The 44th Golden Joystick Awards, the world's oldest voting-based game awards, has revealed its nominees for 2026 and opened global fan voting on its official website, which runs until 8:00 AM KST on October 24.
First held in 1983 and celebrating its 44th edition this year, the Golden Joystick Awards determines its winners through direct votes from gamers worldwide. The 2025 ceremony saw a record-breaking 21 million votes cast, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sweeping seven categories. Other multiple award winners included Ghost of Yōtei, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and PEAK.
Online voting for general categories—including Console Game of the Year, PC Game of the Year, and Most Wanted Game—is currently underway on the official Golden Joystick Awards website. Voting closes at midnight BST on October 23 (8:00 AM KST on Saturday, October 24).
Leading this year's nominations are 007 First Light and Big Walk with six nominations each. Resident Evil Requiem earned four nominations, while Dispatch, MECCHA CHAMELEON, Mewgenics, SAROS, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Valheim also received multiple nominations. Among Korean titles, Crimson Desert was nominated for PC Game of the Year and Best Audio, while DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle Content Pack was nominated for Best Game Expansion.
The 10 titles vying for PC Game of the Year, one of the flagship categories, are Big Walk, Crimson Desert, Escape from Tarkov, Esoteric Ebb, MECCHA CHAMELEON, Mewgenics, Order of the Sinking Star, STAR WARS Zero Company, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Valheim. The Console Game of the Year category features 10 competing titles: 007 First Light, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, Forza Horizon 6, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Nioh 3, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Pokémon Pokopia, PRAGMATA, Resident Evil Requiem, and SAROS. Meanwhile, six developers earned nominations for Studio of the Year: CAPCOM, Frogwares, House House, IO Interactive, Nintendo EPD, and SQUARE ENIX.
The shortlist for the ceremony's highest honor, Ultimate Game of the Year, will be announced separately on Monday, October 26, when voting for that category officially opens. In addition, winners for the Streamer's Choice Award, Breakthrough Award, and Critics' Choice Award—selected by media panels and creators including GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, Future Games Show, Edge magazine, Knowledge, and Retro Gamer—will also be revealed during the main ceremony.
Daniel Dawkins, Content Director of Golden Joystick Awards at Future, said, "After another exciting yet turbulent year in the video game industry, the Golden Joystick Awards is proud to celebrate the great releases of the past 12 months. With the hugely anticipated GTA 6 set to launch just a week after our live show, the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards is delighted to share its most diverse and creative nominee lineup yet. Indie hits Big Walk, Dispatch, and Mina the Hollower sit alongside AAA blockbusters such as 007 First Light, Forza Horizon 6, and Resident Evil Requiem.
This year, no single game dominates the field, making this one of our most open and unpredictable years yet—making your vote more influential than ever in deciding our winners," he added. "We're thrilled to debut a new look for the Golden Joystick Awards, embracing the iconic joystick trophy that traces all the way back to our inception in 1983. Gaming has changed so much in the following 43 years, but not the creativity and determination of those who sacrifice so much to share the games we love so much."
The final winners of the 44th Golden Joystick Awards will be announced on Wednesday, November 11, during an in-person ceremony in central London that will be broadcast live globally. Further details regarding nominees and voting can be found on the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 website and its official Instagram, X, and Facebook pages.
