The 44th Golden Joystick Awards revealed its 2026 nominees on September 25 — no single game dominates, with 007: First Light and Big Walk leading the pack, according to the organizers. What to watch: public voting closes October 23, and the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist drops October 26.
September 25, 2026 — The Golden Joystick Awards, organized by Future plc via GamesRadar, revealed the nominees for the 44th annual awards across 21 categories and opened public voting at goldenjoysticks.com. The ceremony takes place on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in central London, livestreamed globally.
Image: Illustration of a golden joystick trophy on a pedestal under spotlight beams, with confetti and floating game-controller buttons. Credit: Red Eye Eagle News / original AI illustration.
Editor's Highlight: This is the "People's Gaming Awards" at full strength — all 21 categories are fan-voted after a record 21 million votes in 2025, when Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept seven awards. With indies standing alongside AAA blockbusters, the organizers call this one of their most open and unpredictable years.
Table of Contents
- Key Facts
- The nominees are out: what happened on September 25
- 007 First Light and Big Walk lead the pack
- Console and PC Game of the Year: the shortlists
- The GTA 6-sized hole in the list
- How voting works — and what to watch next
- Bottom Line
- FAQ
- Sources
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Announcement date | September 25, 2026 (44th annual edition) |
| Voting | Open at goldenjoysticks.com; closes Oct. 23, 2026 (4pm PT / 7pm ET) |
| Categories | 21, all public vote; plus jury-selected Breakthrough, Critics' Choice, Streamers' Choice |
| Ceremony | Wednesday, November 11, 2026, central London, livestreamed globally |
| Nomination leaders | 007: First Light and Big Walk (six each, per organizers); Resident Evil Requiem (four) |
| Console GOTY | 10 nominees incl. 007: First Light, Forza Horizon 6, Resident Evil Requiem, SAROS |
| PC GOTY | 10 nominees incl. Big Walk, Crimson Desert, Escape from Tarkov, Valheim |
| Notable absence | Grand Theft Auto VI is not on the Most Wanted list |
The nominees are out: what happened on September 25
On September 25, 2026, the Golden Joystick Awards revealed the full nominee slate for the 44th edition of gaming's longest-running public-vote awards. Public voting opened the same day at goldenjoysticks.com and stays open until 4pm PT / 7pm ET / midnight BST on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The awards have also debuted a new look, per the organizers' announcement, embracing the iconic joystick trophy that traces back to the awards' inception in 1983.
Newsroom Focus: The winners will be crowned November 11 in central London — one week before Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on November 19, per FullCleared. The timing makes this year's show a prelude to gaming's biggest launch in years.
007 First Light and Big Walk lead the pack
007: First Light and Big Walk lead the field with six nominations each, according to the organizers, followed by Resident Evil Requiem with four. Dispatch, MECCHA CHAMELEON, Mewgenics, SAROS, The Blood of Dawnwalker and Valheim also earned multiple nominations.
007: First Light's nods span Best Soundtrack, Best Storytelling, Console Game of the Year, and the performer categories — Patrick Gibson (Bond) for Best Lead Performance and Lennie James (John Greenway) for Best Supporting Performer. Big Walk's nominations cover Best Audio Design, Best Indie Game, Best Multiplayer Game, Best Game Trailer and PC Game of the Year.
Console and PC Game of the Year: the shortlists
The two ten-game shortlists show how broad this year's field is. Capcom alone has three entries in Console Game of the Year — Onimusha: Way of the Sword, PRAGMATA and Resident Evil Requiem.
| Console GOTY | PC GOTY |
| 007: First Light | Big Walk |
| Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave | Crimson Desert |
| Forza Horizon 6 | Escape from Tarkov |
| LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight | Esoteric Ebb |
| Nioh 3 | MECCHA CHAMELEON |
| Onimusha: Way of the Sword | Mewgenics |
| Pokémon Pokopia | Order of the Sinking Star |
| PRAGMATA | STAR WARS Zero Company |
| Resident Evil Requiem | The Blood of Dawnwalker |
| SAROS | Valheim |
Analysis Note: With indie titles like Big Walk, Dispatch and Mewgenics standing alongside AAA blockbusters, the field is genuinely open — and open fields historically drive higher voter turnout at fan-voted shows.
The GTA 6-sized hole in the list
Grand Theft Auto VI is not on the Most Wanted list. Content director Daniel Dawkins noted the game launches a week after the ceremony, per the organizers' announcement — but fans were still surprised, with EGW.News also noting Pearl Abyss's absence from Studio of the Year as another talking point.
Practical Takeaway: Do not read the absence as a snub — eligibility windows and launch timing do the quiet work here. GTA 6 simply arrives after the show, ineligible for a 2026 celebration of games already out.
How voting works — and what to watch next
Fans can vote in all 21 categories at goldenjoysticks.com until October 23, 2026. The Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist is revealed on October 26, with a separate voting window from October 26 to 30.
A few awards sit outside the public vote: the Breakthrough Award, Critics' Choice Award and Streamers' Choice Award are selected by a jury panel of journalists from GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, Future Games Show, Edge and others, and revealed on the night.
Bottom Line
The 44th Golden Joystick Awards are wide open: 007: First Light and Big Walk lead a field with no runaway favorite. What to watch: the October 23 voting deadline, the October 26 Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist, and the November 11 ceremony in London.
FAQ
When and where is the 2026 ceremony?
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in central London, livestreamed globally.
How do I vote?
At goldenjoysticks.com. Voting in the 21 categories closes October 23, 2026 (4pm PT / 7pm ET / midnight BST).
Which games lead the nominations?
007: First Light and Big Walk (six each, according to the organizers), followed by Resident Evil Requiem with four.
Is there a separate Ultimate Game of the Year vote?
Yes. The shortlist is revealed October 26, 2026, with voting from October 26 to 30.
Is Grand Theft Auto VI nominated?
No. GTA 6 is absent from the Most Wanted list; the organizers note it launches a week after the ceremony.
Sources
- EGW.News, "Golden Joystick Awards 2026: All Nominees" — complete nominee lists in all 21 categories, voting dates, Ultimate GOTY window, fan-reaction notes.
- MCV/DEVELOP, "Voting is Open in the 44th Golden Joystick Awards" — official announcement with Daniel Dawkins quote, 2025 stats, nomination leaders, jury-panel details.
- 007 First Light (official channel), "007 First Light - Story Trailer" — embedded video; official trailer of the nominations leader.
- Original AI-generated illustration for Red Eye Eagle News (hero image)
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