The competition takes place in Hamburg, Germany. The Cosplay Finals and Winner Presentation will be on-stage at the Barclays Arena on Sunday September 14th. Prejudging will be held near the Arena on Thursday September 11th. Full details will be sent after registration.

Any individual who can be in Hamburg, Germany for the Judging and Winner Presentation Event dates and construct a Dota 2 cosplay can sign up to participate in the Cosplay competition at the event. You do not need to be an event attendee.

The contest organizers will make sure that all registrants have access into the area designated for judging. Subsequently, all finalists will be provided with two General Access tickets to the Grand Finals of The International on 11th and 14th of September. If you already purchased tickets and enter the cosplay finals, you will be compensated for the value of two 3-day tickets to The International. To qualify for reimbursement, you MUST submit ticket information to steelseries after judging on Thursday September 11th.

You will need to be in full cosplay with all props for the Judging Event on Thursday September 11th. Also, on September 14th if you qualify for the Winner Presentation.

No. This is an individual competition. We do not allow groups to compete against individuals. Human “props” will only be allowed on a case-by-case basis.

No, but organizers reserve the right to put a cap on the number of cosplayers qualifying for pre-judging.

Changing areas will be made available around the judging and finals venue. Please come ready in most of your cosplay as space may be limited.

Costumes must be maneuverable enough to enter and exit the presentation area. In case of an emergency, all parts of the cosplay including props must be removed from the arena.

Best In Show Award (€5,000 + 2 General Admission Tickets): Cosplayer with the highest overall score for a participant following the Judging.

Best Technique Award (€2,500 + 2 General Admission Tickets): Cosplayer with the cleanest most precise work. Cosplay needs to impress through design, maneuverability and resistance.

Biggest Transformation Award (€2,500 + 2 General Admission Tickets): Cosplay must represent a complete outfit that impresses in scope and construction. Strong visual impact will play a key role but it must also be well made and wearable

Judges’ Choice Award (€2,500 + 2 General Admission Tickets): Cosplayer who impresses the judges the most with their showmanship and portrayal of the character.

To be fair to all who applied in time, we do not accept applications once the online form has been closed – after 11 August 2025, 23:59 CET.

We know this is tough to hear, especially if you only found out about the competition after that date. That said, we highly encourage you to apply for next year! Follow steelseries and Valve social media channels for The International Cosplay Competition updates.

Send all queries to letusknow@steelseries.gg