It's been four years since Korean hit MMO Blade & Soul made its way to the West, and to celebrate this auspicious anniversary we're looking at the way its fans are bringing the game to life through cosplay.
Talented tailors Kara Corvus and Mscheesecake take us through the process of designing and making out-of-this-world outfits, and what got them interested in the first place.
There are plenty of hidden tricks of the trades to talk about, and things you wouldn't even consider a problem until they happen, such as what to do if the material you're making a costume out of turns out to be too shiny for a photographer's flash.
Kara's Yeoharan cosplay, celebrating the pirate queen of Blade & Soul, was hacked together from pleather, a sunhat and the ubiquitous EVA foam that makes up so many rigid props and armor plates in the cosplay world. The combination of toughness, durability and light weight makes it perfect for heading to cons and not coming home with a wrecked back. The iconic DP-28 light machine gun that she carries was actually 3D-printed from the model files.
Mscheesecake's Zen Archer had to use the reverse side of the satin fabric she ordered, to avoid the flash glare during photography. The entire skirt was made from seven yards of fabric over seven hours, and the bow is again fashioned from EVA with an aluminium core, for a little bit of strength in the long profile.
To celebrate their achievement there is a giveaway for HyperX gear that you can enter here.
Did you enjoy the look behind creating these Blade & Soul cosplays? Which cosplays would you like to know more about the creation process?
