1. • Cosplayers compete in three tiers for a share of the 25,000 SEK prize pool.

• NOVICE

• • • 1st Place = 1,700
    • 2nd Place = 1,500
    • 3rd Place = 1,250
      • Novice Prize Pool Total = 4,450
    • For cosplayers who have not placed top 5 or won Best in Show in any cosplay Championship before
      • Judge’s awards do not count towards Championship wins
    • The costume must be self-made but may use modified/changed garments.
      • All costumes must be at least 60% self-crafted. (Assistance from a friend is fine, but commissions and purchased pieces must be 40% or less of the costume). Altering/thrifting/updating purchased pieces is allowed as long as the changes are significant (at the judges discretion).

• ARTISAN

• • • 1st Place = 3,250
    • 2nd Place = 2,250
    • 3rd Place =  1,800
      • Artisan Prize Pool Total = 7,300
    • Contestants who have placed top 5 or won Best in Show in at least 1 (up to 3) cosplay Championships before. 
      • Judge’s awards do not count towards Championship wins
    • The costume must be self-made but may use modified/changed garments.
      • All costumes must be at least 60% self-crafted. (Assistance from a friend is fine, but commissions and purchased pieces must be 40% or less of the costume). Altering/thrifting/updating purchased pieces is allowed as long as the changes are significant (at the judges discretion).

• EXPERT

• • 1st Place = 5,750
  • 2nd Place = 4,250
  • 3rd Place = 3,250
    • Novice Prize Pool Total = 13,250
  • Has placed top 5 or won Best in Show at least 4 Championships or best in show award(s).
    • Judge’s awards do not count towards Championship wins
  • The costume must be self-made, the exceptions are: Base wig, shoes, and undergarments. 
    • All costumes must be at least 80% self crafted.

Altering/thrifting/updating purchased pieces is allowed as long as the changes are significant (at the judges discretion).

Please enter the tier that reflects your previous Championship experience. The festival organizers and judges reserve the right to change your category based on your submitted build, and WIP photos. If you have any questions about what tier you should apply in, please email cosplay@dreamhack.com

Tier Prize Pools (subject to change) 25,000SEK total
Expert Tier – 13,250SEK

1st Place: 5,750SEK
2nd Place: 4,250SEK
3rd Place: 3,250SEK

Artisan Tier – 7,300SEK

1st Place: 3,250SEK
2nd Place: 2,250SEK
3rd Place: 1,800SEK

Novice Tier – 4,450SEK

1st Place: 1,700SEK
2nd Place: 1,500SEK
3rd Place: 1,250SEK

Judge’s Choice Awards

Each judge will have the opportunity to highlight a contestant of their choice separate from our craftsmanship awards. This is reserved for contestants who have not received recognition within the tiered category awards.

1. Contestants must be at both pre-judging and the stage show to be eligible to compete.
2. All cosplays will be judged based on the rubric shown below 
   1. A valid convention badge is required to compete. If accepted you will be signed up using your legal First Name, Last Name, and email that was put on your application for a weekend badge after accepting a Championship spot. 
3. Content should not go beyond PG-13, as the con is family-friendly: Offensive language of any kind is not allowed – no racial or sexual epithets; no profanity, etc. No excessive violence. No sexual activity or contact – real or implied.
4. All costumes must be at least 60% self crafted unless competing in the Expert Category. If chosen to compete in the Expert Category, your build must be at least 80% self crafted. Altering/thrifting/updating purchased pieces is allowed as long as the changes are significant (at the judges discretion).
   1. For Fabrication elements assembled by non-sewing methods such as foam-smithing, 3D printed, pepakura, sculpting or vacuum forming etc- purchased patterns count towards your non self-made percentages. Items produced from these patterns will be judged on modifications to base files, construction, finishes, painting, etc. All modifications to patterns must be documented to count towards your self-made percentages during judging.
5. All WIP images must be sent to the Contest Organizers by October 28, 2026 at the latest.  
6. All build books must be sent into the Contest Organizers by October 28, 2026.
7. Your application cannot be reviewed without a WIP. 
8. WIP links must be set to “anyone with the link can view” from the time you submit them to the end of the championship.
9. Judges reserve the right to change your Championship tier at any point.
10. Duos/Groups count as one application and will be judged based off of the higher skill level participant. 
    1. Ex: If a duo is an Artisan, and an Expert both builds will be judged at the Expert level. 
11. Cosplays you are applying with MAY NOT have won a cosplay championship, competition, or contest previous to Friday, November 27, 2026.
    1. Judge’s choice and sponsor awards do not count towards championship wins.
    2. Best in Show, and placing in the top 5, or placing best in category do count towards your championship wins.
    3. If there is a best in Show from the previous DHCC – that competitor may compete in the same build they won DHCC Best in Show in previously.
12. “Dabbing”, drug references, etc are not allowed.
13. All cosplays and props must be self-contained in the green room and/or on stage.
14. Props and/or builds cannot include fire, flame, smoke, fog, dry ice, wind machines, lasers, pressurized gasses or liquids, messy substances – wet, dry, or oily, including glitter, flower petals, etc. 
15. No jumping on or off stage – please use the designated stage entrances and exits.
16. No Stage fighting – one foot must remain on the stage at all times and any mock fighting must be done at a distance and at half speed – no physical contact.
17. Contestants may not use stage time to make political, religious, insulting, or other demonstrations not related to their entry.
18. Sportsmanship is important. Any bullying will not be tolerated and result in disqualification and/or removal from the festival. Any unsportsmanlike conduct after the DHCC can and will also result in being banned for competing with us in the future. 
19. Any violation of these rules will result in immediate disqualification, regardless of the stage of the DHCC.

1. • Craftsmanship
   1. 1. 1. (10 pts max) Overall cosplay execution and creativity.
         2. (9-10) – Clean stitching, use of highlighting and shadows, clean wig styling, smooth armor edges, finishing techniques etc.
         3. (7-8) – Most details are clean and finished, one technique/element less polished.
         4. (5-6) – Details are present, but finishing touches are missing. Seams may be unfinished, rough armor edges, no shadows/highlights etc.
         5. (3-4) – Minimal details, techniques are mostly poorly executed, cosplay not entirely finished.
         6. (0-2) – No details, techniques are poorly executed, cosplay is unfinished.
   • Technical Difficulty
   1. 1. 1. (10 pts max) – Level of complexity of the cosplay selected. Variety of techniques used. Purchased items only count against you if no transformation has been done.
         2. (9-10) – Cosplay uses 3 or more main materials, 3 or more techniques used AND less than 10% purchased.
         3. (7-8) – Cosplay uses 2-3 main materials, and 2-3 different techniques AND less than 20% purchased.
         4. (6-5) – Cosplay uses 1-2 materials and 1-2 different techniques OR 30-40% purchased.
         5. (3-4) – Cosplay sticks to a couple basic techniques OR 40 – 50% purchased.
         6. (0-2) – Cosplay relies on a single technique OR more than 50% is purchased.
   • Accuracy
   1. 1. (10 pts max) – Overall impact of the costume.
      2. (9-10) – The resemblance is really there in terms of the material. Cosplayers have been sure to adapt the cosplay a lot to themselves so that the proportions are correct.
      3. (7-8) –You can clearly see the character, details are mostly there adapted a lot of the proportions to themselves, or use of materials helps to get closer to the reference.
      4. (5-6) – You can see a resemblance, but missing that little extra.
      5. (3-4) – Minimal effort have been done to follow the reference material. The resemblance can be seen but a lot of the details just are not there.
      6. (0-2) – Poor resemblance and straying a lot from the source material and references.

1. Join us at the DreamHack Stage to watch the DreamHack Stockholm 2026 Cosplay Championship live in Stockholm, Sweden!
2. Looking for more? Stay tuned for our other cosplay activities!
3. Do you cosplay but don’t want to compete? Apply for a Cosplay Creator badge here: 
4. Are you a cosplayer and want access to an exclusive discounted badge to DreamHack Stockholm? Sign up here