Cosplay is still a bit of an unknown world to me, but it’s one I’d love to be more involved with. I’ve only ever cosplayed once, really—aside from the odd Halloween costume which I know doesn’t really count—but that doesn’t mean I don’t try to stay as in the loop as possible. I’ve always been more of a lurker, spending hours scrolling through social media admiring everyone’s commitment to their favourite characters, and I am constantly impressed by the creativity the cosplay community showcases.
Character Select
Welcome to Character Select, a weekly column where PC Gamer takes a look at the art and cosplay created by you. Each week, I’ll highlight a few of my favourite pieces, spotlight and interview creators and artists, or generally just chew your ear off about the talents of the gaming community.
I wanted to start off by spotlighting this incredible Hideo Kojima cosplay from Matt To (@zzorrx2 on Instagram) which our very own Midas got to witness in the flesh over the last weekend. I’ve seen a few Kojima cosplays across the last few months, but none of them outside of the comfort of the model’s house. I’d be lying if I said this incredible cosplay didn’t make me do a double take when Midas initially shared the photo. Sometimes you can’t help but applaud someone for their commitment to the bit.
I also wanted to give a special shoutout to anyone who walks the hallowed convention halls of Comic Con/EGX in any sort of power armour, or generally armoured outfit for that matter. As soon as the temperature falls in the UK we love to pump the heating up as high as it’ll go, and I don’t imagine any of these suits have great air conditioning. But, they do look incredible. I remember seeing Reinhardt’s “Griefhardt” cosplay at a gaming convention (Insomnia Gaming Festival in 2023, if you were wondering) and being blown away by the sheer scale and detail of it before becoming genuinely curious about how it feels to cart the weight of all the armour around all day.
MCM Comic Con saw plenty of 40k cosplayers this year, including this incredible Iron Warrior suit by @IronWarriorCosplay on Instagram. One of the burning questions I’ve always had for people who commit to Warhammer 40k cosplay, or any large armoured or mech-related costume for that matter, is where do you put it? When you’re not roaming convention halls or taking pictures for social media, where do you store all the parts? Do you have a stand for it in your house, or does it get crammed into a room until the next time you bring it out? These are the things I need to know and I finally have a place to ask you.
The speed at which people have created unbelievable Hornet cosplays since Silksong’s release in September is astounding too. I’ve loved seeing the different ways people approached making Hornet’s mask, like using paper mache or cardboard and a lot of artistic ability I could only imagine harnessing. But one cosplay I saw from MCM last weekend by Teo’s Nest went as far as 3D printing the headpiece, which takes some serious time and filament. It does look incredible though, so it was clearly worth the effort (and the pictures taken with other Silksong guests).
If all of the photos and videos from Comic Con/EGX have reminded me of one thing though, it’s that cosplay really is for everyone. No matter your fandom, or how old you are, or your skill level at any sort of prop and costume making, you’re always welcomed and encouraged to join in. It’s the same with any convention. Although most of my cosplay comes from whatever is lying around in my wardrobe, I can’t help feeling a glimmer of creative inspiration from the attendees, which hopefully means I’ll get to wander around dressed up next year rather than admiring from a distance.
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