Crimson Desert, Resident Evil Requiem, and Dawnwalker Lead the Field: All 12 Ultimate Game of the Year Nominees at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026
The final stage of voting for the 44th Annual Golden Joystick Awards is officially underway. Organizers have unveiled the 12-game shortlist competing for the ceremony's top prize, Ultimate Game of the Year 2026, giving players around the world until October 30, 2026 to cast their ballots ahead of the live London show on November 11.
From Crimson Desert to Resident Evil Requiem: The Full 12-Game Shortlist
Spanning open-world action RPGs, survival horror blockbusters, high-speed arcade racers, and inventive cooperative adventures, the 12 titles vying for the 2026 crown represent a broad cross-section of this year's standout releases:
- 007 First Light (IO Interactive): The narrative espionage action-adventure exploring James Bond's origin story.
- Big Walk (House House / Panic): The cooperative multiplayer walker focused on teamwork, communication, and navigation from the creators of Untitled Goose Game.
- CONTROL Resonant (Remedy Entertainment): The supernatural open-world action RPG following Dylan Faden across a reality-warped Manhattan.
- Crimson Desert (Pearl Abyss): The sweeping open-world action-adventure starring Kliff and the Greymanes across the continent of Pywel.
- Dispatch (AdHoc Studio): The workplace superhero comedy and narrative management game built by veteran episodic storytellers.
- Forza Horizon 6 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios): The open-world racing festival set across the mountain passes and neon highways of Japan.
- Phantom Blade Zero (S-Game): The fast-paced kungfupunk martial arts action RPG.
- Pokémon Pokopia (Game Freak and Omega Force): The cozy life-simulation spin-off built for Nintendo Switch 2.
- PRAGMATA (Capcom): The lunar sci-fi action-adventure pairing astronaut Hugh with the android Diana.
- Resident Evil Requiem (Capcom): The ninth mainline survival horror entry uniting Leon S. Kennedy and FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft.
- STAR WARS: Galactic Racer (Fuse Games): The high-speed arcade racing title set across the Outer Rim.
- The Blood of Dawnwalker (Rebel Wolves): The 14th-century dark fantasy open-world RPG crafted by former The Witcher 3 leads.
Several contenders enter the voting window with strong autumn momentum. Pearl Abyss is preparing to launch Crimson Desert's Charting the Unknown expansion on October 29, while Capcom secured two separate spots in the final 12 thanks to the critical and commercial reception of both Resident Evil Requiem and PRAGMATA.
Meanwhile, Polish studio Rebel Wolves continues to build on its dark fantasy debut shortly after rolling out The Blood of Dawnwalker Update 1.1 with ability respec and over 1,100 fixes.
Voting Closes October 30 Ahead of the November 11 London Ceremony With Alix Wilton Regan
Public voting for Ultimate Game of the Year is open for five days only and closes on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 8:00 PM EDT / 11:59 PM GMT.
The winner of the top trophy, alongside the recipients of the other 21 categories, will be revealed live on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the Troxy in London. This year's ceremony will be hosted by actress and performance capture artist Alix Wilton Regan, known for portraying Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider Catalyst, as well as her roles in Dragon Age: Inquisition and Cyberpunk 2077. The full ceremony will stream live globally on YouTube and Twitch.
My Take
Put Crimson Desert, Resident Evil Requiem, and The Blood of Dawnwalker in the same ring and you don't need a PR speech to know 2026 delivered heavy hitters. What makes this final twelve-game ballot genuinely exciting is that hundred-million-dollar blockbusters have to survive a pure public vote against bold creative swings like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Big Walk.
With voting slamming shut on October 30 at midnight, there's no backroom jury to play politics: on November 11 in London, the loudest player base takes the crown.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles 'Grimtag' Ronchain is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
