2026 Golden Joystick Awards Open Ultimate Game of the Year Ballot With Alix Wilton Regan Hosting
The 12-game ballot closes at 12:00 a.m. UTC on Oct. 31 (5 p.m. PDT on Oct. 30), and the Nov. 11 ceremony falls eight days before GTA VI's scheduled Nov. 19 launch.
Voting is open for the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards’ Ultimate Game of the Year, with 12 titles competing for the player-voted honor. Pearl Abyss’ Steam announcement sets the cutoff at 12:00 a.m. UTC on Oct. 31, or 5 p.m. PDT and 8 p.m. EDT on Oct. 30. Players can vote through the Golden Joystick voting page.
Grand Theft Auto VI is absent from the field. Its scheduled Nov. 19 launch comes eight days after the Nov. 11 ceremony, while voting closes 20 days before its planned release. By contrast, The Game Awards’ standard Nov. 20 cutoff for most categories would put GTA VI within that eligibility window if its scheduled launch holds, though eligibility does not guarantee a nomination.
Alix Wilton Regan will host the 44th Golden Joystick Awards ceremony, joined by guest presenters from across the gaming industry. The in-person event will stream live on YouTube, Twitch, and X, with broadcasts through Future Games Show and PC Gamer.
Regan voices Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst.
The September awards schedule set the separate Ultimate Game of the Year voting window for Oct. 26 through Oct. 30, after voting in most categories closed Oct. 23.
Franchise contenders include Forza Horizon 6, Pokémon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem, 007 First Light, and STAR WARS: Galactic Racer. The other nominees are Big Walk, CONTROL Resonant, Crimson Desert, Dispatch, Phantom Blade Zero, PRAGMATA, and The Blood of Dawnwalker.
It's the moment you've all been waiting for. The nominees 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
🚀… pic.twitter.com/BcaGT9QP5S— Golden Joysticks (@GoldenJoysticks) October 26, 2026
Crimson Desert had earlier earned PC Game of the Year and Best Soundtrack nominations.
Which of the 12 nominees has earned your vote? Follow the ballot through Oct. 30 and the ceremony on Nov. 11 on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
