• Saturday, May 25, 2024
• Final schedule and Contest Locations to be announced May 1, 2024

COMBO BREAKER’s annual cosplay contest celebrates fighting games by highlighting the costuming skills of artisans in the fighting game community! Costumes eligible for judging and contest awards MUST be featured in one of the CB2024 tournament games. Guest characters from tournament games can also be entered, but they MUST be in their costume as it appears in the fighting game they are featured in to be eligible. 

Contest entrants will need to provide art references of their character. References should be official art or screenshots of their selected character from the game they are featured in. Please find a complete list of tournament games please visit our tournaments page.

CB2024’s Cosplay Contest is a free-to-enter competition (no tournament fee). Pre-judging will be available in a publicly accessible area within the badged CB2024 event spaces. You will need a weekend or day pass to reach the pre-judging area. Seating and water will be available!

Cosplay assistants, handlers, and mobility aids are welcome and will not be a factor in judging.

Contestants are encouraged to bring in-progress photos for their cosplay! Presented cosplays must be at least 75% handmade to be eligible for an award. Contestants will have their cosplays reviewed on the following criteria:

• Craftsmanship: The stitching, fabric selection, form, fit, and construction of your costume. This category includes prop-making in our contest.
• Accuracy: How well your costume represents your character and the official art references provided 
• Originality: Is your costume unique? Did it require inventive crafting to realize?
• Sizing: Costumes must allow for the wearer to move freely within the convention space and access the 2nd floor judging area by escalator, stairs, or elevator. The wearer may use mobility aids or handlers 
• Weaponry Rule: Only blunted, foam, plastic, or otherwise non-lethal weaponry will be allowed as part of COMBO BREAKER’s Cosplay Contest. Any and all gun props will be required to have an orange covered tip on the barrel, triggers should be rendered unmovable, and should be unable to fire projectiles. Any weapons violating this rule may not be allowed in the convention spaces. Any weapons allowed in the convention spaces will all be at the discretion of COMBO BREAKER staff and security. Please note that weaponry adhering to these rules may still be deemed inappropriate for convention display at the event’s discretion
• Large metal props are not allowed
• Non-cosplay masks worn for health and safety will not impact judging

CB2024’s contest is open to cosplayers of all skill levels, but our finalists will need to display great skill and a love of fighting game characters to win our awards!

All costumes will be judged singularly, with no additional favor shown to group costumery. CB2024 Cosplay Contest judges will prioritize construction over showmanship. Please note that the above rules are subject to change prior to show weekend. They can become more lax at our judges discretion, but they will never become more strict. Any rule changes will be posted here and announced on CB social channels.

Schaumburg Convention Center Exploration Foyer Alcove and adjoining photo areas will host pre-juding.

Cosplay Contest Finals will take place on Main Stage. Expected showcase time is 7:15 PM CT. Registration details for pre-judging will be announced soon!

An event photographer and backdrop will be available during pre-judging to ensure that all participants receive a keepsake photo as part of their participation in the contest. Photos will be posted post-event in a gallery linked on combobreaker.org.

Contestants will win Top 8 medals, their listed share of cash prizing, and COMBO BREAKER merchandise packages

• 1st Place / Best In Show
  Costume is at-least 75% hand-crafted, with minimal purchased props or embellishments
  Prize: $750 and a COMBO BREAKER medal and merch package 
• 2nd Place / Runner-Up
  Costume is at-least 75% hand-crafted
  Prize: $500, a COMBO BREAKER medal, and merch package
• 3rd Place / Notable Cosplay
  Costume is at-least 75% hand-crafted
  Prize: $250, a COMBO BREAKER medal, and merch package
• 4th Place / Notable Cosplay
  Costume is at-least 75% hand-crafted
  Prize: $125, a COMBO BREAKER medal, and merch package

JUDGES AWARDS
Each judge will also be awarding a merch package to acknowledge their individual appreciation of one contestant’s cosplay.

GUEST JUDGES to be announced soon!