The Golden Joystick Awards revealed the 12 nominees for Ultimate Game of the Year on October 26 and opened public voting, with goldenjoysticks.com accepting votes until Friday, October 30.
The awards’ official account announced the shortlist in a post on X, and the roster splits roughly between big-budget releases and smaller breakouts. Long-gestating action titles Crimson Desert and Phantom Blade Zero made the list alongside Forza Horizon 6, PRAGMATA and Resident Evil Requiem. The rest of the field is filled out by 007 First Light, Big Walk, CONTROL Resonant, Dispatch, Pokémon Pokopia, STAR WARS: Galactic Racer and The Blood of Dawnwalker. Voting closes at 8 pm ET on October 30.
Alix Wilton Regan will host the show
The Golden Joysticks also confirmed Alix Wilton Regan as host of the 2026 ceremony. Regan is the new voice of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider Catalyst, and played the female protagonists in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Inquisition. The 44th edition of the awards, which launched in 1983 and are decided entirely by public vote, takes place on Wednesday, November 11 and streams on YouTube, Twitch and X, alongside an in-person event.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be your host,” Regan said. “We’re celebrating the greatest games of the past 12 months – and, more importantly, the incredibly talented teams who made them happen.”
Two nominees are not out yet
Phantom Blade Zero and STAR WARS: Galactic Racer have not been released, and GameRant notes that Phantom Blade Zero launches October 29, giving players one day to try it before voting closes. A Reddit commenter claims a September 25 eligibility cutoff should have excluded both games, though that date is the commenter’s assertion and has not been confirmed as award policy; nominees reportedly need only have released within the last 12 months. Grand Theft Auto 6 is absent because it arrives after the ceremony, so it cannot compete until next year’s edition.
The Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist is the final category of 22 at this year’s show, after the other 21 categories were already voted on. The winners are announced at the November 11 ceremony.
