World Cosplay Summit

Competition Rules

1. Eligibility

1. Each team member must be a registered attendee of Otakuthon for all three days. Selected participants will be asked to present proof of registration of a 3-day badge.

2. Each team member must be at least 18 years of age as of August 1, 2026.

3. One member of the team must have full Canadian citizenship, while the other can either have Canadian citizenship or be a Permanent Resident of Canada.

4. Canada must be the primary country of residence of both team members on August 1, 2026, with the expectation that Canada will continue to be the primary country of residence until the 2027 World Cosplay Summit.

5. Each team member must be eligible to travel to Japan during November 2027 and must possess a valid passport or be able to acquire one for that period. The winners of the Canadian Preliminaries will be required to present their valid passport at least 5 months before the WCS Championship in Japan.

6. No team member may have participated in another country’s preliminaries or finals for the 2027 WCS Championship in Japan.

7. No team member may have been a member of Team Canada in the past two years. (WCS Team Canada 2025 and Team Canada 2026 cannot participate in the preliminaries for WCS 2027).

8. No team member may have been a member of a representative team of a country other than Canada in the previous five years. (If you were a representative of any country other than Canada in 2023 or later, you cannot compete at the Otakuthon 2026 event.)

2. Costumes and costume sources

1. Teams must abide by the Otakuthon Convention Policy and Props Policy.

2. Costumes worn by the team must be for characters from the same source material.
   The character designs must be from the same title of a series, and cannot use designs from multiple titles in a series. For example, you cannot use a character design from the Naruto Shippuden anime and a character design from the Naruto anime unless the design also appears in Naruto Shippuden. Or use character designs from Soul Calibur 2 and Soul Calibur 3.

3. The costume source must be from a Japanese anime, manga, video game, or tokusatsu. 

1. Characters and designs from dōjinshi (fanzine), fan art, and anthology works are not permitted.

2. Costume variants from stage or theatre productions, live-action adaptations, and toys or figures may be used as additional references, but costume judging will be based on the original work.

3. Titles based on novels or popular stories originally published or created in countries other than Japan are allowed as long as they have been adapted into manga, anime, or games in Japan and their character designs have been created in Japan.

4. The character and character design must be recognizable as being of Japanese origin. For example, characters from Disney or Star Wars are not allowed, even if the game or anime is made in Japan.

5. For a non-exhaustive list of allowed and prohibited sources, please see Appendix A: List of allowed and prohibited sources. If a work does not appear on this list, it doesn’t mean that it’s automatically allowed.

4. When in doubt, contact wcs@otakuthon.com to confirm the acceptability of the costumes in question.

5. Costumes are to be constructed by the team members.

6. Assembling a costume from store-bought pieces is not permitted. For example, buying or upgrading a pre-made costume, or assembling the majority of a costume from purchased items, is not permitted. However, purchasing wigs, shoes, and small costume items as a base is permitted.

7. Teams must bring only the costumes and stage props they will use during the stage performance to workmanship judging. Alternative versions of costumes or props that are not used on stage may not be brought to judging. If an unused item is brought, points will be deducted.

8. Use of technologies that require data input, such as embroidery machines, fabric printing, laser cutters, and 3D printing is permitted, provided that the team members were involved in some aspects of the production of the final piece.

3. Stage Props

1. A maximum of 3 stage props are allowed. Each item must weigh under 10 kg and measure no more than 210 cm in height, 210 cm in width, and 90 cm in depth. It must be constructed so that it can be safely and quickly moved by at most 2 people.

2. Items other than the stage props that need to be set on or at the side of the stage before the performance are to be set by the team members within the 40 second stage set-up time.

3. All props need to be self-contained. Items which require external power sources are not permitted. The use of any convention property as a prop will also not be permitted.

4. It is not permitted to use trademarked illustrations, logos, or to copy or trace scenes or images appearing in original works on equipment or stage props.

5. All costumes, wigs, props, and equipment for both team members combined are limited to a maximum of 40 kilograms.

6. If a stage prop breaks apart into many pieces, it must be constructed with a mechanism that allows for the quick retrieval of all the pieces.

7. If a stage prop is found to violate any of the above rules, teams will have the options of:

1. Modifying the prop to conform to the above rules

2. Proceeding without the prop

3. Withdrawing from the competition—see 7. Cancellation section below.

8. All teams will be required to attend a large prop drop-off session. During this session, teams will be able to assemble their stage props and have them measured and reviewed to ensure that they conform to the above rules. Teams will also meet with the stage ninjas so they know how to move each stage prop safely.

1. The primary construction of the stage props should be done prior to the event, as this time is only for the assembly of pre-constructed props.

2. Access to power or an outlet may not be available and/or extremely limited.

4. Stage Performance

1. The performance must be a minimum of 2 minutes, with a maximum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

2. A detailed description of the performance must be submitted with the application form.

3. Only the two team members are allowed on stage during the performance. Stage ninjas are NOT allowed to participate in any way during the performance.

4. Stage ninjas will place the stage props on the stage prior to the performance and remove them from the stage after the performance. Set-up and removal should take at most 40 seconds. No one is allowed on the stage other than authorized staff and the two participating team members.

5. It is prohibited to enter the audience area as part of the performance.

6. The use of the following is not allowed:

1. Fire

2. Smoke effects, including but not limited to smoke machines or vapes

3. Water and other liquids, including but not limited to blood capsules and bubble machines.

4. Lasers and fast strobe lights.

5. Powder, small metallic confetti.

6. Paper confetti smaller than 2 cm (includes flower petals and feathers to scatter on stage). Paper confetti bigger than 2 cm can be used up to a total of 50 pieces.

7. Crackers that use gunpowder.
   Crackers that do not use gunpowder can be used. However, the paper confetti expelled from the cracker must be larger than 2 cm, as stipulated above.

7. The act of staining, marking, or damaging the stage, the props or costumes of other competitors is prohibited.

5. Audio

1. The audio must use royalty-free music and sound clips. No sound sources used in the audio should incur copyright infringement.

2. Voice tracks from the source material are NOT permitted.

3. AI-generated music and voices are NOT permitted.

4. The source of each sound item must be documented to ensure the audio does not include any copyright-infringing or AI-generated material.

5. All audio used in the performance must be pre-recorded and submitted in advance of the competition. Speaking on the stage is not permitted.

6. Audio must be submitted as an MP3.

7. Teams are expected to bring a backup copy of their audio to the event on a USB drive.

6. Late Penalties

1. If a team submits any required documents or files after the submission deadline, a 10% deduction to their overall score will apply for every 24-hour period after the deadline. If the delay exceeds 120 hours, a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment.
   For example, documents or files received 0-24 hours after the deadline will incur a 10% deduction to their overall score; for 24 to 48 hours after the deadline, a 20% deduction; and so on. This penalty applies only once for one or multiple late documents or files.

2. If WCS Canada requests the correction of documents deemed defective or insufficient, the team is required to submit an updated version of the documents addressing the defects indicated within 48 hours from the communication of the request. In this case, as well, a 10% deduction of the overall score will be applied for every 24 hours of delay, and a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment if the delay exceeds 72 hours.

3. If a team is late to their scheduled judging time, a 5% deduction to their overall score will apply for every 5 minutes period after their scheduled judging time. If a team is late by more than 30 minutes, a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment. For example, if a team is scheduled for judging at 12:00, and they arrive between 12:00 and 12:05, they will incur a 5% deduction. If they arrive between 12:06 and 12:10, they will incur a 10% deduction, and so on.

4. If a team incurs multiple late penalties, they are applied cumulatively. For example, documents submitted 18 hours past their deadline incur a 10% deduction, a resubmission of correction documents that is late by 12 hours incurs an additional 10% deduction, and the team being late to their judging by 4 minutes incurs an additional 5% deduction, which would result in a total 25% deduction of their overall score.

7. Cancellations

Teams choosing to withdraw from the competition will incur penalties for the next World Cosplay Summit Canadian Preliminaries based on when notice is given. If notice is given:

• Prior to June 21, 2026: no penalty.

• Between and including June 21, 2026, and July 17, 2026: any submission from either team member will be assigned to the waitlist.

• After July 17, 2026: any submission from either team member will be ineligible from entering.

Exceptions may be made in the case of a medical or family emergency. There is no penalty for withdrawing from the waitlist.

8. Disqualification Criteria

To maintain the integrity of the WCS Canada Preliminaries, the following actions will result in immediate disqualification:

• Submission of false information or plagiarized work.

• Major performance changes after submission without approval of WCS Canada.

• Harassment, bullying, or abusive behaviour toward any staff, participant, or judge.

• Unsafe or dangerous behaviour on stage or backstage.

• Failure to comply with stage procedures or staff instructions after a warning.

• Any violation of the event safety, cosplay, or prop policies of Otakuthon.

9. Prizing

1. Each member of the winning team of the WCS Canadian Preliminaries will receive 1 round-trip flight and hotel accommodations in Nagoya, Japan for the World Cosplay Summit Championship, which will be held in November 2027. Flight, airline and class will be determined by WCS Canada and Otakuthon. WCS Canada will pay baggage fees for 1 carry-on item and one 1 normal checked item. The winning team is responsible for any oversize charges or additional baggage fees. The winning team may purchase flight upgrades at their own expense.

2. If the winning team can’t or chooses not to participate in the World Cosplay Summit Championship, the prize will be provided to the runner-up team of that year’s preliminaries. No cash value will be given to the winning team or runner-up team if they cannot or chose not to participate.

3. This prize is non-transferable and only valid for the official winning team representing Canada, and cannot be deferred to a later time.

4. Any changes in travel arrangements must be approved by Otakuthon and WCS Canada.

10. Expectations and requirements for the winning team

1. Be able to attend the entirety of the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya, Japan in November 2027 for approximately 10 days. Exact dates will be provided to the winning team.

2. Both team members, in addition to their championship costume, must bring 3 additional costumes for other WCS events, 1 of which must be from a Japanese anime, manga, video game, or tokusatsu. The costumes of the team members do not need to be from the same source, nor be made by the team members, but it is highly encouraged.

3. Submit all documentation and information required for the World Cosplay Summit by required deadlines.

4. Both members of Team Canada are expected to represent the Canadian cosplay community in a positive light; any inappropriate behaviour towards staff or other contestants will not be tolerated.

Judging

For workmanship judging, teams will have a total of 10 minutes. Teams will have 5 minutes to present their costumes to the judges, and then the judges will have 5 minutes to ask questions and examine the costumes.

Teams will be required to provide a workmanship report in advance of the competition to be referenced during judging. This workmanship report should include photos that show the production process to help the team explain the features, quality, precision, and techniques that have been applied to the costumes.

The following judging rubric will be used to help decide the winner of the WCS Canadian Preliminaries. The judges may also consult the directors of WCS Canada during their deliberations. No ranking or scoring will be disclosed to the public or participants.

Stage Performance (50 points)

1. Performance: 25 points.
   Evaluation of performance aspects such as how the story is conveyed, the usage of props, respect for the original work, the entertainment value, and the overall completeness of the performance.

2. Acting and stage proficiency: 10 points.
   Evaluation of the expressiveness on stage, including the mastery of movement on stage, the expressiveness of performers in scenes with simple or no action, and the delivery of dialogue.

3. Costume stage presence: 10 points.
   Evaluation of how the costumes appear and move on stage. Aspects such as the use of gimmicks to change the appearance or the structure of the costumes and overall visual impact are also taken into consideration.

4. X-factor: 5 points.
   Evaluation of performance aspects that exceed expectations, that are particularly moving or exciting, and the realization of new ideas that have not been seen before in the competition.

Workmanship (50 points)

1. Level of precision in the costumes and props: 20 points.
   Evaluation of the costumes and props as compared to the original character design. This includes accuracy in silhouette, proportions, colour matching, and the presence of design elements.

2. Costume and prop quality: 20 points.
   Evaluation of the construction of both costumes and props. This includes how well the elements of the costumes are assembled together, how well the costumes fit the participants, the quality of the work done, and the overall finishing of the costumes.

3. Technique: 10 points.
   Evaluation of individual costume-making skills. Costumes that have been made by utilizing a variety of challenging techniques are scored more highly than those using a few basic skills. These criteria look more at the level of quality rather than the number of techniques employed.

Interviews

In addition to the costume and performance components, there will be a short interview portion as part of the WCS Canadian Preliminaries. While WCS is a cosplay competition, Team Canada, like all other participating teams, will also be acting as national cosplay ambassadors who may meet important members of Japanese corporations and government, as well as be interviewed by Japanese and other participating nations’ media.

At the convention, during the scheduled interview slot, each team will be asked a few questions to evaluate how the team responds.

NOTE: Because the official languages of the WCS Championship in Japan are English and Japanese, the interviews will be performed in English. That said, the level of English fluency is not a factor; only the way the teams present themselves.

Media Rules

By submitting your application, you agree that no compensation will be provided should your likeness be used by Otakuthon, World Cosplay Summit Canada, World Cosplay Summit, or Otakuthon-approved media representatives on social media or in press releases.

Application information, such as team information, cosplay names or aliases and submitted photos, may be used on social media and press releases. Real or legal names and personal contact information will be kept private. If you would want to use your real name for the press, please indicate this in your submission.

If you have any questions, please email wcs@otakuthon.com.

Appendix A: List of allowed and prohibited sources

This is a non-exhaustive list of allowed and prohibited costume sources. If a work does not appear on this list, it doesn’t mean that it’s automatically allowed. Please contact wcs@otakuthon.com to confirm the acceptability of a costume source if you are unsure.