FAQ
About the Next GBWC Tournament
Q.Will GBWC be held next year?
A.We are planning on holding the next GBWC (the 14th tournament) in 2027.
Q.Why isn't it being held this fiscal year?
A.To ensure the continued success of the GBWC, we have decided to review the tournament format.
By allowing sufficient preparation time, we hope to offer participants an even more satisfying tournament experience.
By allowing sufficient preparation time, we hope to offer participants an even more satisfying tournament experience.
Q.Will future tournaments from the 15th onward be held once every two years as well?
A.The schedules for the 15th tournament and beyond have yet to be decided.
Q.Will the event be completely canceled for this fiscal year?
A.While this depends on the region, we are considering region-specific contests as well as contests conducted entirely online.
Q.When will there be an announcement on the official date of the next tournament?
A.It is still undecided, but we will announce it on the official website once decided.
Q.I'm thinking of working on a build for the next tournament; are there any changes to the regulations that I should know about?
A.Further details will be announced at a later date on the official website.
Q.I was really looking forward to the GBWC this year. It's quite a shame.
A.We express our sincerest apologies to all our fans who have been anticipating the event.
We are working hard to improve the experience for the next tournament.
Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
We are working hard to improve the experience for the next tournament.
Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
FAQs on Acceptable Products/Parts
Q.May I use items from the Figure-rise series?
A.Characters that appear in the Gundam series are acceptable.
Q.May I use materials such as plastic plates and putty?
A.General modeling materials such as plastic plates, putty, and clay may be used as long as they do not contain any design elements, such as colors, patterns, or shapes, associated with specific characters or works. For details, please refer to the competition rules under “About Entry Works.”
Q.May I use runners?
A.GUNPLA runners may be used. However, parts made from runners of other plastic model kits will, in principle, be excluded from judging. If such use violates the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified or excluded from judging.
Q.What decals and stickers may I use?
A.Various GUNDAM Decals, decals/stickers included with GUNPLA kits, and other stickers that fall under ""General Modeling Materials"" are permitted. The ""Customize Material"" series is also allowed.
If decals from other plastic models or materials exceeding the definition of ""General Modeling Materials"" are used, the relevant parts will, in principle, be excluded from judging.
If the use of such materials results in any part or the entirety of the entry violating or potentially violating the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified.
If decals from other plastic models or materials exceeding the definition of ""General Modeling Materials"" are used, the relevant parts will, in principle, be excluded from judging.
If the use of such materials results in any part or the entirety of the entry violating or potentially violating the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified.
Q.Are plastic model kits other than GUNPLA allowed?
A. All submitted works, including their main or majority components, must be created using official GUNPLA kits.
If the use of plastic model kits other than GUNPLA is permitted, the relevant parts will, in principle, be excluded from judging.
If any part or the entirety of the work is deemed to violate or potentially violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified. Examples include but are not limited to expressions that undermine the character integrity of GUNDAM or other copyrighted works, or the clear presence of non-GUNDAM copyrighted characters within the work. Please refer to the competition rules for details.
Additionally, even if the use of such kits does not explicitly violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, works in which their usage is particularly prominent may still be excluded from award consideration depending on the nature and extent of their use.
If the use of plastic model kits other than GUNPLA is permitted, the relevant parts will, in principle, be excluded from judging.
If any part or the entirety of the work is deemed to violate or potentially violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified. Examples include but are not limited to expressions that undermine the character integrity of GUNDAM or other copyrighted works, or the clear presence of non-GUNDAM copyrighted characters within the work. Please refer to the competition rules for details.
Additionally, even if the use of such kits does not explicitly violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, works in which their usage is particularly prominent may still be excluded from award consideration depending on the nature and extent of their use.
*Note: This applies equally to BANDAI SPIRITS original character plastic models, such as the 30 MINUTES series.
Q.To what extent are materials other than plastic model kits allowed?
A.Materials defined as "General Modeling Materials" in the competition rules may be used for decorating GUNPLA or creating dioramas.
If materials exceeding the definition of "General Modeling Materials" are used, the relevant parts will, in principle, be excluded from judging.
If any part or the entirety of the work is deemed to violate or potentially violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified. Examples include but are not limited to expressions that undermine the character integrity of GUNDAM or other copyrighted works, the clear presence of non-GUNDAM copyrighted characters, or the use of parts and materials that infringe upon the rights of their manufacturers or sellers, or are deemed inconsistent with their intent. Please refer to the competition rules for details.
Additionally, even if the use of such materials does not explicitly violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, works in which their usage is particularly prominent may still be excluded from award consideration depending on the nature and extent of their use.
If materials exceeding the definition of "General Modeling Materials" are used, the relevant parts will, in principle, be excluded from judging.
If any part or the entirety of the work is deemed to violate or potentially violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified. Examples include but are not limited to expressions that undermine the character integrity of GUNDAM or other copyrighted works, the clear presence of non-GUNDAM copyrighted characters, or the use of parts and materials that infringe upon the rights of their manufacturers or sellers, or are deemed inconsistent with their intent. Please refer to the competition rules for details.
Additionally, even if the use of such materials does not explicitly violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, works in which their usage is particularly prominent may still be excluded from award consideration depending on the nature and extent of their use.
*Note: This applies equally to non-GUNPLA GUNDAM-related products such as candy toys and capsule toys.
Q.Are parts created with a 3D printer allowed?
A.3D-printed parts may be used as long as their appearance and usage do not violate the rules outlined in “Prohibition.”
Examples of prohibited use include, but are not limited to, parts that infringe upon copyrights, trademarks, portrait rights, rights to honor, privacy rights, or any other third-party rights.
If any part or the entirety of the work is deemed to violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified. Please refer to the competition rules for details.
Examples of prohibited use include, but are not limited to, parts that infringe upon copyrights, trademarks, portrait rights, rights to honor, privacy rights, or any other third-party rights.
If any part or the entirety of the work is deemed to violate the rules outlined in the “Prohibition” section, the entry may be disqualified. Please refer to the competition rules for details.
FAQs About Entering
Q.Are there rules for the background of the photos?
A.Using a plain background such as black or white will make your work stand out better.
Using backgrounds that may infringe on a third party’s rights may have the work deemed ineligible for judging or may be disqualified no matter the quality of the work itself.
(Examples include characters that don’t appear in the Gundam series or marks and logos related to companies.)
Using backgrounds that may infringe on a third party’s rights may have the work deemed ineligible for judging or may be disqualified no matter the quality of the work itself.
(Examples include characters that don’t appear in the Gundam series or marks and logos related to companies.)
Q.Are image edits allowed?
A.Refrain from image editing or modifications that alter the actual impression of the submitted work, except for brightness adjustments and cropping.
Blurring or covering parts of the image is allowed if necessary to obscure materials that may infringe upon third-party rights or pose a potential infringement risk. However, please take care to avoid such elements being captured during photography.
Blurring or covering parts of the image is allowed if necessary to obscure materials that may infringe upon third-party rights or pose a potential infringement risk. However, please take care to avoid such elements being captured during photography.
Q.I entered online, but when I checked my entry, the quality of the photo I submitted has deteriorated. Is that the photo that I’ll be judged on?
A.The photo on the confirmation page is simply a preview, so the quality will be bad. You will be judged based on the original photo entered.
Q.I haven’t finished my piece, but I want to enter anyway. Can I send in another photo later on?
A.No. Please send in photos of your work in their final stage.
Q.I keep getting an error when I try to enter. What could be the problem?
A.One of the most common causes of errors is image size. Please check the pixel dimensions of each image and ensure that each side does not exceed 4000 pixels.
Q.Is there a way that I can check that my entry was submitted successfully?
A.All entrants will receive a confirmation email. Please make sure that it isn’t in your spam folder.
Other FAQs
Q.Can you please tell me why I was disqualified so I can do better in the next competition?
A.We can’t tell you specifically how you violated the rules because it has to do with our judging process, but most entrants are disqualified for not using an acceptable kit or there’s something in the background that violates a third party’s rights.
