Public voting for Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 opened on October 26 and closes at 23:59 GMT on Friday, October 30 (7:59 PM Eastern), on the official Golden Joystick Awards page. Organizer Future also named actor Alix Wilton Regan as host of the ceremony on November 11.
The Details
Twelve games made the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist:
- 007 First Light
- Big Walk
- Control Resonant
- Crimson Desert
- Dispatch
- Forza Horizon 6
- Phantom Blade Zero
- Pokemon Pokopia
- Pragmata
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Star Wars Galactic Racer
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
It is the only vote still open. Voting in the other 21 categories, including PC Game of the Year and Most Wanted Game, closed on October 23. Future runs Ultimate Game of the Year in its own, later window so that judges and players have more time with the big autumn releases.
The host. Future’s announcement notes that Wilton Regan plays Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider Catalyst. “We’re celebrating the greatest games of the past 12 months,” she said, adding that the night is also about “the incredibly talented teams who made them happen.” Guest presenters from across the industry will join her.
The show. The 44th Golden Joystick Awards return as an in-person event at Troxy in London on November 11, streamed live on YouTube, Twitch and X. Daniel Dawkins, content director on the awards, called them “the only games awards show chosen by the players.”
What This Means for Players
Five days to decide. If you are torn, our coverage can help settle it. Our Crimson Desert guides and Blood of Dawnwalker guides cover two of the nominees in depth, and our Dawnwalker review gives our full verdict on it. If you want to finish one more nominee before Friday, our guides to how long Control Resonant and Phantom Blade Zero take to beat will tell you whether that is realistic.
More nominees we cover. We also have guides for Pokemon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem and Star Wars Galactic Racer. For how the year looks to us, see our best games of 2026 so far.
When and Where
Ultimate Game of the Year voting runs until 23:59 GMT on Friday, October 30, 2026. Winners are revealed at the Golden Joystick Awards on November 11 at Troxy, London, and on stream.
Source: Golden Joystick Awards 2026, Future, October 26, 2026.