The 44th Golden Joystick Awards has opened its categories to public voting, with a somewhat unexpected group of games leading this year's nominations.
The Golden Joystick Awards, the world's longest-running publicly voted video game awards, is back for its 44th edition.
Unlike many other major gaming awards, the Golden Joysticks put the final decision largely in the hands of players themselves. Millions of fans vote every year for their favorite games, developers, studios and performers, with more than 21 million votes cast during the 2025 awards.
Voting for the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 officially opened on September 25 and will remain open until October 23. Players can currently vote across 21 categories, including PC Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, Best Indie Game, Best Multiplayer Game and Most Wanted Game.
The biggest award of the event, Ultimate Game of the Year, will have a separate voting period running from October 26 to October 30.
GTA 6 will miss the Golden Joystick Awards 2026
Because the Golden Joystick Awards take place before the end of the calendar year, not every major 2026 release is eligible for this year's awards.
One particularly notable absence is Grand Theft Auto 6.
Rockstar Games' highly anticipated title is scheduled to launch on November 19, eight days after the Golden Joystick Awards ceremony. That means GTA 6 will not be eligible for the main Golden Joystick Awards in 2026.
The main eligibility window for most categories covers games released between November 1, 2025 and September 25, 2026, while Ultimate Game of the Year considers releases through October 25, with certain exceptions for games launching during the voting period.
007 First Light and Big Walk lead the nominations
This year's nomination list features a few surprises.
007 First Light and Big Walk lead the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 with five nominations each.
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, meanwhile, appears in categories including Best Soundtrack, Best Storytelling and Console Game of the Year. Patrick Gibson has also been nominated for Best Lead Performer for his portrayal of James Bond, while Lennie James received a Best Supporting Performer nomination for his role as John Greenway.
Resident Evil Requiem follows with three nominations, including Console Game of the Year, Best Game Trailer and Best Supporting Performer for Angela Sant'Albano as Grace Ashcroft.
Other games receiving multiple nominations include Dispatch, Meccha Chameleon, Saros, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Valheim and Mewgenics.
How to vote in the Golden Joystick Awards 2026
Players can cast their votes through the official Golden Joystick Awards website until October 23.
As an added bonus, everyone who registers their votes can claim a free gaming ebook from a selection that includes:
100 Retro Games to Play Before You Die
RG Presents: The Handheld Gaming Collection
The History of Videogames
Ultimate Retro PC Gamer Collection
Everything You Need To Know About Fortnite
Ultimate Guide to Roblox
To claim the ebook, voters need to enter their email address and register their votes after completing the ballot.
The 44th Golden Joystick Awards ceremony will take place at the Troxy in London on November 11, 2026, when the winners across this year's categories will be announced.
With public voting now underway, players have until October 23 to decide which games, studios and performers deserve to take home one of gaming's longest-running awards.
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