With the initial voting period of the 44th Annual Golden Joystick having recently come to an end, it's now time to vote for the Ultimate Game of the Year. The voting has started now, and will remain open until 8PM EST on October 30.
This year, the following games were nominated:
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
A couple of these games were actually released last year. In fact, Dispatch celebrated its one-year anniversary just a few days ago. The show will be hosted globally on November 11, hosted by Alix Wilton Regan, who will be voicing Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider games.
Quote From Games Press The 44th Golden Joystick Awards are delighted to reveal the nominees for this year’s prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award. The public vote is live now at goldenjoysticks.com and will remain open until 5pm PT / 8pm ET / midnight GMT on Friday, October 30, 2026.
The nominations 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
The Golden Joystick Awards are also delighted to announce that actor Alix Wilton Regan (Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis) will host the awards on November 11 alongside guest presenters from the world of gaming.Alix Wilton Regan, actor and show host said:
"I’m absolutely thrilled to be your host for this year’s Golden Joystick Awards on November 11th. We’re celebrating the greatest games of the past 12 months - and, more importantly, the incredibly talented teams who made them happen. The people who put in thousands of hours creating virtual worlds for us to get hopelessly lost in. Get ready for an evening of special guests, spectacular games and plenty of silly jokes. If you haven’t cast your vote yet, now’s the time to vote for your Ultimate Game of the Year. See you on November 11th when we will unveil your winners!'
Daniel Dawkins, Content Director - Games, Video and Digital Events commented:
“With millions of votes cast across our initial 21 categories, it’s now time to reveal who is in the running for our most-coveted award, Ultimate Game of the Year. This year’s shortlist offers a fascinating cross-section of our industry in 2026, with the work of small teams of indie developers sitting shoulder to shoulder with titanic gaming franchises like Pokémon and Resident Evil, as well as huge IPs like STAR WARS and James Bond. The Golden Joystick Awards are the only games awards show chosen by the players - and we can’t wait to see who the public vote for as their Ultimate Game of the Year. Tune in on November 11 to find out the winners and honor the hard work of our industry’s supremely talented developers - in a dazzling ceremony hosted by the wonderful Alix Wilton Regan.”The Golden Joystick Awards honor the people and products that have transformed the games industry in 2026. The event features 25 categories, the majority of which are voted for by the global gaming public. The event was first held in 1983 and is now the world’s oldest publicly voted gaming awards brand.
All the winners will be revealed in a celebration of games in London and live-streamed globally on all major streaming platforms on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Viewers can watch the ceremony live via YouTube, Twitch and X as well as Future Games Show, GamesRadar+ and PC Gamer.
For more information visit Golden Joystick Awards 2026 or follow us on Instagram, X and Facebook #GoldenJoystickAwards.Contact:
For press queries: Helen Jones / Eva Field
E: [email protected] or [email protected]
Notes to Editors
About The Golden Joystick Awards
The Golden Joystick Awards honor the people and products that have transformed the games industry in 2026. The event features 25 categories, the majority of which are voted for by the global gaming public. The event was first held in 1983 and is now the world’s oldest publicly voted gaming awards brand. For more information visit goldenjoysticks.com or follow us on x.com/goldenjoysticks and facebook.com/goldenjoysticks.
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What do you think about the nominations this year? Who do you think will win? Let us know in the comments below.
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