Conditions of participation
gamescom cosplay contest 2026 presented by essence
1. Subject matter
The organizer and contractual partner is Koelnmesse GmbH - hereinafter referred to as the Organizer or Koelnmesse.
These conditions of participation govern the participation of participants in the cosplay contest 2026 of gamescom, a trade fair event of Koelnmesse GmbH, Messeplatz 1, 50679 Cologne.
2. Eligibility to participate
Eligible to participate are natural persons who have reached the age of 18 and are legally competent. The costume submitted as part of the application for the Cosplay Contest must demonstrably comply with the gamescom 2026 Cosplay & Prop Rules (https://media.koelnmesse.io/gamescom/redaktionell/gamescom/downloads/pdf/events/cosplay-village/costume-regulations.pdf) and must have been at least 80% self-made by the applicant. Work created by third parties or purchased costumes are excluded from the competition.
By submitting the application, the participant confirms that their costume meets these requirements. The organizer reserves the right to request appropriate proof and to exclude participants from the competition in the event of any violations.
Employees of Koelnmesse and employees of cooperation partners who are or were commissioned with the creation and/or handling of the gamescom cosplay contes their respective relatives are excluded from the participation in the contest.
Employees of companies exhibiting in the gamescom cosplay village and cosplayers who are paid by exhibiting companies or by Koelnmesse GmbH are also not eligible to participate.
Only personal registrations by the participants themselves are permitted. By submitting the application documents via the online portal (https://cosplaycontest.gamescom.global), applicants accept these terms and conditions of participation.
3. Process of the gamescom cosplay contest
The application phase for the gamescom cosplay contest 2026 begins on Wednesday, 10 June and ends on Monday, 3 August at 11:59 p.m. (CEST). Participation after the application deadline is not permitted. Applications submitted after this period cannot be considered.
The 30 applicants with the highest scores from the jury will be informed on Tuesday, 11 August about their participation in the final show and the preceding pre-judging.
The voting period for the prize category ‘Fan Favorite Online’, in which all 30 finalists automatically participate, begins on Tuesday, 11 August and ends on Friday, 28 August at 11:59 p.m. (CEST).
The pre-judging of the 30 finalists will take place on the day of the final stage show from 11:00 a.m. (CEST) at the premises of Koelnmesse GmbH. A detailed schedule will be sent to the finalists no later than five working days before the pre-judging.
The final stage show will take place on Saturday, 29 August 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (CEST).
Schedule:
| Start application phase | Wed, 10 June 2026 |
| Application deadline | Mon, 3 August 2026, 11:59 p.m. (CEST) |
| Jury pre-selection of finalists | Mon, 10 August 2026, 11:59 p.m. (CEST) |
| Notification of finalists | Tue, 11 August 2026 |
| Start voting phase ‘Fan Favorite Online’ | Mon, 11 August 2026 |
| End voting phase ‚Fan Favorite Online’ | Fri, 28 August 2026, 11:59 p.m. (CEST) |
| Pre-judging | Sat, 29 August, from 11:00 a.m. (CEST) |
| Final / Stage show | Sat, 29 August, from 5:00 p.m. (CEST) |
4. Application
Applications to participate in the gamescom cosplay contest must be submitted exclusively via the official online application tool (https://cosplaycontest.gamescom.global). Applications submitted through other communication channels (e.g. email) or outside the application period cannot be considered.
The application data may be updated and amended at any time during the application period (see above). However, once the data has been submitted, it is considered final and will be used in the submitted form as the basis for the jury’s preliminary selection of the 30 finalists.
5. Determination and notification of winners
5.1 Selection of the finalists
All application documents submitted via the online application tool will be evaluated online by an expert jury until 10 August 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (CEST). The 30 applicants with the highest scores will qualify for the final show on 29 August and will be informed on 11 August via a message sent to the email address provided.
5.2 Pre-judging and stage show
As part of the pre-judging, the costumes of all finalists will be examined in detail by the jury and evaluated based on the following criteria.
Evaluation criteria (not exhaustive):
- Craftsmanship of the costume / props / wig
- Overall complexity of the costume / props / wig
- Use of different techniques
- Use of different materials
- Accuracy in relation to the submitted reference
- Complexity and accuracy of the make-up
- Proportions
- Overall impression
For the final evaluation and determination of the winners, the following criteria will also be taken into account during the final stage show:
- Entertainment value
- Mobility in the cosplay and with the wig
- Use of props and additional accessories
- Clarity and comprehensibility of the performance
- Quality of the media used
- Overall impression
6. Winning categories
As part of the Gamescom cosplay contest, winners will be determined in the following categories:
- Best Costume – 1st Place
- Best Costume – 2nd Place
- Best Costume – 3rd Place
- Best Dress / Needlework
- Best Armor
- Best Make-up / Wig
- Fan Favorite Live
- Fan Favorite Online
6.1 Special categories: Fan Favorite Live and Fan Favorite Online
The winners of the ‘Fan Favorite Live’ and ‘Fan Favorite Online’ categories are the audience awards of the gamescom cosplay contest and are not selected by the expert jury.
Fan Favorite Live:
The winner is determined using a decibel meter during the final show. The finalist with the loudest measured applause wins.
Fan Favorite Online:
The winner is determined prior to the final show through an online vote. The finalist who receives the highest number of votes wins. The voting period runs from 11 August until 29 August 2026 at 00:00 a.m. (midnight).
Participants are explicitly encouraged to use their own social media reach to promote their cosplay and invite others to vote. However, the use of paid advertising on social media plat-forms is not permitted. The use of paid advertising will result in the immediate exclusion of the finalist from this award category.
7. Prizes and prize distribution
The prizes and prize money depend on sponsorship agreements and will be displayed on the gamescom websites. They will be updated as soon as additional sponsors confirm their participation (https://www.gamescom.global/en/program/cosplay-contest).
Cash redemption, change, exchange or transfer of the prize are not possible. Legal recourse is excluded.
8. Notification of winnings
The 30 applicants with the highest scores from the expert jury will be informed in writing on 11 August 2026 about their qualification for the final. In order to participate in the pre-judging and the final show, the selected finalists must confirm their participation by 14 August 2026 at the latest in response to the final notification.
If there is no response to the qualification notification by the deadline, the claim to a place in the final show will lapse. The selected finalists may also decline participation in the final until 14 August. In the event of a withdrawal or a missing response, Koelnmesse may nominate a replacement finalist at short notice. If the contact details provided are incorrect (e.g. incomplete e-mail address), the Organizer is not obliged to determine the correct contact details. Any disadvantages resulting from the provision of incorrect contact details shall be borne by the participants.
The winners of the individual categories will be announced live at the end of the stage show on 29 August.
9. Rights of use, indemnification and responsibility
Participants agree that their submissions may be used, distributed and otherwise made publicly available to third parties by the Organizer in connection with the Gamescom cosplay contest, the public announcement if the finalists, and the organisation and presentation of the participants’ entries. For these purposes, the Organizer is also permitted to edit the submissions and, if necessary, to grant third parties rights of use to them. This granting of rights is free of charge and without any restrictions in terms of space, content or time.
The participant is responsible for ensuring that the information submitted with their application does not violate any industrial property rights or other rights of third parties. Should Koelnmesse be held liable by third parties on the grounds that their rights have been infringed by the participant or on the basis of information provided by the participant, the participant shall indemnify Koelnmesse against all such claims.
In order to deliver the prize, it may be necessary to share certain personal data with sponsors of the gamescom cosplay contest.
10. Disclaimer of warranty
The Organizer makes every effort to provide correct information, but assumes no liability or guarantee for the topicality, correctness and completeness of the information provided.
The Organizer is not liable for incorrect information caused or disseminated by participants and/or third parties, including cooperation partners. In particular, the Organizer accepts no liability if e-mails or data entries do not comply with the technical requirements set out in these conditions of participation or the technical requirements set for the website and are consequently not accepted and/or accepted by the system.
11. Liability
The following exclusions and limitations of liability apply to the Organizer's liability for damages, notwithstanding the other statutory requirements for claims in accordance with this Section 11.
The Organizer shall be liable without limitation insofar as the cause of the damage is based on intent or gross negligence.
Furthermore, the Organizer shall be liable for the slightly negligent breach of essential obligations, the breach of which jeopardizes the achievement of the purpose of the contract, or for the breach of obligations, the fulfilment of which is essential for the proper execution of the prize draw and on the observance of which the participants regularly rely. In this case, however, the Organizer is only liable for the foreseeable damage typical for the contract. The Organizer is not liable for the slightly negligent breach of obligations other than those mentioned in the preceding sentences.
The above limitations of liability shall not apply in the event of injury to life, limb or health, for a defect following the assumption of quality guarantees for the quality of a product and in the event of fraudulently concealed defects. Liability under the Product Liability Act remains unaffected.
Insofar as the liability of the Organizer is excluded or limited, this also applies to the personal liability of employees, representatives and vicarious agents of the Organizer.
12. Applicable law
The competition is subject exclusively to the law of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Status: 06/2026