that participated in preliminaries but did not win are still eligible. Only stage contests with national elimination rounds are considered here, while participation in online, photo, or convention contests (such as regular cosplay contests at Japan Expo or Gamescom) does not disqualify the costume.
    

5. Participants must attach a link to graphic files (between 2 and 6 images) showing the character they are cosplaying, along with key elements of the costume and accessories (this number does not apply to costumes based on original artwork). The images must be at least 400 pixels on the shortest side but no more than 2000 pixels on the longest side. The compression of the graphic files must not introduce noticeable distortions, ensuring the costume’s faithfulness to the original can be adequately assessed. Submission of character reference images is mandatory. Participants can also specify which image should be displayed on the graphic board during their stage presentation.
    

6. Attaching progress photos of costume work to the registration form is required if the participant's costume will be judged by the jury. Participants may (but are not required to) bring these photos as supplementary materials during the jury round, either as printed copies or on a personal device with a display.
    

7. Contestants must submit a music or video file to be played during their performance along with their registration. All elements of the presentation's soundtrack must be included in the submitted file. Microphones will not be provided on-site.
    

8. Organizers may return the registration to the participant for revisions within three days of submission, clearly indicating which aspects require changes. These revisions must be completed at least seven days before the performance.
    

9. Failure to submit complete registration forms by the specified deadline will result in the participant being disqualified from the Cosplay Contest.
    

10. In case there are too many submissions, a selection process may be necessary. Confirmation of entry into the Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 will be sent within three days of the registration closing date. A total of 10 debut performances and 20 standard performances will be accepted (depending on the length of all accepted performances). If there are too many participants, the selection process will be based on the following criteria, in the listed order:

    1. Handmade costumes will be prioritized over purchased costumes (if the category allows).

    2. Incomplete or error-filled submissions will be rejected.

    3. The costume's completion percentage will be assessed based on the submitted progress photos.

    4. The quality of the prepared performance, including the submitted audio materials and script, will be evaluated.
        

11. Any changes to the accepted submission (such as changes to the background track, presentation, lighting, or graphic display) must be reported to the organizers by Sunday, November 17, 2024.
     

12. Participants are required to inform the organizers as soon as possible if they need to withdraw from their performance. In the case of group performances, replacements (another cosplayer playing the submitted character) or changes to the music and visuals can be made up to five days before the performance.
     

13. After the Cosplay Contest registration closes, it is no longer possible to add characters to the submission or change the submitted costume.

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III. Course of the stage section

1. The Cosplay Contest will be hosted by an MC selected by the organizers.
    

2. Contestants will have the opportunity to rehearse their performance on stage during an optional practice session. The stage at Magnificon Winter EXPO 2024 will be available for this purpose on Saturday morning.
    

3. The stage portion of the Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 will be divided into two segments, with a one-hour break between them for other attractions. The Standard Cosplay Contest is scheduled to be the first block on Saturday afternoon. The second block, including the WCS 2024 and CWM 2024 preliminaries, will take place on Saturday evening. The total time of each block will not exceed two hours. This schedule is preliminary and may change depending on the number of entries in each category. If there is a small number of participants, the blocks may be combined, or if there are too few entries for a particular category, it may be canceled.
    

4. All contestants (except for those participating as guests) are required to participate in the jury round before the stage performance, where their costumes will be thoroughly inspected and evaluated by judges selected by the organizers.
    

5. Each Cosplay Contest participant will present their performance after being introduced by the MC. In the Standard Cosplay Contest, solo performances should last between 30 seconds to 2 minutes, while group performances should be 1 minute to a maximum of 4 minutes. Time limits for the international contest preliminaries are provided in sections IV and V of these rules.
    

6. Contestants are required to behave respectfully towards other convention guests and the organizers. Special attention will be given to behavior on stage. Organizers reserve the right to interrupt a performance and remove participants from the stage if their behavior infringes on the rights of other guests or deviates significantly from commonly accepted moral standards. Performances that include graphic scenes of violence, torture, or suicide, promote drug or alcohol use, display excessive sexual expression, or contain vulgarity or hate speech (towards ethnic groups, sexual minorities, skin color) in the behavior of the actors or the accompanying audio/video materials will not be tolerated.
    

7. The use of sharp weapons or firearms during the performance is prohibited (except for ASG replicas, which must not have a magazine on stage). Open flames, liquids, or loose materials (e.g., confetti, sand) that could dirty the stage are also forbidden. It is not allowed to affix decorations or props to the stage structure, tables, or chairs provided by the organizers with glue or other permanent methods that could damage the surfaces.
    

8. The results and awards ceremony will take place after the international block on Saturday evening.

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IV. World Cosplay Summit 2025 Eliminations

1. At the Magnificon Winter Expo 2024, as part of the Cosplay Contest, eliminations for the international World Cosplay Summit 2025 (WCS) competition will be held. The goal of the Eliminations is to select one two-person team to represent Poland at the WCS 2025 finals in Nagoya, Japan.

2. Any person who holds Polish citizenship, registers for the Cosplay Contest in the category "Eliminations for World Cosplay Summit 2025," and will be at least 18 years old by July 25, 2025, may participate in the WCS 2025 Eliminations. Foreigners with permanent residency in Poland and residing in Poland for at least three years may also compete, regardless of whether their home country has its own qualifications. However, they cannot register for this edition of WCS in any other country. Additionally, if they participated in the WCS finals as representatives of another country, they can only compete in the Polish eliminations at least five years after that final.

3. Individuals directly involved in organizing Magnificon Expo or the World Cosplay Summit event in 2024 or 2023 are not allowed to participate in the Eliminations.

4. Participants can embody characters from anime, manga, video/computer games, or tokusatsu. The source material must be published by a Japanese company or licensed by such a company. Cosplay of characters originally created outside Japan cannot be submitted, even if they have later been included in Japanese productions (e.g., from Disney films or Star Wars). The cosplays of both team members must come from the same source.

5. All cosplays used during the performance (more than one per participant is allowed) and all elements necessary to replicate the character will be evaluated. Decorations and supporting props used during the presentation that are not part of any character's costume will not be judged during the jury round.

6. The cosplay submitted for the Eliminations must be at least 75% made by the team members. Elements where the participants' contribution is less than 75% will not be considered for evaluation. Automated production methods, such as 3D printing or computer embroidery, are allowed; however, only stages completed by the participants will be scored. These stages may include preparing digital models and materials for printing, assembling printed parts into a larger whole, and any finishing work, such as painting, aging, etc. Each process performed by the participants must be properly documented. Participants may use purchased model files or entire printed objects; however, these elements will not be evaluated if they have not been modified by the participants by at least 50%.

7. The stage presentation submitted for the Eliminations may not last longer than two minutes and 30 seconds. Exceeding this limit by less than 10 seconds results in a 10% penalty on the performance score, while exceeding it by more than 10 seconds results in a 25% penalty. Preparing the stage for the performance and removing the set afterwards must take no more than 40 seconds.

8. During the presentation submitted for the WCS Eliminations, only the participants of the Eliminations may be on stage. Adding other participants, in cosplay or not, is prohibited. All decorations must be self-standing, and props must be operated during the performance by the elimination participants without assistance from third parties (including remotely). The above provisions apply to the duration of the presentation itself—convention staff may assist in preparing the stage before the performance and clearing it afterward. Additionally, devices used during the performance may not require connection to an external power source; power must be entirely supplied by built-in batteries.

9. The set design may consist of a maximum of three parts, each with maximum dimensions of 210 cm x 210 cm x 90 cm (depth), and a maximum weight of 10 kg. Exceeding the specified sizes will incur a penalty of one point for each excess centimeter in any dimension. If the total excess exceeds 10 cm, the team will receive 0 points for the costume evaluation. In case of exceeding the weight limit, the penalty is 5 points for every half-kilogram of excess (starting from 5 points for weight in the range of 10.1–10.6 kg). The team receives 0 points for costume evaluation if any decoration weighs more than 15 kg.

10. The maximum total weight of costumes and props used on stage is 40 kg per team (not including the previously mentioned set elements). Penalties for exceeding this limit are 5 points for each kilogram over the 40 kg and 41 kg marks, and 10 points for each additional kilogram thereafter. The team receives 0 points for costume evaluation if the excess exceeds 10 kg.

11. Music and other sound effects during the performance may be composed by the Participants, be royalty-free, or recorded by the Participants, provided that the rights to the given piece belong to someone other than the Participants.

12. Participants may use video recordings in their performance (audio parameters: stereo, at least 192 kbps; video parameters: 1920x1080 pixels, 1080p, aspect ratio 16:9, preferred format: mp4, image and sound combined into one file). The quality of the video recording is not evaluated.

13. Official graphics and logos of WCS or other registered trademarks cannot be used in the video file, either as a single image or in animations. These marks must also not appear on any objects present on stage during the performance.

14. The use of music or recordings of actors' voices from works copyrighted by someone other than the Participants is prohibited in audio or video files, as is copying or imitating images or entire scenes from such works. Allowed methods for producing background video include live-action recordings made by the participants, using photographs, drawings, computer graphics, or models.

15. Spoken content in the soundtrack may be recorded in the Participants' native language. In such cases, Participants must provide English subtitles for the recording (not hard-coded into the video file). However, dubbing in broken Japanese is not allowed for the competition.

16. During the Cosplay Contest, from among those who registered for the Eliminations, the jury will select the winner based on detailed inspections of costumes and observation of the Participants' stage behavior. Costume evaluation and performance evaluation each constitute 50% of the total score.

17. The costume evaluation (jury round) will take place before the stage portion and will include: a five-minute presentation by the team explaining the construction of the costumes (in English, which may be illustrated with photos or video recordings), a three-minute close inspection of the cosplays, and two minutes for the jury to ask additional questions—a total of 10 minutes for the team.
     

18. Detailed Evaluation Criteria:

    1. Conformity to the Original (40 pts/200)
       Comparison of the cosplays to the source material. Participants' additions of elements not visible in the original (e.g., shoes or unshown views from behind), or colors (if the source is a black-and-white manga), will not be considered a mistake if the introduced elements are consistent with the character's essence and the overall mood of the original. Characteristics of the cosplayer, such as height or gender, will not be taken into account.

    2. Overall Quality of Costumes (40 pts/200)
       Assessment of the proportions of the cosplay, fit to the participant's body, neatness, and quality of finishing of the costumes.

    3. Techniques Used (20 pts/200)
       Evaluation of the team's skills in applying various technical solutions in constructing the cosplays. Quality is prioritized over quantity; demonstrating mastery of several techniques to perfection will earn a higher score than showcasing many skills at a basic level.

    4. Stage Presentation (50 pts/200)
       General assessment of the stage performance, which includes evaluating the presentation concept, effectiveness in conveying the story to the audience, use of props and decorations, adherence to the source material, and overall entertainment value.

    5. Acting and Other Stage Skills (20 pts/200)
       Evaluation of the cosplayers' acting performance and any other skills demonstrated (e.g., dancing). Judges will also pay attention to the participants' level of preparation for the performance and the clarity of spoken lines.

    6. Costume Presentation on Stage (20 pts/200)
       Assessment of the impression the cosplays create on stage and how any changes in the costumes during the performance affect the audience.

    7. X Factor (10 pts/200)
       Points awarded for performances that exceeded the jury's expectations: those that were particularly moving, funny, or exciting, or introduced fresh ideas not previously seen in cosplay presentations.
        

19. Each participant of the Eliminations additionally declares their willingness to travel to the WCS finals in Japan in early August 2025 (exact dates TBC), possesses the necessary legal means to do so, and is unaware of any reasons that would make such a trip impossible.

20. The winners of the Eliminations will receive the Grand Prix award and the right to represent Poland in the WCS 2025 finals in Nagoya. Accommodation costs will be covered by the final's organizer. Travel costs (economy class flight) will be covered by MiOhi.

21. The jury reserves the right to select one reserve team in case the winners of the Eliminations cannot participate in the WCS 2025 finals for any reason.

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V. Cosplay World Masters 2025 eliminations

1. At the Magnificon Winter Expo 2024, eliminations for the international Cosplay World Masters 2025 (CWM) competition will take place. The aim of the eliminations is to select one representative of Poland for the CWM 2025 finals in Lisbon (Portugal).

2. Anyone who holds Polish citizenship or has permanent residency in Poland and has resided in Poland for at least three years may participate in the CWM 2025 eliminations. Participants must register for the Cosplay Competition in the category "Eliminations for Cosplay World Masters 2025" and must be at least 16 years old by the time of registration (by November 8, 2024). Minors are required to provide written consent from parents or guardians to participate in the eliminations.

3. Cosplay World Masters is a solo competition. The costume submitted for eliminations must be at least 60% made by the participating individual. Accessories such as wigs, shoes, glasses, etc., may be purchased, but any modifications must be made by the participant. Scenic decorations not evaluated during the jury round do not need to be made by the elimination participant.

4. Costumes participating in the CWM eliminations must be replicas of costumes appearing in any source material such as animated films, manga/comics, video/computer games, or similar works, published domestically or abroad under commercial license. The source material does not have to originate from Japan. Costumes based on fan art or original works published without commercial license (e.g., only on platforms like DeviantArt) are not allowed.

5. The scenery may consist of no more than three parts and must fit entirely within a space measuring 2.5m (height) x 2m x 2m. Decorations requiring attachment to the stage or tables and chairs provided by the organizers are not permitted.

6. Individuals directly involved in organizing the Magnificon Expo or the CWM 2025 finals and Iberanime may not participate in the eliminations.

7. Each participant in the eliminations additionally declares their willingness to travel to the CWM finals in Portugal from May 23 to 26, 2025, possesses the necessary legal means to do so, and is unaware of any reasons that would prevent such travel.

8. During the Cosplay Competition, the jury will select a winner from among the participants based on detailed inspections of costumes and observations of the participants' stage behavior. Conformity to the source material constitutes 30% of the evaluation, technical execution 30% (neatness of execution, level of difficulty, amount of detail required, materials and techniques used), and stage presentation 40% (acting interpretation, overall quality of the performance, fidelity to the source material).

9. In case of a tie, the participant with the higher score for presentation will take the higher place. If these scores are also tied, the costume's construction score will determine the winner. If all components are equal, the elimination organizer will decide the winner.

10. During the presentation submitted for the CWM eliminations, only the elimination participant may be on stage. Adding other participants, whether in cosplay or not, is prohibited. All decorations must be self-standing, and props must be operated by the elimination participants without assistance from third parties (including remotely). These rules apply only to the presentation duration—convention staff may assist in preparing the stage before the performance and cleaning up afterward.

11. The stage presentation submitted for the eliminations may not exceed two minutes. Preparing the stage for the performance and removing the scenery afterward may not take more than 30 seconds. If these limits are exceeded, the participant's score for the presentation will be reduced by 0.5 points for each 30 seconds of delay.

12. The winner of the eliminations will receive the Grand Prix award and the right to represent Poland in the CWM 2025 finals in Lisbon. Accommodation costs will be covered by the final's organizer. Travel costs (including one piece of checked luggage) will be covered by MiOhi.

13. The jury reserves the right to select one reserve participant in case the winner of the eliminations cannot attend the CWM 2025 finals for any reason.

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VI. Awards

1. In the Standard Cosplay competition, three awards will be granted for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, along with distinctions for the best performance and for a debut participant (a participant who has participated in three or fewer stage competitions before the Magnificon Winter EXPO 2024). The jury has the right to grant additional distinctions at its discretion. In the CWM 2025 eliminations, one winning soloist will be awarded, while one winning team will be recognized in the WCS 2025 eliminations. The organizers reserve the right to grant more than one award (this does not apply to eliminations for international competitions) and to refrain from granting any award.

2. In the main category of Standard Cosplay, the jury inspects the costumes of participants and awards prizes based on: the detail of the replica, technical difficulty of the cosplay, and additional means used to resemble the character (e.g., makeup, characterization, wig styling). An additional criterion is the assessment of stage presentation and immersion in the character during the performance. When awarding the distinction for the best performance, participants are judged solely during their stage performance, with key evaluation criteria being acting skills and the performance script, although the visual aspect (appearance of costumes and any decorations) also plays a role. When awarding the distinction for the Debutant, the evaluation is comprehensive, considering both costume execution and stage behavior.
   
   In the WCS 2024 eliminations, costume evaluation (conformity to references and technical execution) constitutes 50% of the total score, while performance evaluation also accounts for 50%
   
   In the CWM 2024 eliminations, costume evaluation (conformity to references and construction: diversity and degree of difficulty of techniques used, quality of execution, material selection, mobility) constitutes 60% of the total score, while performance evaluation (performance script and its realization, acting, audio or video quality, conformity to source material) accounts for 40%
    

3. Prizes awarded in the competition are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for others.

4. Jury decisions are public, final, and not subject to appeal.

5. If the winners do not claim their prizes, they will be returned to the winners at their expense after prior arrangement via email or telephone.

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VII. Additional Participant Declarations

1. By registering to participate in the Competition, the participant declares that:

   1. the presented costume was handmade by them using available materials,

   2. the presented skit and accompanying audio/video materials do not infringe on the rights of others, including personal, material, and copyright rights,

   3. all information provided in the registration form is true.

2. The participant agrees to the presentation of materials created by the organizers and their representatives during photo sessions and video recordings, during and outside stage performances – photos and recordings in any form chosen by the organizers, including print on paper, digital media, and others, on the Internet; to reproduce and distribute by any technique and in any quantities. The aforementioned photos and recordings are the total and exclusive property of the organizers, with consideration for the special rights held by their authors.

3. The participant can demand the cessation of public availability of photos or recordings depicting their image, but only if these may significantly violate their personal dignity.

4. The participant agrees to the processing and storage of the data provided in the registration forms for purposes related to the competition, awarding and handing out prizes, and compiling statistics regarding the Competition. The administrator of personal data is MiOhi Marta Oleksy, the organization responsible for the Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 event.

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VIII. Final provisions

1. 1. The organizers' decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

2. 2. Filling out and submitting the registration form to participate in Cosplay at the Magnificon Winter Expo 2024 is equivalent to declaring that the participant has read the contents of this regulation and fully accepts it.

3. 3. The organizers reserve the right to make any changes to this regulation without the need to inform participants in advance. The most current version of this regulation is available at magnificonexpo.com.