The 2023 LEC Season Finals are drawing ever closer – and following on from the incredible cosplayers that graced us with their presence in Malmö, we’re delighted to announce that our cosplay events will be returning to the LEC XPO in Montpellier, in the Occitanie region.
We’ll be hosting a multi-day cosplay extravaganza throughout the Season Finals Weekend, with events for everyone from first-time cosplayers to seasoned professionals. You can expect casual cosplay meetups on both LEC Season Finals days to give our cosplayers the opportunity to meet up and take some awesome pictures – and the chance to feature in an event music video created by cosplay content creators, 86th Floor.
KitKat were with us on the ground in Malmö supplying LEC fans with some much-needed Limited Edition KitKats (with the help of their trusted team of cosplayers). They’re continuing this tradition this year, with their Prestige Edition KitKats and a fantastic new group of cosplayers to make sure LEC fans are remembering to have a break. Our cosplayers will be wandering around the XPO as Katarina, Jhin, Poppy and Trundle, with their corresponding KitKats on hand – so make sure you pick one up if you see them!
And as a reminder – cosplay does not equal consent. We expect fans to treat cosplayers with the utmost respect, and we will have staff on-hand to help if anyone encounters any inappropriate behaviour towards cosplayers or LEC fans.
For full details of our cosplay schedule, as well as costume regulations and safety information, please see below.
**KitKat Cosplay Contest: September 10, 14:00 CEST**
We’re happy to have KitKat back on board to bring the biggest League of Legends Cosplay Contest the LEC has ever seen to the XPO stage – and we want you to take part!
The first round of the KitKat Cosplay Contest will begin online, as we’ll be asking cosplayers to submit photos of their costume via this [signup form][1] for our jury to narrow down the top 15 entries to attend the on-stage final at the LEC XPO. Photos should display the costume as-is with no alterations and in as much detail as possible, and all costumes must be self-made to be considered. Costumes also cannot have already won a major cosplay contest - these include WCS, ECG, ECC, Cosplay Legends, and National Cosplay Contests.
KitKat is all about emphasising the importance of having a break – and what better way to celebrate that than showcasing some of League’s favourite champions kicking back and relaxing? We’d love your cosplay submissions to include a photo of your champ in a break pose. Get creative and think about how your champion would enjoy some down time, because even the biggest champ needs a break!
For details on how to enter the contest including where to find the full list of rules and regulations, please click [here][2].
Participants will be informed whether they’ve been chosen for the contest on August 21, and entry for all 15 selected cosplayers will be guaranteed to both days of the LEC XPO and LEC Arena show. Travel expenses to and from the LEC XPO (up to €100) will also be covered by the organisers post-event.
This is where the competition really heats up. Entrants will need to prepare an on-stage presentation of up to 1.5 minutes to show off their costume at our LEC XPO Community Stage. They’ll need to show off their costume in front of our jury – and we’ve brought professional cosplayers and costuming experts [Anaelic][3] and [LittleJem][4] to provide their expert eyes and experienced judgement. We’ll also be announcing more jury members closer to the time, so keep an eye on our socials for more information.
We’ll have microphones and facilities for pre-recorded audio, and we can’t wait to see our selected cosplayers bring their A-game in front of our panel of judges for their chance to win a share of the €8,000 cash prize pool, and potentially a shoutout live on the LEC Season Finals broadcast.
**Cosplay Catwalk: September 9, 15:00 CEST**
Our Cosplay Catwalk offers our cosplayers the chance to showcase their incredible creations on our LEC XPO Community Stage. Everyone is welcome to participate, whether you’re just dipping your toes into the world of cosplay or have years of experience under your belt. Participants will need to arrive at the Community Stage at 14:30, where you’ll be queued in signup order. From 15:00 onwards, our stage host will begin calling participants to come to the stage, so all you’ll need to do is head out on stage and pose!
To avoid missing out, you can sign up [here][5] and secure a spot on the Cosplay Catwalk, with limited last-minute onsite sign ups available on the day. The creativity of our community never fails to blow us away, and we can’t wait to see the incredible costumes you’ve prepared live in action on stage.
**Cosplay Meetups: September 9-10, 12:00 CEST**
Our Cosplay Meetups will take place on both days of the LEC Season Finals weekend, and will offer our cosplay community the chance to catch up and connect with fellow creatives. LEC photographers will be on hand to capture your creations, with photos available to download from the [LoL Esports Flickr][6] after the event. If you just want to casually meet up with other cosplayers and take some awesome photos, then this meetup is for you!
We’ll also be welcoming [86th Floor][7] back to the LEC XPO . 86th Floor are a team of cosplay content creators who’ll be present at both days of our Cosplay Meetups – they’ll be capturing video footage for an LEC Season Finals Cosplay event music video They’ve previously worked on our event videos for the [LEC Athens finals][8] and [League of Legends Cosplay][9] celebration, and we’re so happy to be partnering with them again in Montpellier, in the Occitanie region.
We’ll also have some more special guests at the LEC XPO this year – we’ll be joined by eight of EMEA’s finest cosplayers who’ll be showing off their interpretations of some of League’s most beloved characters, [Kamelia][10], [Solaire][11], [Bahamut][12], [Cinderys][13], [Addssin][14], [Enzaeru][15], [Chimeral][16] and [Ars’heda][17]. Over the course of the Season Finals weekend, they all be available for photos (and to provide valuable cosplay wisdom).
Meet us at the LEC XPO entrance at midday on both days of the XPO – a be hard to miss, so make sure you keep an eye out and come find us before each days’ matches begin!
**Cosplay Policy:**
Please refer to our cosplay policy [here][18] – these rules are designed to keep cosplayers and LEC fans alike safe at our events, so please ensure you’re adhering to our regulations!
That’s all for now - but make sure to keep an eye on our [socials][19] and at [lolesports.com][20] for more information about how you can get involved at the LEC XPO.
[1]: https://forms.gle/KaztjFHC1TQnenFd9
[2]: https://cmsassets.rgpub.io/sanity/files/dsfx7636/news_live/5aadad798c7d059766fcaed38280f9e328cec542.pdf
[3]: https://www.instagram.com/anaelic_/
[4]: https://www.instagram.com/littlejem/
[5]: https://forms.gle/Xhh8vvAUoaB6uAYJA
[6]: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lolesports/albums
[7]: https://twitter.com/86thFloor
[8]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq_TBnetB8k
[9]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk7rxw3rcXY
[10]: https://www.instagram.com/kameliacos/?hl=en
[11]: https://www.instagram.com/solaire_/
[12]: https://www.instagram.com/bahamutcosplay/
[13]: https://www.instagram.com/cinderys_art/
[14]: https://www.instagram.com/addssin_/
[15]: https://www.instagram.com/enzaeru/
[16]: https://www.instagram.com/chimeral_cosplayart/?hl=fr
[17]: https://www.instagram.com/arshedacosplay/
[18]: https://cmsassets.rgpub.io/sanity/files/dsfx7636/news_live/18ee4de9bd8e72892383b4b3091b1ff076808899.pdf
[19]: https://linktr.ee/LECofficial
[20]: https://lolesports.com/
