Halsin, a cosplayer who was meticulously dressed to the nines, won PAX Australia’s cosplay contest.

Cosplay at gaming conventions such as PAX Australia can be a great window into the current nerd culture. It's hard to forget the year that Heath Ledger jokers were everywhere, but this year Deadpools were everywhere. The trend of Baldur’s Gate 3 cosplay continued last year, with people taking Larian’s heroes and making their own. This includes the winner of this year's Cosplay Central Crown Championships, who cosplayed in the role of Halsin.

Claire McCutcheon (AKA Instagram's Hench Wench) won the overall category for her version of the buff elven-druid complete with duck. On her Instagram story you can see all the work that went into her costume, starting with a speed-build for the convention last year and then 12 months of upgrading. She also dealt with accidental "battle damages" on newly tooled leather due to her cat claws. It was a lot of work, and it was well deserved. The audience sang Happy Birthday to McCutcheon after she was announced the winner.

Danielle Debs, as Micah-10 in Destiny 2, was the runner-up. Her outfit must have kept her busy for many nights with her 3D printer. Other entries included an impressively statured Lady Dimitrescu, from Resident Evil Village, and a vault dweller from Fallout with armored jumpsuit.

McCutcheon, the overall winner of the competition, received a prize worth $3,000, a trophy, a medal, tickets, and accommodation to next year's PAX Australia. She also had the opportunity to represent Australia at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo next year.