What Was in the Pocket of the Grand Champion's Monster Hunter Palico Cosplay? Interview With the Hong Kong Team at 'World Cosplay Championship 2026'

Cosplayers from a total of 40 countries and regions gathered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, for World Cosplay Summit 2026, held over three days from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2. On Day 2, August 2, the World Cosplay Championship 2026 — which crowns the world's No. 1 cosplayer — took place at the Aichi Prefectural Art Theater's Main Hall, where Team Hong Kong was named Grand Champion.

World Cosplay Championship 2026 is decided by combining scores from a preliminary review of contestants' handmade cosplay costumes with scores from a two-minute-30-second on-stage performance — using props and screen visuals — judged by a panel that included voice actor Toshio Furukawa and singer and TV personality Shoko Nakagawa.

The Hong Kong duo AR★Lu and Ronnie Kui cosplayed as a Palico and a Hunter from the popular hunting action game series Monster Hunter. In addition to the Grand Champion title, they also received the Tamakoshi Award in the Alumni Division, a special award.

At the post-competition press conference, when asked about the meticulously detailed costumes, AR★Lu shared their dedication, saying, "We spent a year putting our heart into making these costumes, and the coloring was painted using UV light."

They also revealed that they had placed whiskers from their cat inside the pocket of the Palico's bag, saying, "I love my cat, so I performed with its whiskers in my pocket."

The two Hong Kong representatives said they were drawn to the game's world and character designs, and that thinking the Hunter and their Palico companion made the ultimate duo was what inspired them to cosplay as Monster Hunter characters. They have also been confirmed as guest judges for World Cosplay Summit 2027, set to take place next year.

World Cosplay Summit 2027 will move from summer to autumn, and is scheduled to be held from Friday, November 12 to Sunday, November 14, 2027. The event, which draws cosplayers from around the world, is one to keep watching.

World Cosplay Summit 2026
Dates: Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026
Venues: Oasis 21 / Aichi Arts Center (Main Hall) / Hisaya-odori Park / Osu Shopping District / Hisaya-odori Teien Flarie / Central Park / Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER / SLOW ART CENTER NAGOYA

(C) 2026 World Cosplay Summit. All rights reserved.