Official Site - For Glory | SteelSeries Deals

A. General 1. SteelSeries is the sponsor and organizer of the Cosplay Competition at The International 2026 (“The International”) event in Shanghai, China. Contestants must attend pre-judging to be eligible to win. The contestants will be judged based on their Dota 2 costume and presentation and SteelSeries will award a total prize pool of $18,500 USD to the winning contestants. The Contest will occur in two phases. 10 “Winners” will be chosen based on the judges’ selection criteria during the pre- judging. Six of the 10 winners will be nominated as “runners-up” and Four “Skill Winners” will be chosen from the list of 10 which will then be announced during the Winner Presentation Event on the Main Stage. All 10 Winners will be granted 4-day General Admisstion tickets to The International for themselves and their handler. The Organizer (SteelSeries) reserves the right to change the competition requirements, format, schedule and prize pool distribution according to needs and circumstances. Competition participants will be notified via email whenever these changes are put into effect. B. Sponsor SteelSeries / GN Hearing A/S Lautrupbjerg 7 DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark and its contractors will manage the Contest. C. Competition Location 1. The Competition will occur in Shanghai, China at the Oriental Sports Arena as part of The International Main Event taking place between August 20-23, 2026. 2. The pre-judging event will be held on August 19th at a nearby location from the Oriental Sports Arena. Details will be sent to qualifying contestants in early August. 3. The 10 Winners must attend the Winner Presentation Rehearsal on August 23. Timing subject to change or cancellation due to Dota 2 matches. 4. The Winner Presentation event will take place on August 23. 5. The 10 winners must attend a photo session at the SteelSeries booth directly following the August 23rd finals. D. Eligibility Contestants must: a. Be 18 years or older as of July 1, 2026 b. Different countries have different rules relating to the taxation of winnings. Ultimately, the responsibility for determining any income tax liabilities, which you may or may not have, rests with you. If you are concerned about your liability, please consult a tax advisor. c. Be physically present in Shanghai, China for the pre-judging event on August 19th. Finalists must also attend the Winner Presentation Event on August 23. d. Complete the online submission form which includes contact details, a .jpg reference picture of 4 day General Admission tickets to The International for themselves and their handler. Sponsor and Manage and if Perfect World is mentioned Photo session at the SteelSeries booth directly following the Aug 23rd finals. the intended character to be cosplayed, work in progress materials. Incomplete or illegible documentation or distorted pictures will not be accepted as a valid submission. E. Consent to the use of their likeness and other information relating to their costume or presence at the event and in event-related marketing and promotional activities. 2. Submission of all materials must be complete by JULY 20TH, 23:59 CST. Participants are required to provide Work in Progress and Reference pictures via the registration form or email. If no such materials are provided until July 20th, then the participant may be disqualified. 3. Valid submissions must contain a character or likeness to a character from the Dota 2 game and be appropriate for all audiences. 4. No nudity or graphic content. 5. Employees of SteelSeries or other companies associated with the Contest, immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each are not eligible to enter the Contest. 6. Organizers reserve the right to reject the registration of individuals that have broken the rules and guidelines of a previous edition of the competition or behaved inappropriately/in a belligerent manner to their fellow cosplayers. E. Costumes 1. Costumes must represent a Dota 2 character. 2. The Contest focuses on craftsmanship and only costumes that are handcrafted or mostly (i.e. 80%) handcrafted will be eligible to participate. Store purchased accessories and components are allowed insofar as they represent 20% or less of the finished look. 3. Costumes can include props with edged weapons and bows; however, weapons and accompanying props may NOT be capable of bodily harm. This includes (1) sharp edged weapons; (2) projectile weapons; (3) props made of metal; or (4) bows or crossbows with strings able to shoot projectiles. SteelSeries reserves the right to remove props that it deems unsafe or inappropriate. 4. No open flame, liquid, powder or “flash” paper is allowed. 5. Due to venue fire regulations, no cosplayer can move around the venue without being accompanied by a handler who can help them exit the venue in or with the costume in an expedient manner. No multi-person costumes are permitted to move around the venue except for being escorted to the stage for the final judging. 6. No laser pointers allowed. 7. No liquids, gels, or any slippery or messy substance allowed. 8. Costumes must also be maneuverable enough to enter and exit the presentation area. 9. Contestants are free to use any Dota 2 Intellectual Property owned by Valve in the creation of their costume, but if using any non-Valve IP, the contestant must be the copyright owner of the copyrighted work or have explicit permission from the own