The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 were held on November 11 in London. The 44th edition of the awards brought together video games from various genres and scales, featuring 25 categories and a wide list of nominees.
The majority of the awards were determined by public voting. Among the awarded titles were Dispatch, Meccha Chameleon, Resident Evil Requiem, and Crimson Desert.

Golden Joystick Awards 2026: complete list of winners
Here are the results of the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 in the main categories, with the winners highlighted in bold and the voting percentages when reported.
Best Narrative
007 First Light
The Blood of Dawnwalker
Dispatch (winner)
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies
Silent Hill: Townfall
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
Best Sound Design
Rhythm Heaven Groove
Big Walk
Saros
Marathon
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Onimusha: Way of the Sword (winner, 32% of votes)

Best Multiplayer Game
Big Walk
Valheim
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls
Marathon
ARC Raiders
Meccha Chameleon (winner, 31% of votes)
Best Visual Design
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Forza Horizon 6
Saros
Phonopolis
Control Resonant (winner, 31% of votes)
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 Self-Published Indie Game
Mewgenics
Mina the Hollower
Perfect Tides: Station to Station
Phonopolis
The Incident at Galley House
Meccha Chameleon (winner, 32% of votes)
Rhythm Doctor
Fields of Mistria
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors
Cairn
Best Indie Game
Big Walk
Valheim (winner, 28% of votes)
Order of the Sinking Star
Titanium Court
Mixtape
Denshattack!
Esoteric Ebb
Mouse: P.I. For Hire
Reanimal
Sovereign Tower

Best Video Game Hardware
Sony INZONE M10S II
Steam Controller (winner, 51% of votes)
Secretlab ATLAS
Logitech G PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II
Razer Viper V4 Pro
Studio of the Year
Capcom (winner, 57% of votes)
House House
IO Interactive
Nintendo EPD
Frogwares
Square Enix

Best Early Access Game
Slay the Spire 2
Subnautica 2 (winner, 35% of votes)
Dead as Disco
Wardogs
Menace
skate.
Best Soundtrack
Lumines Arise
Mewgenics
Mixtape
Crimson Desert
Dispatch (winner, 26% of votes)
007 First Light
Ongoing Game: 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 votes)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Mobile

Ongoing Game: PC and Consoles
No Man’s Sky
Helldivers 2
Minecraft (winner, 23% of votes)
Fortnite













