The anniversary edition of the VIECC Vienna Comic Conwas the epicenter of pop culture last weekend (23rd and 24th November). The mix of Hollywood stars, top cosplayers and an exciting supporting program, for which several hundred thousand euros were invested in total, made the event an absolute highlight for all ages. Of course, the VCA Vienna Challengers Arena performance by Magenta, which triumphantly shone in a new color in this year’s edition, was also partly responsible for this success.
Still we missed a better representation of the LGBT+ characters and we still wonder why.
Stars to touch
Sean Astin, known as Sam from The Lord of the Rings, action legend Steven Seagal and Batman comic book legend Frank Miller were particularly big crowd pullers at the anniversary edition. Harry Potter fans rushed to the autograph session from Hogwarts caretaker David Bradley. The ingenious mix of stars from film and television as well as comic artists made the hearts of the fans beat faster – much to the delight of the organizer Reed Exhibitions. In the midst of the action, at the Influencer Video Con, there was no stopping the younger guests in particular when YouTubers like Mike Singer or Chaosflo44 rocked the stage.
Cosplay contest winner flies to Chicago
Every year one of the top highlights of the VIECC Vienna Comic Con – the Championships of Cosplay presented by FM4. The winner among the many impressive cosplays was Rozari Cosplay from the Czech Republic as Philippa Eilhart (The Witcher 3). She is now flying to Chicago for the C2E2 Crown Championships of Cosplay, the largest and most prestigious cosplay competition in the world.
Top gamers fought exciting duels
The organizer made a quantum leap with the esports event. The VCA Vienna Challengers Arena performance by Magenta took place for the third time, but this year on an unprecedented scale. High prize money, powerful sponsors, gamers from more than 22 countries and mega-exciting duels. The first Smash Sisters Crew Battle took place on Saturday, in which Sophie “the Warrior” was able to prevail among all participants. The places at Tekken7 and Mortal Combat were also highly coveted. FIFA players duel for €2,500 in prize money at the Coca-Cola eSoccer Cup, with first place winner Sercan Kara celebrating. The absolute highlight was the final of Coca-Cola Breakpoint Ultimate The Major, where gamers from all over the world duel. “The #1 in the world, MkLeo from Mexico, prevailed against the top-class competition. It was super exciting right up to the end, after all it was a prize pot of almost €12,000,” says a delighted Jenny Rassi from the Reed Exhibitions organizing team.
Organizers extremely satisfied – looking forward to 2020
“When VIECC premiered 5 years ago, I had a vision and never thought it could become a reality. However, this year has taught me better – it was simply legendary – a weekend that the fans will be talking about for a long time! Above all, with the VCA performance by Magenta, we have set new standards in the esports sector in Austria and given the community a huge push,” says Florian Schermann, Category Manager at organizer Reed Exhibitions. Fans should already put the next date in their calendars! On November 21st and 22nd, 2020 the next VIECC Vienna Comic Con including VCA Vienna Challengers Arena performance by Magenta will take place in the Messe Wien. (press release)
