Awards season is officially underway. The Golden Joystick Awards have revealed the shortlist for Ultimate Game of the Year — the flagship prize of the ceremony’s 44th year — and public voting is open now until Friday, October 30 (8pm ET / midnight GMT). Twelve games made the cut, and there are some genuinely notable calls on the list.
The 12 Nominees
- 007 First Light
- Big Walk
- Control Resonant
- Crimson Desert
- Dispatch
- Forza Horizon 6
- Phantom Blade Zero
- Pokémon Pokopia
- Pragmata
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Star Wars: Galactic Racer
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
The Notable Calls
Phantom Blade Zero’s inclusion is the boldest: the game isn’t even out until October 29 — one day before voting closes — but its review embargo has already lifted with the Wuxia actioner sitting at 88 on Metacritic and 90 on OpenCritic, which we rounded up here. Pokémon Pokopia’s nod means a Pokémon game has officially landed a Game of the Year nomination, and Crimson Desert arrives nominated with both acclaim and a brand-new expansion about to set sail — which we covered here. PC Gamer’s own staff is already torn on the pick: “Crimson Desert is maybe the most technically impressive in terms of scope, releasing with not only a billion systems but also receiving massive updates over the course of the year.”
The racing heavyweights made the list too — Forza Horizon 6 and Star Wars: Galactic Racer, the year’s best-rated racing releases per our review roundup — alongside the year’s biggest horror entry, Resident Evil Requiem. And the most-anticipated game of all time? Missing. GTA 6 launches November 19 — safely after voting closes — so the year’s biggest release can’t make this year’s list at all.
When and How to Watch
While fans have been able to vote across most Golden Joystick categories for the past month, the Ultimate Game of the Year nominees were kept under wraps until now — you can cast your vote at goldenjoysticks.com until October 30. The ceremony streams on YouTube, Twitch, and X on Wednesday, November 11, hosted by Alix Wilton Regan — the voice of Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, which we previewed here.