The competition is judged by three independent, invited guest judges, who, during the preliminary judging, conduct interviews with the contestants, closely examine the costumes, and also evaluate how the contestants present their costumes on stage.

Contestants are evaluated as follows:

Costume judging takes place before the stage presentation and compares the accuracy or design of the costume against the submitted reference materials, while also assessing the quality and complexity of the construction.
Each contestant is given the same amount of time for consultation with the judges.

Stage presentation is not scored directly; however, it may be taken into account if the presentation reveals strengths or shortcomings in the costume’s construction.

The weighting of the judging criteria is as follows:

• Accuracy or Design & Ambition - 30%
• Construction - 70%

A more detailed explanation of the weighting can be found in the detailed judging regulations.

Given the extremely wide range of possible costumes, as well as the professional experience and expertise of the judges, the evaluated elements within each category are not considered exhaustive. The determination of weighting within individual scores falls under the judges’ discretion and may vary from costume to costume.

Ultimately, Budapest Comic Con, partner events, contestants, and participants are required to accept:

• the judges' decisions
• the judges' interpretation of the rules and guidelines
• and the professional evaluation of the costume

This category evaluates how faithfully the costume follows the original source material (accuracy).

The judges also take into account the level of design ambition and complexity.

It is the contestant’s responsibility to provide high-quality reference materials that depict the portrayed character as comprehensively as possible, at sufficient resolution to ensure details are clearly visible.

Contestants are expected to use makeup and special effects for their costumes where appropriate; however, this is not a modeling competition.

Accuracy applies to the costume itself, not to the physical characteristics of the person wearing it.

The spirit of the competition allows every participant to portray any character or creature they choose, based on their own cosplay skills.

Each judge awards:

• Accuracy: up to 20 points, accounting for 20% of the final score;
• Ambition: up to 10 points, accounting for 10% of the final score.

Construction

The construction score reflects how well the costume is made.

Key aspects in this category include:

• the variety and difficulty level of the techniques used;

• the mastery with which these techniques are applied;

• appropriate material selection and effective use of material properties;

• the contestant’s creativity and problem-solving skills.

It is also important that the costume is suitable for wearing and movement, and can withstand the stresses of use—this does not exclude delicate or fragile costumes.

Each judge awards up to 70 points for Construction, accounting for 70% of the final score.

Stage Presentation

Stage presentation not only provides a visual experience for the audience but also allows the judges to observe the costume’s durability and wearability in motion.

All contestants are required to present their costume on stage while the host introduces relevant information about the costume.

Stage presentation is not scored directly, but it may be considered if it reveals strengths or weaknesses in the costume’s construction.

Although no direct points are awarded, contestants are encouraged to:

• make use of the entire stage;

• showcase all important details of the costume;

• convey a strong sense of character presence that is perceptible to the audience.

3D Printing and Other Automated Manufacturing Tools

3D printing and other automated manufacturing technologies are becoming increasingly accessible to cosplayers.

The purpose of the following guidelines is to assist both contestants and judges in the appropriate evaluation of these technologies.

All automated manufacturing processes are permitted; however, significant costume elements created in this way will be evaluated only based on the work processes personally carried out by the contestant.

Example:
If a contestant presents a significant costume element that is a purchased, fully printed 3D model on which they have not personally performed any additional work, that element is considered a purchased item and will not be taken into account during judging.

If the 3D model is the contestant’s own design, the details of the modeling process must be included in documentation that can be presented to the judges.
Such elements will receive a higher evaluation than purchased models, in recognition of the additional work involved.

Similarly to the use of commercial sewing patterns, the use of models created by others is permitted, provided that the original creator is credited.
It is also acceptable for the physical production of an element to be carried out using the equipment of another individual or a community workshop (e.g. a makerspace) that has access to the appropriate technology.

The post-processing and final assembly of such elements must be completed by the contestant, and the process must be described in detail for the element to be eligible for evaluation.

Presenting another creator’s work as one’s own will result in immediate disqualification.

Due to the global expansion of pop culture, the influence of social media, and the growing prevalence of international cosplay competitions, it is important to consider that costumes will be seen by people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

According to the principle stated in Appendix A:

“Contestants are expected to use makeup and styling where appropriate; however, this is not a modeling competition. Accuracy applies to the costume, not to the physical characteristics of the person wearing it.”

The judges evaluate the craftsmanship of the costume, not how closely the contestant physically resembles the portrayed character.

For example, it is not acceptable to deduct points from a contestant because their body type differs from that of the character.

However, it may be positively evaluated if the contestant uses conscious design and construction solutions (e.g. padding, stuffing, tailoring techniques) to bring the character’s proportions closer to the source material.

Similarly, makeup and styling that assist with age or gender transformation may be positively evaluated, but the absence of such techniques does not result in a penalty.

The use of makeup—including prosthetics—to alter natural skin tone or facial features in order to represent a different real-world ethnicity has long been a controversial issue within the global cosplay community.

Although such cases are generally not intended to be offensive, this practice is historically associated with racist traditions and can contribute to people of color feeling uncomfortable when portraying characters outside their own ethnicity.
For this reason, this type of makeup usage is not accepted within the framework of the competition.

By recognizing that costume accuracy does not extend to skin color, age, gender, or body type, the competition encourages everyone to freely choose the character they wish to portray.

Contestants are kindly requested that, if they have any doubts as to whether their chosen character or costume could be considered offensive, they seek guidance from the Budapest Comic Con organizing team as early as possible.