The prestigious Golden Joystick Awards for 2026 unfolded in London on November 11, celebrating a wide array of achievements in the gaming sphere.

This year’s event, marking its 44th annual iteration, showcased 25 distinct awards, with a diverse selection of both popular and indie games receiving recognition. Most of the awards were determined by public voting, with the exception of four categories that were decided by a panel of industry critics and creators, namely—Streamers’ Choice, Developer’s Choice, and Critics’ Choice.

For those interested in following the announcements in real time or catching up on the show, a stream is available below:

Watch the Show

2026 Award Winners

Best Storytelling

• 007 First Light
• The Blood of Dawnwalker
• Dispatch (WINNER)
• Zero Parades: For Dead Spies
• Silent Hill: Townfall
• Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Best Audio Design

• Rhythm Heaven Groove
• Big Walk
• Saros
• Marathon
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword (WINNER) – 32% of the vote

Best Multiplayer Game

• Big Walk
• Valheim
• Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls
• Marathon
• ARC Raiders
• Meccha Chameleon (WINNER) – 31% of the vote

Best Visual Design

• Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
• Forza Horizon 6
• Saros
• Phonopolis
• Control Resonant (WINNER) – 31% of the vote
• Orbitals

Best Game Expansion

• Doom: The Dark Ages | Revelations (WINNER)
• World of Warcraft: Midnight
• Dave the Diver – In the Jungle Content Pack
• Quake: Dawn of the Machine
• The Alters: Last Variable
• Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven

Best Indie Game (Self-Published)

• Mewgenics
• Mina the Hollower
• Perfect Tides: Station to Station
• Phonopolis
• The Incident at Galley House
• Meccha Chameleon (WINNER) – 32% of the vote
• Rhythm Doctor
• Fields of Mistria
• Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors
• Cairn

Best Indie Game

• Big Walk
• Valheim (WINNER) – 28% of the vote
• Order of the Sinking Star
• Titanium Court
• Mixtape
• Denshattack!
• Esoteric Ebb
• Mouse: P.I. For Hire
• Reanimal
• Sovereign Tower

Best Gaming Hardware

• Sony INZONE M10S II
• Steam Controller (WINNER) – 51% of the vote
• Secretlab ATLAS
• Logitech G PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE
• Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II
• Razer Viper V4 Pro

Studio of the Year

• Capcom (WINNER) – 57% of the vote
• House House
• IO Interactive
• Nintendo EPD
• Frogwares
• Square Enix

Best Early Access Game

• Slay the Spire 2
• Subnautica 2 (WINNER) – 35% of the vote
• Dead as Disco
• Wardogs
• Menace
• skate.

Best Soundtrack

• Lumines Arise
• Mewgenics
• Mixtape
• Crimson Desert
• Dispatch (WINNER) – 26% of the vote
• 007 First Light

Still Playing (Mobile)

• Genshin Impact
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Marvel Snap
• Pokémon Go
• Wuthering Waves
• Monopoly Go!
• Old School RuneScape
• NTE: Neverness to Everness
• Sky: Children of the Light
• Roblox
• Balatro (WINNER) – 22% of the vote
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Mobile

Still Playing (PC & Console)

• No Man’s Sky
• Helldivers 2
• Minecraft (WINNER) – 23% of the vote
• Fortnite
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• Warframe
• GTA Online
• Hitman World of Assassination
• Apex Legends
• World of Warcraft
• Palworld
• Call of Duty: Warzone

Streamer’s Choice Award

Best Game Trailer

• Big Walk – Release Date Announcement
• Resident Evil Requiem – Evil Has Always Had A Name (WINNER) – 27% of the vote
• Mouse: P.I. For Hire | Official Launch Trailer
• Prove You’re Human – Announcement Trailer
• Cairn – Launch Trailer
• Battlefield 6 x Top Gun: Carrier Strike Cinematic Trailer

Best Remake/Remaster

• Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter
• Gothic 1 Remake
• Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered (WINNER) – 37% of the vote
• Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.2
• Star Fox

Developer’s Choice Award

Best Game Adaptation

• Fallout (Season 2)
• Iron Lung (WINNER) – 32% of the vote
• Resident Evil
• Exit 8
• Mortal Kombat II
• Devil May Cry (Season 2)

Best Supporting Performer

• Troy Baker – Nathaniel Essex in Marvel’s Wolverine
• Vic Michaelis – Runa Blask in Star Wars Zero Company
• Lennie James – John Greenway in 007 First Light
• Terry O’Quinn – Richard in Silent Hill: Townfall
• Frankie Kevich – Zoe de Vera in Control Resonant
• Grace Saif – Diana in Pragmata (WINNER) – 54% of the vote

Best Lead Performer

• Liam McIntyre – Wolverine in Marvel’s Wolverine
• Patrick Gibson – James Bond in 007 First Light
• Aaron Paul – Robert Robertson III in Dispatch
• Angela Sant’Albano – Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil Requiem (WINNER) – 36% of the vote
• Will de Renzy-Martin – Coen in The Blood of Dawnwalker
• Anna Demetriou – Sophia in Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

PC Game of the Year

• Big Walk
• Escape from Tarkov
• Valheim
• Star Wars Zero Company
• The Blood of Dawnwalker
• Esoteric Ebb
• Mewgenics
• Meccha Chameleon
• Crimson Desert (WINNER) – 18% of the vote
• Order of the Sinking Star

Console Game of the Year

• Resident Evil Requiem (WINNER) – 27% of the vote
• Pragmata
• Pokémon Pokopia
• 007 First Light
• Forza Horizon 6
• Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword
• LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
• Saros
• Nioh 3

Critic’s Choice Award

Most Wanted Game

• The Witcher 4 (WINNER) – 18% of the vote
• God of War Laufey
• Black Myth: Zhong Kui
• Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
• Fable
• Final Fantasy VII Revelation
• Kingdom Hearts IV
• The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
• Metro 2039
• Total War: Warhammer 40,000
• Stranger Than Heaven
• Tides of Annihilation
• Exodus
• Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis
• Resident Evil Veronica
• Alien: Isolation 2
• No Law
• Stuntman: Hollywood
• Ananta

Ultimate Game of the Year

• 007 First Light
• Big Walk
• CONTROL Resonant
• Crimson Desert
• Dispatch
• Forza Horizon 6
• Phantom Blade Zero
• Pokémon Pokopia
• PRAGMATA
• Resident Evil Requiem
• STAR WARS: Galactic Racer
• The Blood of Dawnwalker

For more insights into the gaming industry, be sure to explore our other content.