Nominasjonene til «Årets ultimate spill» er avslørt.

Last month, the Golden Joystick Awards announced the nominations and nominees for its upcoming 44th ceremony, which will take place on November 11. Over the course of the month, gamers voted in 21 different categories, and the second round of voting—to determine the best game of the year—has now begun.

A total of 12 games, selected by the Golden Joystick Awards, have made it to the top category—Ultimate Game of the Year. These include 007 First Light, Big Walk, Control Resonant, Crimson Desert, Dispatch, Forza Horizon 6, Phantom Blade Zero, Pokémon Pokipia, Pragmata, Resident Evil Requiem, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and The Blood of Dawnwalker. Voting is now open on gamesradar.com, in a special section dedicated to the Golden Joystick Awards 2026. It will run through October 30; you can vote for up to three games, ranking them from 1 to 3.

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 Pokipia
• Pragmata
• Resident Evil Requiem
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer
• The Blood of Dawnwalker

Cast your vote at http://goldenjoysticks.com. Voting closes on Friday 30 Oct!

Most likely, the list follows a logical pattern and truly features the best games coming out this year. However, some users are surprised to see Dispatch on the list, since it was originally released in 2025; by that logic, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered— one of the highest-rated games of the year —should also be included. Also, some are surprised by the absence of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but are pleased that Phantom Blade Zero is included. The game is coming out this week, and according to game critics, it’s one of the best games of the year.

The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 will be followed immediately by The Game Awards in December. The nominees haven't been announced yet, but GTA 6—the most anticipated game of the year and a likely contender for GOTY award— has recently been confirmed as eligible to participate.