The Golden Joystick Awards on Monday published a 12‑game shortlist for the 2026 Ultimate Game of the Year prize and opened public voting on the organization’s website. Voting will remain open until 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 30, and the 44th edition of the awards is scheduled for Nov. 11 in London, with a stream on YouTube, Twitch and X.
nominees and eligibility notes
The shortlist mixes major studio releases and smaller independent titles. The nominees for Ultimate Game of the Year are:
- 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
Two nominees, Phantom Blade Zero and STAR WARS: Galactic Racer, had not been released at the time the shortlist was posted. Phantom Blade Zero is due to launch on Oct. 29 on PlayStation 5 and PC, placing its release inside the voting window; early critic reviews for Phantom Blade Zero placed the game at an 88 on Metacritic, according to KitGuru’s reporting.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be your host,” Alix Wilton Regan said. “We’re celebrating the greatest games of the past 12 months – and, more importantly, the incredibly talented teams who made them happen.”
Alix Wilton Regan, who voices Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider Catalyst and has credited roles in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Dragon Age: Inquisition, will host the Nov. 11 ceremony, the awards organizers confirmed.
voting and broadcast
The Golden Joystick Awards are decided entirely by public vote; the organization is accepting ballots on goldenjoysticks.com. The shortlist was announced publicly on Oct. 26, and the ceremony will include an in‑person event at the Troxy in London alongside online streams on multiple platforms.
Voting deadlines were published in local and international times; organizers said voting closes at 1 a.m. Central European Time on Oct. 31 (midnight U.K. time), which corresponds to 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 30. The winners will be revealed during the Nov. 11 event.
The Golden Joystick Awards began in 1983 and are among the longest‑running publicly voted game awards. The Ultimate Game of the Year category is the ceremony’s highest‑profile public prize and has previously recognized a mixture of mainstream blockbusters and acclaimed independent releases.
| Key dates | Time (ET) |
|---|---|
| Voting closes | Oct. 30, 8 p.m. |
| Awards ceremony | Nov. 11 |
Organizers posted the shortlist on social channels and the awards’ official site; the ceremony will stream worldwide on YouTube, Twitch and X. The Golden Joystick Awards also publish a wider range of category nominees and winners, determined by the public vote and by a nominated jury for some categories.
