Cosplay Contests

Craftastic Cosplay Contest

Craftastic Cosplay Contest presented by

Crafting is the most important part of cosplay for many, often weeks and months are spent on the smallest details to get the costume as perfect as possible. Unfortunately, attention to detail is often overlooked, and that’s exactly why we have the right competition for you.

In this competition, only the quality of the costume and the methods of production are judged. Whether sewing, armor building, wig making, etc., here you have the chance to put all your skills to the test! The international jury will crown the best cosplays! This year there are 3 categories: Novice, Journeyman and Master. You can indicate the category you think you belong to when you register, but the jury can change the category selection.

The skills listed below are only examples and provide only a general overview of the category. It is not required to fulfill all examples or to incorporate them into your cosplay. For example, a cosplay can consist solely of sewing and simple crafting. Missing techniques do not necessarily reduce your chances of winning. The category you choose should be based on the skills that most closely match the category’s description. Example:
– 2 Beginner-level skills
– 6 Journeyman-level skills
– 1 Master-level skill
– Selected category: Journeyman
Each application will be reviewed again after submission, and your skill level may be adjusted up or down depending on the information provided in your portfolio. Therefore, please include as many details as possible in your portfolio!

Beginner:
– Needlework:
– Basic sewing skills
– The patterns were purchased and have not been altered, or have been altered only slightly
– Unsure about which fabric to choose
– Crafting:
– Basic knowledge of crafting
– Templates have been purchased and have not been customized, or have been customized only slightly
– Brushstrokes are visible
– Unsure about which material to choose
– Simple electronics were installed
– 3D-printed models were purchased and printed as is
– Very little post-processing required on the printed 3D model (e.g., just glued and painted)
– No finish/rough finish
– Makeup/Wig:
– Basic Wig Styling
– Simple Makeup
– Props:
– Few or no props available
– The props aren’t quite the right scale
– The props may not be fully functional
– Reference to the original:
– The cosplay is a good representation of the source material
– The character is recognizable

Journeyman:
– Needlework:
– Advanced sewing skills
– Some of the sewing patterns were purchased, and some were made by me
– Store-bought patterns were altered to fit their own bodies
– A good feeling when choosing fabrics
– Crafting:
– Advanced knowledge of crafting
– Some of the templates were purchased, and some were made by me
– Purchased templates have been customized
– A good feeling when choosing materials
– Advanced electronics were installed (e.g., simple programs were written by the students themselves)
– Some of the 3D-printed models were purchased, and some were made by us
– Post-processing of the printed 3D model is required (e.g., sanded, no visible seams)
– Purchased models were modified
– Existing finish (e.g., weathering, polish)
– Makeup/Wig:
– Advanced Wig Styling
– Advanced Makeup
– Props:
– The character’s most important props are present
– The props are scaled correctly
– The props are functional
– Reference to the original:
– The cosplay captures the source material very well
– Details are visible
– The character is clearly recognizable

Master:
– Needlework:
– Professional sewing skills
– All patterns are made by me
– No problem choosing fabrics
– Complex sewing techniques are used
– Crafting:
– Professional expertise in crafting
– All templates are custom-made
– No problem selecting materials
– Professional electronics were integrated (e.g., the circuit board was custom-made, complex programs were written in-house)
– 3D-printed models were modeled by the participant
– The finish is clean and detailed
– Makeup/Wig:
– Professional wig styling (possibly a homemade wig (NOT a requirement!))
– Professional makeup
– Props:
– All of the character’s props have been recreated
– The props are scaled correctly
– The props are functional
– Reference to the original:
– The cosplay is a detailed portrayal of the character
– The silhouette and proportions are adapted to the cosplayer’s own body

Prices:

Master:

Journeyman:

Novice:

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Friday, and the prizes will be presented there or handed out afterward at the information booth. Prizes that are not claimed cannot be mailed to the winners after the convention.

Judging:

The points scheme is divided into several categories such as Needlework, Armor Construction, Wig&Makeup, Craftmanship and Propmaking.

Each category is scored equally with 0-10 points. The sum of the points from all categories results in the rating for the first 3 places.

The costumes will be judged in a pre-judging, each participant has 5 minutes to present their costume to the jury. Since the jury speaks English, you should indicate in the registration form if you need help translating. There will be a helper on site to support you in this case.

A stage performance is not necessary or planned. You present your costumes to the audience by going on stage and doing some poses. However, this will not be included in the valuation.

Registration:

Please send us the form below by October 18, 2026.

Important: We need a portfolio in PDF format!
This should include:

  • min. 1 to max. 5 well detailed reference images
  • 20 to a maximum of 45 WIPs (Work In Progress images, i.e., images of your work process)
  • A list of the materials used
  • A rough estimate of your working hours
  • (Brief) description of your work steps as well as your choice of materials (preferably in English)
  • Picture of the 70-80% completed cosplay
  • The portfolio should not exceed 30 pages.
  • A reference image of the character (displayed on stage, max. 5 MB).
  • The portfolio must be in English!

Each participant will be allocated a starting number and a time slot for their pre-judging. Please be there at least 10 minutes before your pre-judging slot to avoid delays.

Preselection:

Due to the limited number of 30 participants, we will make a pre-selection in cooperation with a selected jury. In this case, the pre-selection jury is not the jury for the final competition and only serves to evaluate the individual applications. It is therefore important that your portfolio is as complete as possible.

If you have previously won a category (e.g., Novice Champion), you may only compete in higher categories in the future. This applies to Novice and Journeyman—Master is exempt from this rule, as there is no higher category.
A registration in the same category will automatically be upgraded.

Only the receipt of a starting number and a pre-judging slot entitles you to participate in the competition.

Reasons for exclusion:
  • Costumes that have already placed in other competitions are excluded from participation. The same applies to own creations and OCs. Modifications of characters are only eligible with proper reference, such as Zach Fischer versions of Blizzard characters or Hannah Alexander designs, etc.
  • Furthermore, costumes that are not 80-90% self-made will be disqualified (exceptions are e.g. shoes, the use of a third-party printer for 3D printing, etc.).
  • Also excluded are all persons who have not reached the minimum age of 18 years at the time of pre-selection.
  • If one or more reasons for exclusion/disqualification are only discovered after the event, any ranking will be retroactively revoked by disqualification. By registering for this competition, you agree to return any prizes in such a case.
  • If information is missing, a reminder will be sent out; if the third reminder is not answered within 2 days, the registration will be canceled.

These rules are provisional and may be subject to minor changes.

If you have any other questions about this competition, just send them to us at cosplay@hayuko.at

Each participant must have a valid YuniCon ticket to participate
(the contest is on Friday, October 30, 2026). Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the box office at
(subject to availability).

The Craftastic Cosplay Contest will take place on the stage on Friday!

Good luck with the Craftastic Cosplay Contest at YuniCon!

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