CONTEST RULES

Cosplay

I. General informaion

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

2. The cosplay event will be conducted in a way that ensures the highest possible visual and content quality while prioritizing the safety of both participants and spectators. Participants will have access to screens and other audiovisual equipment provided by the organizers.

3. The Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Expo 2025 will be divided into five independent categories: Cosplay Debut, Standard Cosplay, and qualifiers for the international competitions Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival Championship 2025 (GICOF Championship 2025), Europe Cosplay Cup 2025 (E2C 2025), and AnimeS Cosplay World Stars 2025 (ACWS 2025). A single participant may not compete in more than one category of the Contest. The only exception to this rule is that a single submission may be judged simultaneously in the qualifiers for both GICOF Championship 2025 and ACWS 2025, provided it meets the shared criteria.

II. Submission of participation in the cosplay contest

1. Anyone attending the Magnificon Expo 2025 convention may participate in the Cosplay Contest, provided they complete and submit the appropriate registration form on the convention’s website no later than May 9, 2025. To participate as a guest in the Standard Cosplay category, waiving the costume evaluation and the right to compete for the best costume award, participants must select “No” in the “Costume Evaluation” section. By default, all submitted performances are considered for the best performance award. To waive this right, an appropriate comment (e.g., “performance not evaluated”) must be added in the “Notes for the jury” section of the registration form. In the case of group performances, all group members are either evaluated or not evaluated – no smaller subgroup may be singled out for evaluation.

1a. Participants competing in eliminations for international cosplay contests must meet additional requirements outlined in sections IV-VI of these rules.

1b. Only individuals who have participated in no more than two stage cosplay contests may participate in the Debut Cosplay contest. Those who have previously won an award in a cosplay contest may not participate in the Debut Cosplay contest.

2.Each person participating in cosplay, even as a guest, must submit their own registration. Those who are only assisting with the performance and do not portray any character, or who act as extras, are exempt from this obligation. They should not be included in the group count. Multi-person registrations and/or submissions made on someone else's behalf are invalid and will be returned to the authors for correction. If a costume is worn by more than one person, each individual is required to submit their own registration form.

3. In the contest for best costume within the Standard Cosplay category, as well as in the Debut Cosplay category, only costumes made by the participant and not previously presented on stage may be entered. A performance in the Standard Cosplay category can be awarded for costumes that have been previously presented or purchased, as long as at least one cosplay in the group is a premiere performance.

In eliminations for international cosplay contests, participants may enter a costume they made themselves, whether it is a premiere or previously presented, provided that less than a year has passed since its stage premiere, and it has not been evaluated in the finals of international contests, nor won an elimination for any international contest (cosplays that have participated in eliminations but did not win are allowed). Only stage tournaments with national elimination systems are considered here. Participation in online or photography contests, or a single convention contest with cosplayers from different nationalities (e.g., the general cosplay contest at Japan Expo or Gamescom) does not disqualify the costume.

4. Registration forms must include a link to graphic files (from 2 to 6 images), showing the character portrayed by the participant, as well as key elements of the costume and accessories (this number does not apply to costumes based on one-artworks). The graphic files should be at least 400 pixels on the shorter side but no more than 2000 pixels on the longer side; the image compression should not cause noticeable distortions to the image – this ensures that the costume's accuracy to the original can be properly evaluated. Sending the images of the portrayed character along with the registration is mandatory. Participants may also specify which image should be displayed on the graphic board during their stage presentation.

5. Submitting progress photos (so-called progress shots) is required if the participant will be evaluated on their costume during the jury round. The participant may (but is not required to) bring them as supplemental materials to the jury round, in print form or as files on their own display device.

6. The participant must attach a music track or video file to their registration, which would be played during their performance. All elements of the presentation’s soundtrack must be included in the aforementioned file. Microphones will not be provided on-site!

7. Within three days of receiving a submission, the organizers may return it to the author for completion or corrections, clearly marking the points that require changes. These corrections must be made at least 7 days before the performance.

8. Failure to submit complete registration forms within the specified timeframe will result in the author being disqualified from participating in the Cosplay Contest.

9. In the event of an excessive number of submissions, selection may be necessary. Therefore, confirmation of entry into the Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Expo 2025 will be sent out within 5 days after the registration deadline. A maximum of 15 debut performances and 25/30 standard performances (depending on the duration of all accepted submissions) will be accepted. If there are too many applicants, the organizers will conduct a selection based on the following criteria, in the order listed below:

Priority will be given to costumes made by the participant rather than purchased ones (if the category allows this).
Incomplete submissions or those with errors will be rejected. Selection will be based on the completion level of the costume, evaluated based on the attached progress photos.
The quality of the prepared performance, including the submitted audio materials and script, will be evaluated.

10. Any changes to an already accepted submission (e.g., changes to the soundtrack, announcements, lighting, or graphics displayed during the performance) must be reported to the organizers by Sunday, May 18, 2025, at the latest.

11. The participant is obliged to inform the organizers as soon as possible if they need to withdraw from their performance. For group performances, substitutes (another cosplayer portraying the previously registered character) or changes to the music and visual setup are allowed no later than five days before the performance.

12. After the registration period closes, it will not be possible to add additional characters to a submission or change the submitted costume to a different one.

III. Course of the stage section

1. The Cosplay Contest will be conducted by a host selected by the organizers.

2. Contestants in the Cosplay Contest will have the opportunity to rehearse their performance on stage during a non-compulsory rehearsal. During Magnificon Expo 2025, the stage will be available for this purpose on Friday morning (for participants of the Debut Cosplay contest) and on Saturday morning (for participants in the other contest categories).

3. The stage portion of the Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Expo 2025 will take place in three blocks, separated by other attractions. The first block on Friday evening will be the Debut Cosplay contest. The second block, the Standard Cosplay contest, is planned for Saturday afternoon. The final block, which includes the eliminations for GICOF Championship 2025, E2C 2025, and ACWS 2025, will take place on Saturday evening. The total duration of any block cannot exceed two hours. This schedule is preliminary and may change depending on the number of submissions in each category – if there are too few participants, the blocks may be combined, and if there are insufficient submissions for a particular category, it may be canceled.

4. All contest participants (except guest participants) are required to take part in the jury round before the stage portion, during which their costumes will undergo detailed inspection and evaluation by a panel of judges selected by the organizers. This stage will take place before the performance portion. Participants will receive details about the location and scheduled time via email during the week prior to the convention.

5. Each contestant in the Cosplay Contest will present their performance after the host announces them. In the Standard Cosplay and Debut Cosplay contests, a solo performance should last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, while a group performance should last from 1 minute to a maximum of 5 minutes. The time limits for the international contest eliminations are provided in Sections IV-VI of these rules.

6. Each participant is required to behave courteously towards other convention guests and organizers. Special attention will be given to behavior on stage. The organizers reserve the right to interrupt a participant's performance and remove them from the stage if their behavior violates the rights of other convention guests or deviates significantly from generally accepted moral standards. In particular, performances containing graphic violence, torture, or suicide scenes, promoting drug use or alcohol consumption, excessive sexual expression, or hate speech (towards ethnic groups/sexual minorities/skin color) in the actors' behavior or accompanying audio/video materials will not be tolerated.

7. The use of sharp white weapons or firearms (except for ASG replicas, which cannot have a magazine on stage), open flames, and any liquids or granular materials (such as confetti, sand, etc.) that could stain the stage is prohibited. It is also prohibited to attach decorations or props to the stage structure or tables and chairs provided by the organizers using glue or other permanent attachment methods that may damage the surface of the stage or furniture.

8. The official announcement of results and prize distribution will take place after the international block on Saturday evening.

IV. Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival Championship 2025 eliminations

1. At Magnificon Expo 2025, as part of the Cosplay Contest, eliminations for the Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival Championship 2025 (GICOF Championship 2025) will take place. The aim of the eliminations is to select a two-person team to represent Poland in the final of the GICOF Championship 2025 at the Bucheon International Comics Festival in South Korea.

2. Anyone who holds Polish citizenship, registers for the Cosplay Contest in the "Eliminations for Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival Championship 2025" category, and will be 18 years old by September 25, 2025, is eligible to participate in the eliminations.

2a. Foreigners who have the right to permanent residence in Poland and have been residing in the country for at least three years may also participate in the Polish eliminations for the GICOF Championship 2025, regardless of whether their country of origin has its own qualifications. However, they may not participate in eliminations for this tournament in any other country. If someone has already participated in the GICOF Championship final as a representative of another country, they will not be able to participate in the eliminations in Poland until three years have passed from that final.

3. The costumes entered in the eliminations must be entirely created by the members of the team participating. Collaboration in creating costumes within the team is allowed. Small accessories such as wigs, shoes, glasses, etc., may be purchased. Any modifications to these items must be done by the participants themselves.

4. The costume submitted for the GICOF Championship 2025 eliminations must be an accurate representation of a character from any source material, such as movies/animated or live-action TV series, manga/comics, video/computer games, or similar works, published in Poland or abroad (in any country) under a commercial license. Costumes based on fan art or original works published without a commercial license (e.g., only on websites like deviantart) are not eligible for the eliminations.

5. Organizers of Magnificon Expo or the final of the GICOF Championship and the Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival are not allowed to participate in the eliminations.

6. Each participant in the eliminations must additionally declare their willingness to travel to South Korea for the final of the GICOF Championship between September 25 and 30, 2025. They must have the necessary legal means to travel and know of no reasons preventing such a trip. Note: This requires obtaining a passport if the participant does not already have one!

7. During the Cosplay Contest, the jury will select the winners of the eliminations based on detailed inspection of the costumes and observation of the participants' stage behavior. The costume evaluation (accuracy to references and technical execution) will account for 50% of the total score, while the performance evaluation will account for the other 50%. Participants may receive an additional 10% for good interaction with the audience (eye contact, audience reaction to the performance, etc.).

8. The stage presentation submitted for the eliminations may not exceed three minutes. Only participants of the eliminations are allowed on stage during the presentation. Adding other participants, in cosplay or not, to the presentation is prohibited. All decorations must be self-standing, and props must be handled by the participants without the assistance of third parties (including remotely). An exception to this rule will be made in emergency situations (e.g., if a decoration is damaged through no fault of the participant), where assistance with props or decorations will be allowed.

9. The winners of the eliminations will have the right to represent Poland in the GICOF Championship 2025 final in Bucheon. Their flight costs to and from South Korea, transportation between the airport, hotel, and Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival venue, and a double-occupancy hotel room from September 25 to 30, 2025, will be covered.

10. The jury reserves the right to select one backup team in case the winners of the eliminations are unable to participate in the GICOF Championship 2025 final for any reason.

V. Europa Cosplay Cup 2025 eliminations

1. At Magnificon Expo 2025, as part of the Cosplay Contest, eliminations for the Europa Cosplay Cup 2025 (E2C 2025) will take place. The aim of the eliminations is to select one representative from Poland for the final of the E2C 2025, which will be held at the Toulouse Game Show 2025 in Toulouse, France.

2. Anyone who holds Polish citizenship or has permanent residence in Poland for at least 3 years, registers for the Cosplay Contest in the "Eliminations for Europa Cosplay Cup 2025" category, and will be 18 years old by November 28, 2025, is eligible to participate in the eliminations.

2a. Individuals judging any of the eliminations in the E2C 2025 cycle cannot participate in any subsequent eliminations within the same cycle. Additionally, winners of the eliminations cannot judge any other E2C eliminations in the same edition of the tournament.

2b. E2C finalists are not allowed to participate in the eliminations for this competition the following year. Those who place second or third in the final are excluded from two consecutive editions, while the winner is excluded from three.

3. The Europa Cosplay Cup is a solo competition. The costume entered in the eliminations must be made by the participant themselves. Accessories such as wigs, shoes, glasses, etc., may be purchased, but any modifications must be done by the participant. Automated production methods such as 3D printing or computer embroidery may not account for more than 50% of the costume's creation. The participant must also be able to prove that they created the elements used for these parts of the costume.

4. The costume submitted for the E2C eliminations must be an accurate representation of a character from any source material such as films/animated or live-action TV series, manga/comics, video/computer games, or similar works published under a commercial license, either in Poland or abroad. Costumes based on fan art or original works without a commercial license (e.g., only published on websites like deviantart) are not eligible for the eliminations.

5. The selected representative may create a new cosplay for the final or use the one from the eliminations. If they decide to reuse the costume from the eliminations, they must prepare a new stage presentation for the final and cannot participate in any other contests with the same cosplay between the eliminations and the E2C final.

6. The stage setup may consist of one large decoration measuring no more than 2m x 2m x 1m (depth), weighing no more than 10 kg, or up to two large elements fitting within the space of 2m x 2m x 1m, each weighing no more than 5 kg. These elements can include chairs or tables if they meet the size and weight criteria. Decorations that require attachment to the stage structure or permanent attachment to furniture provided by the organizers are not allowed. Additionally, the participant may have up to three small props on stage, such as a book, mirror, wand, fan, small plush, or figurine. Mannequins, chests, or large weaponry (e.g., shields) are not considered small props.

7. Organizers of Magnificon Expo or the final of E2C 2025 and Toulouse Game Show cannot participate in the eliminations.

8. Each participant must additionally declare their willingness to travel to France for the E2C final between November 28 and December 1, 2025, confirming they have the necessary legal means to do so and know of no reasons that would prevent such a trip.

9. During the Cosplay Contest, the jury will select the winner of the eliminations based on detailed examination of the costumes and observation of the participants' stage behavior. The costume evaluation (accuracy to references and construction: variety and difficulty of techniques, quality of execution, material selection, mobility) will account for 50% of the total score, while the performance evaluation (presentation script and execution, acting, audio/video quality, alignment with source material) will also account for 50%.

10. The stage presentation submitted for the eliminations may not exceed two minutes. Only the participant of the eliminations may be on stage during the presentation. Adding other participants, in cosplay or not, is prohibited. All decorations must be self-standing, and props must be handled by the participants without the assistance of third parties (including remotely). An exception to this rule will be made in emergency situations (e.g., damage to decorations through no fault of the participant), where assistance with props or decorations is allowed.

11. The winner of the eliminations will have the right to represent Poland in the E2C 2025 final in Toulouse. The costs of accommodation (three nights: from Friday, November 28 to Monday, December 1) and travel (flight with up to two pieces of checked luggage) will be covered.

12. The jury reserves the right to select one backup participant in case the winner of the eliminations is unable to participate in the E2C 2025 final for any reason.

VI. AnimeS Cosplay World Stars 2025 eliminations

1. At Magnificon Expo 2025, as part of the Cosplay Contest, eliminations for the AnimeS Cosplay World Stars 2025 (AWCS 2025) will take place. The aim of the eliminations is to select a duo or trio to represent Poland in the final of the AWCS 2025, which will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria, during the AnimeS World Stars event at the end of September 2025.

2. A characteristic feature of the AWCS competition is the length of the stage performances — they must be between 5 to 8 minutes. A shorter performance is allowed if the participants are also competing in the GICOF eliminations, but in this case, they will be required to prepare a longer performance for the potential international final.

3. The following media are allowed as sources for costumes in the AWCS 2025 eliminations:

Anime and manga
Video games
Comics
TV series and films
Animations and animated films
Musicals
Illustrations and fan art by well-known artists (e.g., Hannah Alexander, Sakizou, Picolo, etc.)

4. Conditions for participation in the AWCS eliminations:

All participants must reside in the country where they are participating in the eliminations (this must be confirmed with the elimination organizer).
Participants must be at least 18 years old on the day of departure to Bulgaria.
Costumes that have been used in other eliminations or won prizes in international competitions are prohibited. However, the same costume can be used in the finals as the one presented in the AWCS qualifications.
Characters do not need to come from the same medium, but they must belong to the same universe (e.g., Marvel, Dragon Ball, One Piece). They may come from different timelines or never meet in the storyline.
The eliminations may be held concurrently with other competitions, but selected teams must prepare a longer performance according to AWCS guidelines.
Performances may be conducted in the participants' native language. If the dialogue is recorded and participants have difficulty speaking English, English subtitles must be provided.
At least 70% of the costume must be made by the participants. Any assistance must be disclosed during the jury round.
Participants must have a valid passport or ID card. The organizer is not responsible for the lack of valid documents.
Costumes and/or performances with racist, misogynistic, pornographic, homophobic, or extremely violent content are prohibited.
Additional characters may be portrayed, but the jury will only evaluate the main characters of the performance.

5. Stage props must be easy to transport by the organizers. The maximum size for large props is 2x2 meters, with a weight not exceeding 15 kg. The limit for large props is 3 per performance (the organizer may reduce this limit to 2). Participants must bring their props to the final, as organizers do not store participants' props. The maximum baggage size according to the airline must be checked — the organizer does not cover extra fees for excess luggage.

6. Prohibited elements:

Dangerous items: knives, firearms, flammable substances, fireworks.
Products that could dirty the stage: the organizer will inform about their permissibility.
Purchased costumes: third-party assistance is allowed only in a limited scope.
Dangerous stunts: the organizer is not responsible for accidents.
Offensive content: must be censored (e.g., with sound effects).

7. Participants agree to the use of their image in photo, video, and audio materials. The organizer has the right to use the recorded materials for the promotion of the competition without additional payment to the participants.

VI. Awards

1. In the Cosplay Debut competition, one award will be given to the best debutant. In the Standard Cosplay competition, three awards will be given: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, along with a special award for the best performance. The jury has the right to give additional awards at its discretion. In the E2C 2025 eliminations, one winning soloist will be awarded, while in the GICOF Championship 2025 and ACWS 2025 eliminations, one winning team will be chosen. The organizers reserve the right to grant more than one award (except for eliminations to international competitions) and to cancel any award.

2. In the Standard Cosplay category, the jury will examine participants' costumes and award prizes based on: the level of detail in replicating the original design, technical difficulty of the cosplay, and additional elements used to resemble the character (e.g., makeup, characterization, wig styling). An additional criterion is the evaluation of the stage presentation and how well participants embody their characters during the performance. When awarding the prize for the best performance, participants are judged only during their stage performance, and the most important criteria are acting skills and the script, although the visual aspect (costume appearance and possible decorations) also plays a role.

In the Cosplay Debut competition, the evaluation is holistic and considers both the costume craftsmanship and the participant's behavior on stage.

In the GICOF Championship 2025 eliminations, the costume evaluation (reference accuracy and technical execution) constitutes 50% of the total score, while the performance evaluation also counts for 50%. Participants can earn an additional 10% for good audience engagement (eye contact, audience reactions to the performance, etc.).

In the E2C 2025 eliminations, the costume evaluation (reference accuracy and construction: variety and complexity of techniques used, quality of execution, material selection, mobility) accounts for 50% of the total score, while the performance evaluation (script and execution, acting, audio or video quality, reference accuracy) also contributes 50%.

In the AWCS 2025 eliminations, the evaluation is composed of 30% costume evaluation and 70% performance evaluation:

Costume (30%)

15% Skill and technique – quality of execution and variety of techniques used.

10% Accuracy and fit – similarity to reference, adaptation to the wearer.

5% Material choice – selection of materials suited to the character.

Performance (70%)

20% Originality – innovation of the idea.

15% Acting and role-playing – accuracy to the source, performance quality, and lip-sync synchronization.

10% Scenography and props – creativity in using the stage and props.

10% Audio and video quality – clarity of sound and video alignment with the performance.

10% Clarity and rewatchability – whether the performance is understandable for viewers unfamiliar with the source material and if it’s worth watching again.

5% "Wow" factor and audience reaction – emotional impact on the audience.

3. Awards given in the competition cannot be exchanged for others.

4. The jury's decisions are final, transparent, and cannot be contested.

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

VII. Additional Participant Declarations

1. By applying to participate in the competition, the participant declares that:

The presented costume was made by them using available materials.
The presented scene and accompanying audio/video materials do not violate the rights of others, including personal, material, and copyright rights.
All information provided in the registration form is true.

2. The participant agrees to the presentation of their images and videos by the organizers and their representatives during photo sessions, video recordings, stage performances, and beyond—photos and recordings in any form chosen by the organizers, including print, digital media, and on the Internet. They also agree to the reproduction and distribution of such materials by any technique and in any quantity. These photos and recordings are the sole property of the organizers, with the exception of specific rights held by their creators.

3. The participant may demand that the public dissemination of images or recordings containing their likeness be stopped, but only if these images or recordings seriously harm their personal dignity.

4. The participant agrees to the processing and storage of their personal data provided in the registration forms for purposes related to the competition, the awarding and distribution of prizes, and the creation of statistics related to the competition. The data administrator is MiOhi Marta Oleksy, the organizer of the Magnificon Expo 2025 event.

VIII. Final provisions

1. Organizers' decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

2. Completing and submitting the registration form to participate in Cosplay at the Magnificon Expo 2024 convention is equivalent to declaring familiarity with the contents of this regulation and full acceptance thereof.

3. Organizers reserve the right to make any changes to this regulation without prior notification to participants. The most current version of this regulation is available at https://magnificonexpo.com.