It’s Time to Refresh the C2E2 Cosplay Crown Competition

There’s a buzz that builds in the queue hall outside the C2E2 Cosplay Central Crown Championships—a slow, electric hum of anticipation. For over a decade, I’ve stood in that line with hundreds of fans and creators, each one buzzing with excitement, adjusting armor, fluffing wigs, or trying not to sweat through layers of carefully sewn fabric. This isn’t just another con panel. For many of us, it’s the main event—the moment where cosplay becomes performance, pageantry, and passion all rolled into one.

I still remember the year Ray Fisher popped up as a surprise guest—the crowd lost it. Or the way past winners returned to thunderous applause, their builds almost mythic by that point. Those moments made the long wait worth it. They made the stage feel alive.

Before I go any further, I want to be transparent: writing this might cost me access to future ReedPop events as press. But I wouldn’t be doing right by myself—or by our audience—if I didn’t speak honestly. I’ve been going to C2E2 for over a decade. I love this con. I believe in its potential. And that’s exactly why I need to say: this year’s cosplay competition was a letdown. The community deserves better.

The Judging Panel needs work

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the competition has become a closed loop. Each year, judges are often pulled from the same narrow pool—former winners or friends of the show, known mostly within an insular cosplay circuit. There’s nothing inherently wrong with honoring legacy, but when it starts to feel like a club you can’t break into, it stops being aspirational. It becomes stale.

The show has grown in scale, but not in heart. And that’s a shame, because this event has the potential to be a crown jewel—not just in title, but in execution.

The Prize Money is…

We need to say this plainly: the prize pool is insulting. First-place winners routinely spend more on their builds—materials, flights, hotels, time off work—than they’ll ever get back. And while cosplayers aren’t in it for the cash, a competition of this size should respect the work it showcases. These are artists. Performers. Engineers. Some of them are building on blockbuster-level scale. The least C2E2 can do is offer compensation that acknowledges that level of investment.

Here’s the cash prize breakdown from this year:

• First Place Global Champion of Cosplay: Henchandscrap as Halsin from Baldur’s Gate 3 (winning $5000 and a medal)
• Second Place Global Champion: Patterner Cosplay as Firesong K/Treva from the Valdemar Novels by Merceres Lackey and Larry Dixon (winning $2000 and a medal)
• Third Place Global Champion: Anaelic as Navia from Genshin Impact (winning $1000 and a medal)
• USA/North American Champion: Patterner Cosplay as Firesong K/Treva from the Valdemar Novels by Merceres Lackey and Larry Dixon (winning an invitation to MCM London)
• First Place Regional Champion: Undeadtoasty as Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima (winning $1000 and a medal)
• Second Place Regional Champion: Tierza89 as High Lady Suroth from Wheel of Time (winning $500 and a medal)
• Third Place Regional Champion: Magpie Crossing as Mulan from Disney’s Mulan (winning $250 and a medal)
• Armor category winner: May Jean Cosplay as Malezeno Hunter from Monster Hunter: Blue (winning a medal from Hoku Props)
• Needlework category winner: SearinCosplay as Lan Wangji from The Untamed (winning a medal from Hoku Props)
• FX category winner: Façade Costuming as Krampus from Krampus (winning a medal from Hoku Props)

The Judges We Deserve

There’s no shortage of phenomenal talent out there who would instantly elevate the judging panel—and give the audience something to get hyped about.

VampyBitme — The Living Legend
I met VampyBitme at Evo2017, and I’ll never forget how warm, kind, and passionate she was. But beyond being lovely in person, she’s one of the pillars of this community. With over 20 years of experience, Vampy helped shape modern cosplay culture—long before it was mainstream, long before social media gave it global reach. She’s not just a great cosplayer; she’s an icon. Bringing her back wouldn’t just be a nod to legacy—it would be an honor to someone who helped build this scene.

Cutiepie Sensei Cosplay — The Mainstream Powerhouse
CutiepieCosplay isn’t just internet famous—she’s industry-recognized. She’s collaborated with Marvel on multiple occasions, creating official builds that showcase fan craftsmanship at the highest level. Her work is precise, imaginative, and expressive. She’s the kind of judge who can speak to both the technical execution and the emotional storytelling behind a cosplay.

Prince De Guzman Transformations — The Transformative Artist
Prince De Guzman is an artist in every sense of the word. His work with Mihoyo and Netflix proves that his reach isn’t just viral—it’s global. His transformations blur the line between makeup, movement, and myth. Inviting Prince isn’t just about star power—it’s a chance to spotlight the international artistry that’s often overlooked at U.S. events.

Give the Mic to Megami (and Let Her Steal the Intermission)

Cosplay competitions need energy. They need someone who can read a room, engage a crowd, and keep the momentum flowing between showcases. And that’s where Megami—a Drag Race alum, cosplayer, and all-around nerd—comes in.

Drag performers host weekly shows live and unscripted, often with nothing but a mic and a spotlight. Megami would bring flair, humor, fandom cred, and—let’s be honest—a level of charisma sorely missing this year. She’s the perfect bridge between geek culture and queer performance.

And while we’re at it? Let her own the intermission. Give Megami a dedicated drag performance segment in the middle of the event. It would keep the audience engaged, reset the tone, and make intermission part of the entertainment instead of dead air.

Fix the Format, Respect the Performance

One of the biggest missed opportunities is how the show is actually run. The staging, the blocking, the flow—it all needs a serious overhaul. Right now, it often feels disjointed. Cosplayers walk onstage with no clear direction or marks, which leads to awkward pacing or uneven presentation. When you’ve spent months crafting a character, you deserve more than a vague “stand somewhere in the light.”

The same goes for the commentary. Currently, a DJ or host reads a short blurb submitted by the cosplayer—but the pacing is all over the place. Sometimes the cosplayer has already walked off stage before the description finishes, or they’re stuck awkwardly waiting as the host catches up.

Here’s the cheat code: record the narration ahead of time—and have it performed by a professional voice actor. Imagine each cosplay entry being introduced with cinematic flair by someone like Ray Chase or Laura Bailey. These actors are already at the con for panels and signings. Why not tap them for this? A pre-produced voiceover track gives consistency, flair, and lets each cosplayer shine as the spotlight hits. Even better: sprinkle in backstage banter or character cameos for the livestream. Make it immersive.

Bring Back the Spectacle

Remember when C2E2 used to throw in surprise celebrity guests during the cosplay competition? That magic’s been missing. And the thing is—they’re still here. These actors, influencers, and pop culture icons are already attending panels, walking the floor, doing autographs. But for some reason, they’re never brought into one of the con’s biggest live events.

Last year, Chris Evans was at C2E2. This year? John Boyega. These are household names with deep connections to fandom, and they weren’t asked to step onstage for even a cameo. That’s a massive missed opportunity—not just for spectacle, but for signaling that this competition matters beyond the cosplay niche.

Even something small—announcing a category winner, handing over a trophy, giving a shoutout to the craft—would turn the show into a moment.

Stream the Show Like It Matters

C2E2 has streamed the cosplay competition in the past, but it’s unclear if that’s still a consistent priority. If they revisit streaming—or finally commit to doing it right—they need to treat it like a global broadcast, not an afterthought.

Hire official co-streamers from the cosplay, voice acting, and streaming communities. Let them provide live commentary in costume, interview finalists backstage, and engage the online audience in real-time. For fans watching from regions that don’t have a ReedPop qualifier, this could be their only connection to the championship stage.

And while we’re thinking big: tap into the VTuber community. VTubers are cosplay-adjacent by design—digital avatars, performance personas, streaming energy. Bringing one or two VTubers on as co-hosts would pull in a massive online audience, especially across international viewers. Imagine the hype of a popular VTuber reacting to each build, cheering on competitors, and adding that meta-layer of fun and immersion.

If this is going to be a world-class event, it should meet fans where they already are: online, engaged, and ready to celebrate the craft.

Make It Truly Global

If the Crown Championships are going to market themselves as a global competition, then the structure needs to reflect that. Right now, it’s heavily skewed toward countries with ReedPop-affiliated events. That automatically excludes incredible cosplayers from regions without direct access to qualifiers. Talent shouldn’t be gatekept by geography.

A simple solution? Introduce a fan-voted wildcard slot—an international competitor chosen by the community from outside the existing ReedPop network. Let the global cosplay audience champion someone who’s been overlooked. It would not only bring in fresh energy, but also reaffirm that this competition belongs to the world, not just a select few countries.

Because if you’re going to crown a world champion, you owe it to the world to open the door.

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