CONTEST RULES

I. General informaion

1. The Cosplay Contest is intended for individuals who create their own costumes, dress up in them, and perform as characters of their choice. Participants may portray characters from manga, anime, games, movies, comics, as well as members of music bands or historical figures.

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

3. The Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Expo Winter 2025 will be divided into two independent parts: Standard Cosplay (with an additional category for debuting participants) and the preliminary rounds for international competitions — World Cosplay Summit 2026 (WCS 2026), Cosplay Central Crown Championships 2026 (CCCC 2026), Cosplay World Masters (CWM 2026), and Cosplay Champions Cup (CCC 2026). A single participant may take part in only one part of the Contest.

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II. Submission of participation in the contest

1. Any attendee of Magnificon Winter Expo 2025 may take part in the Cosplay Contest, provided they complete and submit the appropriate registration form available on the event website no later than November 12, 2025, at 11:59 PM. To appear as a guest in the Standard Cosplay section while opting out of costume evaluation and the chance to compete for the Best Costume award, the participant must select “No” in the “Costume Evaluation” section. By default, all registered performances are considered for the Best Performance award. To withdraw from this category, the participant must add a comment such as “presentation not judged” in the “Notes for the Jury” section of the registration form. In group performances, either all members are evaluated or none are — it is not possible to assess only a subset of the group.
    

   • 1a. Participants entering the international contest preliminaries must meet additional requirements outlined in Sections IV, V, and VI of these Rules.

   • 1b. Only individuals who have taken part in stage cosplay competitions no more than twice before are eligible for the “Cosplay Debut” distinction. Participants who have previously won any cosplay competition are not eligible for the Debut category. Those marked as debutants will still be considered for the main award. A participant applying for the Debut category declares that they are entitled to do so. If a participant conceals information about a previous win or exceeds the allowed number of performances, they will be disqualified from this and the next cosplay contest.

2. Each person participating in the Cosplay Contest, even as a guest, must submit their own registration form. The only exceptions are individuals who assist with the performance without playing any character or who appear as extras — such people should not be counted toward the group’s total number. Group or proxy submissions are invalid. If a costume is worn by more than one person, each must submit their own copy of the registration form.

3. In the Best Costume category within Standard Cosplay, only costumes made by the participant and not yet debuted on stage are eligible. The Best Performance distinction within Standard Cosplay can be awarded for already presented or purchased costumes, provided that at least one cosplay in the group is a stage premiere.

4. In the international preliminaries, participants may enter with a self-made cosplay, either new or previously presented, as long as less than one year has passed since its stage debut and it has not been judged in any international finals nor won any international preliminary round (cosplays that entered but did not win are allowed). Only stage contests with national elimination systems are considered; participation in online, photo, or single open conventions with international attendees (e.g., a regular cosplay contest at Japan Expo or Gamescom) does not disqualify the costume.

5. Registration forms must include a link to 2–6 image files showing the character portrayed by the participant, along with important elements of the costume and accessories (this number does not apply to designs based on one-off artworks). The images should be at least 400 pixels on the shorter side and no more than 2000 pixels on the longer side. Compression should not introduce visible artifacts — this ensures accurate costume evaluation. Submitting reference images with the application is mandatory. Participants may also indicate which image should appear on the screen during their stage presentation.

6. Including photos showing costume progress (so-called “work-in-progress” or “progress” photos) is required if the participant will undergo costume judging during the jury round. Participants may also bring these photos as supplementary materials to the jury session, either as prints or as files on their own display device.

7. Each participant must attach an audio track or video file to be played during their performance. All elements of the performance soundtrack must be included within that single file. Microphones will not be provided on-site!

8. Within three days of receiving a registration, the organizers may return it to the author for correction or completion, clearly indicating the points requiring changes. These corrections must be implemented no later than seven days before the performance.

9. Failure to provide complete registration forms by the specified deadline will result in disqualification from the Cosplay Contest.

10. In case of excessive registration numbers, a selection process may be necessary. Confirmations of participation in the Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Winter Expo 2025 will be sent within three days after registration closes. If the number of applicants exceeds capacity, organizers will select participants according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

    • Preference will be given to handmade costumes over purchased ones (where applicable).

    • Incomplete or erroneous applications will be rejected.

    • The degree of costume completion will be evaluated based on submitted progress photos.

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

11. Any changes to an accepted application (e.g., soundtrack, announcement, lighting setup, screen visuals, etc.) must be reported to the organizers no later than Sunday, November 19, 2025.

12. A Cosplay Contest participant must inform the organizers as soon as possible if they need to withdraw from their performance. In group performances, replacements (another cosplayer performing the registered character) or changes to the audiovisual setup are allowed up to five days before the performance.

13. After the registration deadline, it will no longer be possible to add new characters to the application or change the registered costume to a different one.

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III. Course of the stage section

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

2. Participants of the Cosplay Contest will have the opportunity to rehearse their performances on stage during an optional practice session. During Magnificon Winter EXPO 2025, the stage will be made available for this purpose on Saturday morning.

3. The stage portion of the Cosplay Contest at Magnificon Expo Winter 2025 will be divided into two blocks, with a one-hour break between them for other attractions. The Standard Cosplay block is planned to take place first, on Saturday afternoon. The second block, featuring the eliminations for WCS 2026, CCCC 2026, CCC 2026, and CWM 2026, will be held on Saturday evening. The total duration of each block may not exceed two hours. The above schedule is preliminary and may change depending on the number of applications in each category: if there are few participants, the blocks may be combined, while in the case of an insufficient number of entries for a given part of the contest, that segment may be canceled.

4. All participants (except those appearing as guests) are required to take part in a jury round before the stage portion, during which their costumes will be carefully inspected and evaluated by a panel of judges selected by the organizers.

5. Each participant performs after being announced by the emcee. In the Standard Cosplay contest, solo performances should last between 30 seconds and 2 minutes, while group performances should last between 1 and 4 minutes. Time limits for the international preliminaries are specified in Sections IV–VII of these rules.

6. Each participant must behave respectfully toward other convention attendees and the organizers. Particular attention will be paid 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 attendees or significantly deviates from commonly accepted moral standards. In particular, performances containing graphic scenes of violence, torture, or suicide; promoting drug or alcohol use; displaying excessive sexual content; or involving vulgarity and hate speech (toward ethnic groups, sexual minorities, or skin color) in the behavior of performers or accompanying audio/video materials will not be tolerated.

7. The use of sharp weapons or firearms (excluding ASG replicas, which must not contain magazines on stage), open flames, and any liquids or loose materials (such as confetti, sand, etc.) that could dirty the stage is strictly prohibited. Using generative AI in terms of audio and video footage is strictly prohibited. It is also forbidden to attach decorations or props to the stage structure or to tables and chairs provided by the organizers using glue or any other permanent method that could damage surfaces. Participants are encouraged to inform the organizers in advance if they plan to use special effects not covered by these rules.

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

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IV. World Cosplay Summit 2026 

1. At Magnificon Expo Winter 2025, as part of the Cosplay Contest, there will be preliminary rounds for the international competition World Cosplay Summit 2026 (hereinafter referred to as WCS). The purpose of these Preliminaries is to select a two-person team that will represent Poland in the WCS 2026 finals in Nagoya, Japan.

2. Any individual who holds Polish citizenship, registers for the Cosplay Contest in the category “World Cosplay Summit 2026 Preliminaries,” and turns 18 by July 27, 2026, may participate in the WCS 2026 Preliminaries. Foreigners who have the right of permanent residence in Poland and have lived in Poland for at least three years may also participate, regardless of whether their home country has its own preliminaries. However, in that case, they may not apply for WCS preliminaries in any other country that year. Cosplayers who have previously competed in the WCS finals as representatives of another country may only participate in the Polish preliminaries after at least five years have passed since that final.

3. Individuals directly involved in organizing Magnificon Expo or the World Cosplay Summit in 2024 or 2025 are not eligible to participate in the Preliminaries.

4. Participants may portray characters originating from anime, manga, video/computer games, or tokusatsu. The source material must have been published by a Japanese company or under a license granted by one. Characters originally created outside Japan, even if later featured in a Japanese production (e.g., from Disney or Star Wars), are not eligible. Both team members’ cosplays must originate from the same source.

5. All cosplays used during the performance (more than one per participant is allowed) and all elements necessary to represent the characters are subject to evaluation. Decorations and auxiliary props used during the presentation but not part of the characters’ costumes will not be judged during the jury round.

6. The cosplay submitted for the Preliminaries must be at least 75% made by the team members. Elements in which participants’ contribution is less than 75% will not be considered in the evaluation. Automated production methods such as 3D printing or machine embroidery are permitted; however, only the stages personally completed by participants will be scored. These stages may include preparing digital models and print materials, assembling printed parts, and finishing work such as painting or weathering. Each process completed by participants must be properly documented (with a digital signature and/or screenshots). Purchased model files or pre-printed objects may be used, but such elements will not be judged unless modified by at least 50%. Participants must also disclose the source of any purchased model or object.

7. The stage presentation submitted for the Preliminaries may not exceed 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Exceeding this limit by less than 10 seconds will result in a 10% penalty on the performance score, while exceeding it by more than 10 seconds will result in a 25% penalty. Stage setup and cleanup must take no longer than 40 seconds in total.

8. During the WCS Preliminaries performance, only the team members themselves may be on stage. Including other participants, whether in costume or not, is prohibited. All decorations must be self-standing, and props must be operated solely by the team members (no third-party or remote assistance). These rules apply to the duration of the performance itself — convention staff may assist with setup and teardown. Additionally, any devices used during the performance must be powered entirely by built-in batteries and not require external power connections.

9. The stage scenery may consist of up to three pieces, each with maximum dimensions of 210 cm x 210 cm x 90 cm (depth) and a maximum weight of 10 kg. Exceeding these limits will result in a penalty of 1 point for each excess centimeter in any dimension. If the total excess exceeds 10 cm, the team will receive 0 costume points. For weight violations, the penalty is 5 points for every 0.5 kg over the limit (starting with 5 points for 10.1–10.5 kg). A decoration weighing more than 15 kg results in 0 costume points.

10. The total combined weight of all costumes and props used on stage must not exceed 40 kg per team (not including the stage decorations mentioned above). The penalties are 5 points per kilogram for exceeding 40–41 kg, and 10 points per each additional kilogram. If the excess exceeds 10 kg, the team receives 0 costume points.

11. Music and other sound effects used during the performance may be composed by the participants, royalty-free, or recorded by them performing a piece whose rights belong to someone else.

12. Participants may use a video recording in their performance (audio parameters: stereo, at least 192 kbps; video parameters: 1920×1080 pixels, 1080p, 16:9 aspect ratio; preferred format: MP4; image and sound combined into one file). The video quality itself is not judged.

13. The video file may not include official WCS graphics, logos, or other trademarked materials — either as static images or animations. Such marks must also not appear on any physical object used on stage.

14. The use of copyrighted music, voice recordings from existing works, or copied/traced imagery or scenes from such works is strictly prohibited. Acceptable methods of creating background videos include live-action recordings by the participants, photography, hand-drawn or digital art, or miniature models.

15. Spoken lines in the audio track may be recorded in the participants’ native language. In such cases, participants must provide English subtitles (not hardcoded into the video file). Performances featuring poorly pronounced or “broken” Japanese dubbing will not be accepted.

16. During the Cosplay Contest, among those who entered the Preliminaries, the jury will select the winner based on detailed costume inspection and stage performance observation. Costume evaluation and performance evaluation each account for 50% of the total score.

17. Costume evaluation (jury round) will take place before the stage performance and will include: a five-minute presentation by the team explaining costume construction (in English, optionally illustrated with photos or videos), a three-minute close inspection of the cosplays, and two minutes for jury questions — totaling 10 minutes per team.

18. Detailed Evaluation Criteria:

• Accuracy to the Original (40 pts / 200)

  Comparison of the cosplays with the source material. Elements added by participants that are not visible in the original (e.g., shoes, or unseen back views) or colors (if the source is a black-and-white manga) will not be considered errors, provided that the additions are consistent with the character’s personality and the overall tone of the original. Characteristics of the cosplayers themselves, such as height or gender, will not be taken into account.

• Overall Costume Quality (40 pts / 200)

  Evaluation of the proportions of the cosplay, its fit to the participant’s body shape, neatness, and quality of finishing.

• Techniques Used (20 pts / 200)

  Assessment of the team’s skill in applying various technical solutions in the construction of their cosplays. Quality will be valued over quantity — mastering a few techniques to perfection will score higher than demonstrating many skills at a basic level.

• Stage Presentation (50 pts / 200)

  General evaluation of the on-stage performance, including the concept, effectiveness in conveying the story to the audience, use of props and decorations, consistency with the source material, and overall entertainment value.

• Acting and Other Stage Skills (20 pts / 200)

  Assessment of the participants’ acting and any additional skills demonstrated (e.g., dance). The judges will also take into account the degree of preparation for the performance and the quality of spoken lines.

• Stage Presence of Costumes (20 pts / 200)

  Evaluation of the visual impact of the cosplays on stage, including any transformations or changes in appearance during the performance.

• X Factor (10 pts / 200)

  Points awarded to performances that exceeded the jury’s expectations — those that were particularly moving, funny, exciting, or introduced fresh, creative ideas not previously seen in cosplay presentations.

1. Each participant in the Preliminaries also declares their willingness to travel to Japan for the WCS finals between July 28 and August 4, 2026, confirms that they possess the necessary legal documents to do so, and that there are no known reasons preventing such travel.

2. The winners of the Preliminaries will receive the Grand Prix award and the right to represent Poland in the WCS 2026 finals in Nagoya. The final organizer will cover accommodation costs, while MiOhi will cover travel expenses (economy-class flight).

3. The jury reserves the right to select one reserve team in case the winning team is unable to participate in the WCS 2026 finals for any reason.​

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V. Cosplay World Masters 2026 ​

1. At Magnificon Expo Winter 2025, as part of the Cosplay Contest, there will be preliminary rounds for the international competition Cosplay World Masters 2026 (hereinafter referred to as CWM). The purpose of these Preliminaries is to select one representative of Poland for the CWM 2026 finals in Santarém, Portugal.

2. Any individual who holds Polish citizenship or has the right of permanent residence in Poland and has lived in Poland for at least three years may participate in the CWM 2026 Preliminaries, provided they register for the Cosplay Contest in the category “Cosplay World Masters 2026 Preliminaries” and are at least 16 years old at the time of submission (no later than November 12, 2025). Participants under the age of 18 must provide written consent from their parents or legal guardians to take part in the competition.

3. Cosplay World Masters is a solo competition. The costume submitted for the Preliminaries must be at least 70% made by the participant. Accessories such as wigs, shoes, glasses, etc., may be purchased; however, any modifications must be made by the participant. Stage decorations, which are not subject to jury evaluation, do not have to be made by the contestant.

4. The costume submitted for the CWM Preliminaries must be a recreation of an outfit appearing in any source material such as animated films, manga/comics, video or computer games, or similar works published either domestically or abroad under a commercial license. The source material does not have to originate from Japan. Costumes based on fanart or original works published without a commercial license (e.g., only on websites like DeviantArt) are not eligible.

5. The stage set may consist of up to three pieces and must fit entirely within a space measuring 2.5 m (height) x 2 m x 2 m. It is forbidden to attach any decorations to the stage structure or to tables and chairs provided by the organizers.

6. Individuals directly involved in organizing Magnificon Expo or the CWM 2026 finals and Iberanime may not participate in the Preliminaries.

7. Each participant in the Preliminaries also declares their willingness to travel to Portugal for the CWM finals in May 2026 (exact dates TBC), confirms that they possess the necessary legal documentation to do so, and that there are no known reasons preventing such travel.

8. During the Cosplay Contest, among those who entered the Preliminaries, the jury will select the winner based on detailed costume inspection and stage performance evaluation. The scoring breakdown is as follows: Cosplay accuracy to the source material – 30% Technical execution – 30% (neatness, level of difficulty, number of details, materials, and techniques used) Stage presentation – 40% (acting interpretation of the character, overall quality of the performance, and faithfulness to the source material).

9. In the event of a tie, the participant with the higher stage presentation score will rank higher. If those scores are also identical, the costume construction score will determine the ranking. If all components are equal, the winner will be selected by the organizer of the Preliminaries.

10. During the stage presentation submitted for the CWM Preliminaries, only the participant may be present on stage. Including other individuals, whether in costume or not, is prohibited. All decorations must be self-standing, and props must be handled solely by the participant without assistance from third parties (including remote operation). These rules apply only to the performance itself — convention staff may assist with setup and teardown before and after the performance.

11. The stage presentation submitted for the Preliminaries may not exceed two minutes. Stage setup and cleanup must take no longer than 30 seconds. Exceeding these limits will result in a 0.5-point deduction from the presentation score for every additional 30 seconds of delay.

12. The winner of the Preliminaries will receive the Grand Prix award and the right to represent Poland in the CWM 2026 finals in Santarém. Accommodation costs will be covered by the final’s organizer. Travel expenses (flight with one checked bag) will be covered by MiOhi.

13. The jury reserves the right to select one reserve participant in case the winner is unable to attend the CWM 2026 finals for any reason.

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VI. Cosplay Central Crown Championships 2026 ​

1. At Magnificon Expo 2025, as part of the Cosplay Contest, preliminary rounds will be held for the international competition Cosplay Central Crown Championships 2026 (hereinafter referred to as Crown Championships). The purpose of these Preliminaries is to select one representative of Poland for the Crown Championships 2026 finals in London.

2. Any individual who holds Polish citizenship, registers for the Cosplay Contest in the category “Cosplay Central Crown Championships 2026 Preliminaries,” and turns 18 by May 15, 2026, may participate in the Preliminaries.

   • 2a. Foreigners who have the right of residence in Poland and have lived in the country for at least three years may also participate, regardless of whether their home country holds its own qualifying rounds. However, they may not participate in Crown Championships Preliminaries in any other country that same year.

   • ​2b. Individuals who have already taken part in Crown Championships 2026 Preliminaries in another country are not eligible to compete in the Magnificon Expo eliminations.

3. Individuals who, within 12 months prior to the Crown Championships Preliminaries, have been involved in organizing Magnificon Expo, events hosted by ReedPop, or any partner events of the tournament, are not eligible to participate.

4. Crown Championships is a solo competition. The costume submitted for the Preliminaries must be entirely made by the participant. Exceptions include accessories such as wigs, shoes, glasses, etc., which may be purchased, but any modifications must be made by the participant. The use of custom-made commissioned accessories is strictly prohibited. Assistance from third parties in planning the costume construction process is permitted, but the actual making of the costume must be carried out by the participant (supervised work is allowed).

5. The costume entered in the Crown Championships 2026 Preliminaries must be either:

   • a) A recreation of a costume appearing in any source material such as a film, TV series, comic, animation (Asian or Western), computer/console game, or stage performance (theatre play, musical — however, stage stylizations of musicians are not accepted), published either domestically or abroad under a commercial license. Derivative works are also accepted if they are created by a recognized artist, were not commissioned by the participant, and have been publicly available for at least one year before the Preliminaries. Cosplays cannot be based on fanart or original creations published without a commercial license (e.g., exclusively on platforms like DeviantArt).

   • or b) Based on an original design that is a variation of a recognizable character from one of the sources listed in point (a). Modifications of a specific character (as long as they remain recognizable) as well as mash-ups and crossovers are allowed.

6. The size of the costume may not exceed 2.5 meters in any dimension. The costume must allow safe movement during the performance as well as safe entry and exit from the stage.

7. During the Cosplay Contest, from among those who entered the Preliminaries, the jury will select the winner based on detailed costume inspection. The evaluation breakdown is as follows: Accuracy to the source material or assessment of original design – 20% Technical execution / construction – 70% Degree of difficulty and complexity – 10%

8. The stage performance itself is not judged in the Crown Championships. However, each participant must present their cosplay on stage for two purposes: to allow the jury to observe how the costume behaves in motion, and to showcase it to the audience. Since the performance is not evaluated, it may (but does not have to) be limited to posing.

9. Each participant in the Preliminaries also declares their willingness to travel to the Crown Championships finals in England in May 2026 (exact dates TBC), confirms that they possess the necessary legal documentation, and that there are no known reasons preventing such travel.

10. The winner of the Preliminaries will earn the right to represent Poland in the Crown Championships 2026 finals in London. Accommodation costs will be covered by the finals organizer for two nights (Friday and Saturday). Travel expenses will be covered by MiOhi.

11. The jury reserves the right to select one reserve participant in case the winner cannot participate in the Crown Championships 2026 finals for any reason.

12. The finalist is expected to perform in the same cosplay as in the Preliminaries. A costume change may only be made with the consent of the finals organizer.

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VII. Cosplay Champions Cup 2026

1. At Magnificon Expo 2025, as part of the Cosplay Contest, preliminary rounds will be held for the international competition Cosplay Champions Cup 2026 (hereinafter referred to as CCC). The purpose of these Preliminaries is to select one representative of Poland for the Cosplay Champions Cup 2026 finals in Budapest.

2. Any individual who holds Polish citizenship or has the right of permanent residence in Poland and has lived in Poland for at least two years may participate in the Cosplay Champions Cup 2026 Preliminaries, provided they register for the Cosplay Contest in the category “Cosplay Champions Cup 2026 Preliminaries” and turn 18 by April 10, 2026.

3. Individuals directly involved in organizing Magnificon Expo, the Cosplay Champions Cup 2026 finals, or any partner events of the current tournament cycle are not eligible to participate in the Preliminaries.

4. Cosplay Champions Cup is a solo competition. The costume submitted for the Preliminaries must be made by the participant. Accessories such as wigs, shoes, glasses, etc., may be purchased, but any modifications must be done by the participant. The participant must disclose if any assistance was received from others in the creation process.

5. The costume submitted for the Cosplay Champions Cup Preliminaries must be a recreation of an outfit appearing in any source material such as animated films, manga/comics, video or computer games, or similar works published either domestically or abroad under a commercial license. The source material does not have to originate from Japan. Costumes based on fanart or original works published without a commercial license (e.g., only on platforms like DeviantArt) are not eligible.

6. During the Cosplay Contest, from among those who entered the Preliminaries, the jury will select the winner based on detailed costume inspection and stage performance observation. 
   The evaluation criteria are as follows:

   • Stage presentation: 20% of the total score

   • Accuracy to the source material: 20% of the total score

   • Technical execution: 60% of the total score — with special emphasis on large props. If the chosen character includes such props, they account for 20% of the technical score, while the remaining 40% applies to the rest of the costume.

7. During the stage presentation submitted for the CCC Preliminaries, only the participant may appear on stage. Including other individuals, whether in costume or not, is prohibited. All decorations must be self-standing, and props must be handled solely by the participant without assistance from third parties (including remote operation). These rules apply only to the duration of the performance — convention staff may assist with setup and cleanup before and after the performance.

8. The stage presentation submitted for the Preliminaries must last no less than two and no more than three minutes.

9. Each participant in the Preliminaries also declares their willingness to travel to Hungary for the Cosplay Champions Cup finals in April 2026 (exact dates TBA), confirms that they possess the necessary legal documentation, and that there are no known reasons preventing such travel.

10. The winner of the Preliminaries will receive the Grand Prix award and the right to represent Poland in the Cosplay Champions Cup 2026 finals in Budapest. The prize includes coverage of travel expenses to the finals and accommodation for the duration of the event.

11. The jury reserves the right to select one reserve participant in case the winner cannot participate in the Cosplay Champions Cup 2026 finals for any reason.

12. The finalist is expected to perform in the same cosplay as in the Preliminaries. However, enhancing the costume with additional elements is encouraged.

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VIII. Awards

1. In the Standard Cosplay block, three main prizes will be awarded: for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as well as special distinctions for Best Performance and Best Debutant (a participant who, by the time of the Magnificon Winter EXPO 2025 contest, has taken part in two or fewer stage competitions). The jury reserves the right to grant additional distinctions at its discretion. In the CWM 2026, CCC 2026, and CCCC 2026 Preliminaries, one solo winner will be awarded, while in the WCS 2026 Preliminaries, one winning team will be selected. The organizers reserve the right to grant more than one prize (this does not apply to international preliminaries) or to withhold any of the awards.

2. In the Standard Cosplay main category, the jury will inspect the participants’ costumes and grant awards based on: the level of accuracy and detail in recreating the original design, the technical difficulty of the cosplay, and additional means used to resemble the character (e.g., makeup, prosthetics, wig styling). 
   An additional criterion is the quality of the stage presentation and the participant’s embodiment of the character during the performance. For the Best Performance distinction, participants are judged solely on their stage performance, where the most important factors are acting skills and the performance script, although visual elements (such as the costume and decorations) also play a supporting role. For the Debutant distinction, the evaluation is comprehensive, taking into account both the craftsmanship of the costume and stage presence.
   
   In the WCS 2026 Preliminaries, costume evaluation (accuracy to references and technical execution) accounts for 50% of the total score, and performance evaluation for 50%.
   
   In the CWM 2026 Preliminaries, costume evaluation (accuracy to references and construction: diversity and difficulty of applied techniques, quality of execution, material selection, mobility) accounts for 60% of the total score, while performance evaluation (performance script and its realization, acting, audio/video quality, and consistency with source material) accounts for 40%.
   
   In the CCCC 2026 Preliminaries, costume evaluation (accuracy to references and construction: diversity and difficulty of applied techniques, quality of execution, material selection, mobility) accounts for 100% of the total score.
   
   In the CCC 2026 Preliminaries, costume evaluation (accuracy to references and construction, including large props such as weapons, armor, etc.) accounts for 80% of the total score, while performance evaluation accounts for 20%.

3. The prizes awarded in the Contest cannot be exchanged for other prizes.

4. The jury’s decisions are public, final, and not subject to appeal.

5. If the winners do not collect their prizes in person, the prizes will be shipped to them after prior electronic or phone arrangement, at the recipient’s expense.

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IX. 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 Expo Winter 2025 event.

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X. Final provisions

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

2. Filling out and submitting the registration form to participate in Cosplay at the Magnificon Expo Winter 2025 is equivalent to declaring that the participant has read the contents of this regulation and fully accepts it.

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.