Deciding on a character is both the most exciting part of the process and sometimes the hardest. Dota has so many cool designs, each with its own skin sets and cosmetics that sometimes picking a favorite is near impossible.
Let’s start with some basic questions:
1. Are you looking to compete with this outfit, or making it just for fun?
If you’re just looking to make a cosplay for fun, you can consider thrifting some basic parts like shirts and pants, and having fun with painting, cutting, modifying these elements.
If you’re looking to compete, there are some things to consider, such as accuracy, how much of the cosplay you’re making yourself versus bought etc.
Note: if you are wanting to compete with the cosplay, you must make a majority of the cosplay and components. You should check the rules first, as they will generally differ from competition to competition. For the TI cosplay contest, previous rules have been around 70-80% of the cosplay must be handmade.
2. What is your skill level? How much time are you willing to put into the project?
When starting, it’s important to consider your own skills and time constraints. Don’t worry if you’ve never sewn something before, that’s the fun part of cosplay, is that all skills can be learned if you have the time and patience to do so.
Cosplay references
Dota heroes are complicated and intricate, but there’s a cool secret about Valve designs. All Valve designs and models are publicly accessible, and there is a cool website called dotaloadout.com which has all of the 3d models for every hero and every cosmetic. This is a great tool to use as a reference when designing how you want to build.
