[Updated]: Syfy Returns To Cosplay With New Competition Series: Cosplay Melee

Update: Have now added the extended Syfy trailer at the bottom of this post.

So after their last outing in the cosplay genre, Heroes of Cosplay, Syfy is giving it another go, this time in a competition format series titled Cosplay Melee. In the vein of History Channel’s Forged in Fire, each week will showcase a set of four cosplayers battling it out to create full-body costumes, with the winner of each episode receiving $10,000.

Hosted by actress and self-described “super fan girl” Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), the series is produced by Lip Sync Battle and Wreck Room creators Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin. Sitting as judge and jury over the cosplayers will be cosplayer LeeAnna Vamp and industry costumer Christian Beckman (Hunger Games, TRON: Legacy).

Heather Olander, Senior Vice President at USA/Syfy said in a statement, “Cosplay is passion, artistry, engineering and theater all rolled into one.” To that end, beyond the creation and wearing of the costumes the competitors will have to also include what’s espoused as a “realistic performance”.

Brown also added:

As a huge fan of the creativity cosplayers bring to their craft, nothing makes me happier than having a front row seat for the amazing creations set to hit the runway.

So, it sounds good and well, and we already know a number of the cosplayers who’ll be participating in the various episodes and we wish them all the best in their success. Hopefully this series, focused on the creation of the costumes, rather than Heroes’ attempted focus on the lives of cosplayers will come across more positively both within and without of the cosplay community.

However, if they’re doing performance challenges, they should have had it something a bit more consistent with the cosplay experience: Getting to the bathroom and back out again without destroying the costume. Escaping a show floor while in a Slave Leia costume with the least number of stalkers. Or emergency costume repair while already in the costume.

The series will premiere on Tuesday, March 21st at 10/9 central.