Meet the cosplay girls at the ‘world cup’ of pro-gaming
A cool cosplayer was lurking around every corner at the biggest event of the competitive gaming calendar – here are some of the best outfits we saw
THIS weekend, more than 170,000 video game fans are converging on the Spodek arena in Katowice, Poland, to watch the longest-running pro-gaming tournament: Intel Extreme Masters.
Some had been waiting for hours in sub-zero temperatures to get a good seat.
Among the throng of hoodie-clad esports enthusiasts, though, a small collective stood out, thanks to their bright, DIY outfits.
Meet the cosplayers: people who dress as specific characters using hand-crafted costumes and accessories.
And, what better place to show off your meticulous outfit than the "world cup" of pro-gaming (as one attendee described it).
There was the Polish girl, with striking purple hair, who said she'd come as "Morgana from League of Legends" – a fallen angel who deals in black magic.
"I had to take my wings off to try Echo Arena,"; she said, pointing to the virtual reality game people were lining up to play.
Others were also struggling with the real-life constraints imposed by elaborate fancy dress costumes.
At the front entrance, scurrying in from the cold, was a girl dressed as Nemesis from Crossfire: a female military officer in teeny-weeny combat fatigue.
Then there was the cosplay couple resting on the ground behind the stalls.
The girl, dressed as Poppy from League of Legends, looked tired from lugging her huge prop axe around all day.
But, sensing a photo op, she jumped up, put her phone away (because you evidently have to be in character during a pic), and grabbed the fake weapon.
"I made my boyfriend's outfit too," she said.
The guy next to her was wearing a pink skirt and robot mask.
"Although, he looks more like my girlfriend right now," she added, laughing.
"But, I made the guns," responded her boyfriend, while holding up his dual laser-blasters.
It quickly became clear that these girls were also treated like stars at gaming's biggest event.
The crowds may have been there for the pro-gamers, but they gathered around like eager fans to snap pics with the cosplayers as well.
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"I wear cosplay because I like crafting the costumes and doing the make-up," said the girl dressed as Poppy, her face painted blue.
She then sat back down on the floor and went back to playing on her smartphone – her huge axe by her side.
Minutes later, a group of young boys turned up and asked if they could take pics with her.
Ever the professional, she looked up, smiled, and said: "of course."