The Cosplay Contest is back and better than ever for Evo 2024! If you’re interested in entering this year’s competition, or if you just want to learn more and find out where to watch the finalists show off their costumes on the cosplay stage, this article is for you.

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Here is everything you need to know about this year’s cosplay contest.

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How to Enter

As long as you have an Evo 2024 Event Badge, you are eligible to sign up for this year’s cosplay contest. Keep in mind that in order to qualify for the finals and appear on the cosplay stage, you will need to be able to meet at the cosplay area inside the venue at 5pm PT on Day 2.

If your cosplay is finished and ready to submit before the event, you can enter the cosplay contest using our official pre-judging form. There, you can submit photos of your cosplay and answer a few questions about the construction process, and our panel of judges will look through all the submissions when they decide on the contest’s finalists.

If your cosplay won’t be completed in advance, or you would prefer to sign up for the contest in person, you can show up to the cosplay contest area by the photo booth during our designated judging windows to enter. Cosplay contest judging times are as follows:

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Friday, July 19: 1:00PM PT to 3:00PM PT and 5:00PM PT to 7:00PM PT.

Saturday, July 20: 12:00PM PT to 3:00PM PT.

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Please note that you can only submit one entry to the cosplay contest. If you enter using the pre-judging form, our judges will reach out to you using the info you provide if you’re selected as a potential finalist. They will then arrange to review your cosplay in person.

Click here for the Evo 2024 Cosplay Contest pre-judging form

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Rules

  • Characters must appear in a fighting game to be eligible for the competition. If your character appears in a fighting game but has different costumes from their other appearances, be sure to use a version of their costume as it appears in a fighting game for your submission. Please be prepared to show a reference image of your character to the judges if requested.
  • NEW RULE: Cosplays must be at least 75% handmade to be eligible. While we encourage everyone who is interested to participate in cosplay at Evo, our judges will be considering the design and construction process when judging, so you are required to have created the majority of your costume in order to qualify as a finalist. You should be prepared to answer questions about your cosplay and creation process, and progress photos are highly encouraged!
  • Costumes will be judged individually. Partner and group submissions will not be accepted.
  • Masks for health and safety, mobility aids, and cosplay handlers/assistants are all permitted and will not affect judging.
  • Cosplay is about creativity and passion. We encourage everyone to cosplay whichever fighting game characters they wish, regardless of size, gender, age, religion, or ethnic background. We simply ask that you follow the event guidelines and keep in mind that Evo 2024 is a family-friendly event.
  • Costumes worn on the convention floor must not obstruct or impede the flow of traffic or entryways. If the costume cannot fit through a standard doorway, it may not be allowed during general convention hours.

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Judging 

Our judges will select eight finalists from the pool of submissions to the pre-judging form and in-person entries. These finalists will get the chance to showcase their cosplays on the Evo 2024 cosplay stage and answer questions from the judges to help determine the final rankings. Participants will be judged on a variety of criteria, including accuracy, creativity, craftsmanship, and characterization.

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Here are our judges for the Evo 2024 Cosplay Contest:

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@VampyBitMe 

Vampy is a cosplayer residing in Los Angeles, California. She has been part of the cosplay community for over two decades and loves spreading positivity in cosplay and crafting. She believes anyone can express themselves through the love of creativity and their passions! She can’t wait to see all the amazing cosplays at this year's Evo 2024 Las Vegas!

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‍@Kaori_Kaotan 

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Kaori Horiuchi is a former member of a Japanese idol group, now an MC and Twitch streamer. She was in her group for 12 years and has been working as an MC for 9 years. She is an avid gamer, anime, and pop culture enthusiast. Kaori has also helped host and judge the cosplay contest for Evo Japan 2023 and 2024.

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‍@HelloCuteLife

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Hello Cute Life is a veteran cosplayer of 24 years with a degree in fashion design and extensive experience in cosplay/plush commission work. She has created and modeled costumes for game companies and events, and she has been one of Combo Breaker’s cosplay contest judges for 4 years running. In addition to her love of cosplay and games, Hello Cute Life is also an avid animal rescuer who faithfully cares for the many feathered residents of her bird rescue, Hello Cute Duck.

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‍Prizing

The winner (1) of the Evo 2024 Cosplay Contest will receive flights and accommodations to attend a future Evo event of their choice. All eight contestants who qualify to showcase their cosplays on stage will receive Evo finalist medals.

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As a general note, we would like to remind all Evo attendees to be respectful towards cosplayers at the event and help us create a welcoming environment for everyone. Cosplay is NOT consent, and it does not give you permission to harass, sexualize, or ridicule other people. Please be kind and ask for permission before taking photos.

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Evo 2024 Event Badges will be available up to the weekend of the event, but the deadline for player registration is June 24th at 11:59 PM PT if you’re planning to enter tournaments for any of the featured games this year. You can learn more about the event, purchase your Evo 2024 Event Badge, and register for tournaments by visiting the Evo website.

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If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at support@evo.gg or send a message to our Evo Support account. We can’t wait to see all the amazing fighting game cosplayers at Evo 2024 this July 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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