Rosemont, IL – November 22, 2013 – The World Cosplay Summit is pleased to announce that national final round will be held at ACen during the weekend of May 16th to 18th, 2014. Pairs cosplay teams from qualifying rounds across the country will appear, showcasing the best American craftsmanship and stage performances. They will compete for the honor of representing the United States in a televised event at the 2014 World Cosplay Summit in Japan.

After 12 strong years of World Cosplay Summit , and a tremendous growth in the skill, scope and scale of competition in the last few especially, ACen is excited to offer the US National Finals a true home. Held just outside of Chicago, IL, ACen is one of the largest anime conventions in the country, and is one of the central United States' longest-running conventions, going more than 15 years strong. Its goal is to bring together fans and industry figures from anime, manga, video gaming, cinema and pop culture, bridging the gap between America and Japan.

Last year, World Cosplay Summit welcomed competitors from four regional competitions, numbering dozens of teams nationwide. As in previous years, teams will be vying for the chance to represent the United States internationally and compete before a judges' panel made up of industry legends. Previous years' judges have included Go Nagai ( Devilman , Cutie Honey ), Tomokazu Sugita ( Gintama , The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ), May'n ( Macross Frontier ), and many more. World Cosplay Summit looks forward to sharing all the excitement, competition and fabulous costumes with everyone at ACen 2014.

About World Cosplay Summit

The World Cosplay Summit was launched in 2003 by Japanese television station TV Aichi to promote the international exchange of the Japanese youth culture of manga and anime. The championship debuted in 2005 and has been held annually since, with participants hailing from countries like Japan, the United States, Brazil, France, Italy, and more. 2014 will mark the event's 12th occurrence with over 20 countries in attendance.

The United States organizing branch has been headed since 2010 by freelance organizer and 2005 United States team member, Laura Butler.