In the world of gaming there is a well known figure that you see at every event. They are easily recognizable in the crowd of faces. They stand out and their silhouette looms over the attendees with their exceeding height. I’m talking about the cosplayers, of course! Many of them walk proudly around the event showcasing hard work, some of which has taken a insurmountable amount of time.
The Smite World Championships were no different in the fact that it was a full blown experience. There were pro level cosplayers that looked amazing. It became evident that they worked very hard and had an expert level attention to detail. Not only were the costumes spot on but the personalities of the characters came through in the acting the cosplayers provided.
The other highlight was a contest for the amateurs that attended. There were thirty contestants that ranged from simplistic costumes to extravagant art pieces. The time which they put in their costume showed. There were crowd favorites and it became evident that a eight year old girl who portrayed Scylla was the overall fan favorite. The work that her mother put into the costume was mind blowing, fifty plus hours was the final tally on the labor. The embroidery on the dress and the sculpting on the dog head pieces were some of the finest work I have ever seen. The little girl also brought something to the portrayal. She had a scowl and was seen with her hands petting the appendages that were her tentacles. It was incredibly well executed.
Attention to detail on the Scylla costume is impeccable. It’s clear why she won.
The contest that was held at the Smite World Championship had a male and female category. Top prize for both categories was $5,000. The three judges had their work cut out for them. One of the contestants dressed as cupid, jokingly stated that his costume was made of the stolen bed sheet from the hotel. Another contestant dressed as Hades walked to the stage on stilts which made him a towering and impressive seven feet. His horns were made of insulation and acrylics. All of his bone structure was hand sculpted. There was also an Ullr costume that was clearly several hours of work. All the fabric used in the costume was custom made. The bow was made of real wood and hand carved with intricate detail. A Janus cosplayer was spot on with his portrayal and his costume was even complete with lights and a portal ball. He should have been a contender in the top three but the judges asked him to dance and one of the lights fell off. I felt that this decision was unfair on the account that they did not ask anyone else to do the same.
Out of the thirty that entered only three males and three females were selected to move on. Out of the top three males the Hades cosplayer won. His attention to detail often got him mistaken for a professional. His glowing green eyes and the sculpting on the staff are what set him apart from all the rest. He was naturally tall which made him a nice fit for the character. The belts and wrapping around the waist were made from genuine leather and were dyed the proper shades. The winner for the female category was clearly Scylla for the above for-mentioned reasons.
I got the opportunity to speak with a few of the professionals to get their perspective on the culture and the world of cosplay. Many of them got their start by simply dressing up and going to conventions with friends. What kept them coming back and pursuing the career was the thrill of meeting new people. As a casual cosplayer myself, I can attest to the rush you get when you get your first recognition by a stranger. Early introductions to the world of cosplay comes naturally from video games. One of the cosplayers, who was dressed as Nieth from Smite, spoke of the first costume she had done. It was a female Bowser from the Mario Bro. Franchise. The draw of being that character in particular was that she got to be mean for a day, which was out of the normal aspects of her personality.
The ability of losing ones self in a character often helps a normally shy person throw caution to the wind. The freedom of being in costume can allow you to be someone else for a day. It can be a very liberating experience and I believe that everybody should try it at least once. The process of making a costume can be a long and detailed adventure or simplistic and fun.
The crafting aspect of preparing ones costume can soon become an addiction. Though frustrating at times the reward you get from the final product is a rush that is indescribable. The late nights spent sewing and pinning can be draining and frustrating but the love for the character keeps you going. The attention to detail is key when getting the best results in a contest. Many shoot for an over the top component akin to a light up item or something that moves. Sculpting also becomes a huge undertaking but can be some of the most fun in the process.
If the hobby becomes an obsession there are ways to break into the world of professional cosplay. The Professional cosplayer we interviewed had the best answer to that question. Her response was simple but spot on. “networking”. Getting to know your fellow cosplayer and the people behind the scenes is often times your best bet for getting paid to portray a character. The work that you put forth speaks for you and gets you noticed by people of status in the industry.
Be sure to check out all of our additional content on the Smite World Championship Series. We have in depth match analysis and much more. All of our content can be found here.
Attention to detail on the Scylla costume is impeccable. It's clear why she won. 
