Voting is already open for the Golden Joystick Awards 2026. As of October 19, the main shortlist is available, but the contenders for Ultimate Game of the Year are still to come. That distinction matters: the announced PC Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year categories do not replace the overall award.
This guide explains which lists to explore, which deadlines to keep, and how the different awards fit together. No winners have been announced, and a high nomination count is not a prediction of the final results.
The dates to keep
- September 25, 2026: main shortlist announcement and voting opens.
- October 23: main voting closes.
- October 26: Ultimate Game of the Year nominees revealed and voting opens.
- October 30: voting for the ultimate award closes.
- November 11: ceremony and winners announced in London.
These are the organiser’s calendar dates. Avoid leaving your choices until the final minutes: check the precise closing time in the voting form rather than assuming it means midnight in your own time zone.
The names attracting attention
007 First Light and Big Walk have five nominations each. The James Bond adventure is recognised for storytelling, soundtrack, Console Game of the Year, and performances by Patrick Gibson and Lennie James. Big Walk appears in audio design, indie game, multiplayer, trailer, and PC Game of the Year.
There are two useful ways to read these shortlists: as recognition of an overall experience and as recognition of a particular craft. Choosing a soundtrack does not require you to consider the same game the strongest in every other respect. The separate categories make room for those differences.
PC Game of the Year: all ten nominees
- 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
- Valheim
This is a separate PC-focused award. Inclusion does not automatically qualify a game for the forthcoming Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist, and it should not be read as a PC-exclusivity label.
Console Game of the Year: all ten nominees
- 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
- SAROS
The console category spans different platforms. Before buying a nominated game, check the specific version in your console’s store: a nomination does not establish availability on every device.
Beyond the game-of-the-year categories
The main round covers 21 categories. They recognise storytelling, visual and audio design, music, performances, multiplayer, expansions, early access, remakes and remasters, trailers, adaptations, and gaming hardware. There are also categories for indie and self-published indie games, studios, anticipated games, and continuing experiences in Still Playing.
The organiser’s complete category and nominee list is linked in the sources below. The two full platform shortlists reproduced here are a useful starting point, not a substitute for the entire competition.
How to vote
- Open the official Golden Joystick Awards page from the sources below.
- Check that you are viewing the 2026 campaign, then choose Start Voting.
- Read the available categories and the form’s instructions. Make choices from your own experience rather than a title’s popularity alone.
- Complete the process as instructed by the organiser. Selecting an option is not the same as receiving confirmation that your vote was submitted.
Voting takes place with the organiser, not on vidgetc. We do not collect votes, ask for gaming-account passwords, or guarantee a result for any nominee.
Why Ultimate GOTY is a separate step
Before October 26, it would be premature to present any selection as the complete shortlist for the overall game-of-the-year prize. The main round and ultimate award have different voting windows. Participating now does not replace taking part in that later round.
The practical approach is to consider the currently available categories first, then return to the official page when Ultimate GOTY is announced. Judge the results after the November 11 ceremony, rather than treating a nomination as an award already won.
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