007 First Light and Big Walk Each Earn 5 Golden Joystick Awards Nominations
Resident Evil Requiem follows with 3 nominations, while voting for most categories closes October 23 at 4 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. ET or midnight BST.
The 2026 Golden Joystick Awards nominations are out, with 007 First Light and Big Walk tied at the top with five nominations each. The nominees were announced on September 25, giving both games a strong presence across player-voted categories.
How the top nominees break down
Big Walk is nominated for Best Audio Design, Best Indie Game, Best Multiplayer Game, Best Game Trailer, and PC Game of the Year.
007 First Light earned nominations for Best Soundtrack, Best Storytelling, and Console Game of the Year. Its cast also appears in the performer categories, with Patrick Gibson nominated for Best Lead Performer and Lennie James nominated for Best Supporting Performer for his role as John Greenway.
Resident Evil Requiem follows with three nominations. The survival horror game is in contention for Best Trailer and Console Game of the Year, while Angela Sant’Albano is nominated for Best Supporting Performer as Grace Ashcroft.
Meccha Chameleon joins the three-nomination group in contention for PC Game of the Year, Best Multiplayer Game, and Best Indie Game, as listed in the game’s official Golden Joystick announcement.
Four other games received three nominations each: Mewgenics, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Valheim, and Saros.
PC Game of the Year shortlist
The PC Game of the Year field brings together 10 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
Eligible games had to be released between November 1, 2025, and September 25, 2026. Pre-release versions could also qualify if judges had access to them before the deadline.
Golden Joystick Awards voting schedule
Voting for most categories closes October 23 at 4 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. ET, or midnight BST. Ballots are available on the Golden Joystick Awards voting page. Ultimate Game of the Year nominees will be revealed October 26, when voting in that category opens and runs through October 30.
Jury-selected prizes will also be awarded for Streamers’ Choice Award, Breakthrough Award, and Critics’ Choice Award. Winners across the categories will be announced during the Golden Joystick Awards ceremony in London on Wednesday, November 11.
GTA 6 will not be eligible to complete the 2026/27 awards season’s Big 5 sweep because the voting windows close before the game releases. Its absence leaves the current nominees to decide the major categories before Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto arrives.
Which PC Game of the Year nominee deserves your vote? With the Ultimate Game of the Year ballot opening October 26, follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
