For the last two years, I have done something that I consider to be truly sick. I have attempted to predict most of The Game Awards nominees a bit after Summer Game Fest. This is a very difficult task, as some games do not yet have release dates, and many games with release dates get delayed. I’m also obviously trying to predict the quality of games that are not out yet, which isn’t easy.
But this weird challenge has been fun, and my results haven’t been terrible. I’m too lazy to recalculate the numbers, but I believe I’ve gotten roughly 58% of my picks right in the past few years. That’s not bad at all given what I’m up against.
While I was recently touting my success, a friend trolled me and said I should actually attempt to predict The Game Awards at the very start of the year.
At first, I chuckled, but within seconds I thought to myself, “Actually, that sounds fun!” So, here I am.
Welcome to my WAY WAY too early Game Awards predictions. This task is damn near impossible, but I had fun with it anyway. Also, I think it’s a different and cool way to look ahead to the coming year. Just doing this project got me even more excited for gaming in 2026.
If you read through this, I guess you’re kind of sick too. Enjoy! If I can even break 45% with this, I’ll consider it a huge win. And check back after Summer Game Fest many months from now for my updated picks.
Game of the Year
-007 First Light
-Clockwork Revolution
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-Saros
I would say these predictions are mostly boring. I have five out of the six highest profile releases coming in 2026 on here, but that does tend to be how things go with these awards.
For most of these, I have almost no concerns regarding quality. The main question is whether they actually come out in 2026. 007 First Light has a confirmed release date, but it might be the main game here that I could see being released but not being good enough to make it to “Game of the Year” nominations. IO Interactive has done a great job with the Hitman series, but it has never been good enough to get these kinds of accolades. The weakest part of Hitman 3 was the more “setpiece” train level the game had, which fits in more with the kinds of levels I’d expect in 007 First Light. However, the clips of gameplay I’ve seen seem to blend Hitman-style gameplay with Uncharted-type moments pretty well. I think the story hooks look really interesting as well. I’m optimistic about this one, and it’s going to be a very big release.
Clockwork Revolution is probably my biggest risk here. inXile Entertainment has never made a game quite like this one, but I’m still optimistic. Clockwork Revolution basically looks like BioShock, but with the heavy RPG elements that you’d expect from a CRPG (which is usually what inXile makes). The five minutes of gameplay shown off last year really wowed me, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I believed hard in Expedition 33 last year, and Clockwork Revolution is the game that I’m planting my flag on this year. The fact that we had such a long trailer last summer makes me feel like Clockwork Revolution will come out in 2026, though no date or even year has been announced yet.
Control Resonant, Grand Theft Auto 6, and Marvel’s Wolverine are all pretty easy picks. All three of the developers behind those games have track records of getting nominated for “Game of the Year.” If they come out, I’d be very confident that they will make it. Control Resonant and Wolverine don’t currently have release dates, and almost no one trusts GTA 6’s current release date. I won’t be shocked if only one or two of these make it out this year.
If I had to bet my life on one game actually making it, it would probably be Saros, which has a release date. Saros is the next game from Housemarque, the team that made Returnal. Returnal had a very weird “Game Awards” back in 2021. It was not nominated for “Game of the Year,” but it did win “Best Action Game” over Deathloop, which had been nominated. Regardless, I think anyone who played that game can acknowledge that the gameplay was top notch and not quite like anything else out there. However, there were some unfortunate design decisions with run lengths, the lack of a real upgrade system, and elements of the story that held it back from reaching the highs it could have. Everything I’ve seen about Saros makes me feel like all of those complaints are being addressed this time around. If that happens, this should slide in easily.
The biggest snub here is Resident Evil: Requiem. This trilogy hasn’t necessarily been a “Game Awards” home run to this point. Village got a nomination in 2021, but that was one of the weakest gaming years in the modern era. Biohazard was snubbed in 2017. If this year is as good as I anticipate, I could see it being on the outside looking in.
Best Game Direction
-007 First Light
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-Saros
“Best Game Direction” tends to mostly go to games that are in the running for “Game of the Year.” However, the award also favors games that are more cinematic in nature. My current predictions for “Game of the Year” exclusively feature games I’d consider cinematic, so I’ve kept the same games but removed Clockwork Revolution, as that was my “bubble” game.
Best Narrative
-007 First Light
-Control Resonant
-Clockwork Revolution
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
While “Best Narrative” tends to have plenty of games nominated for “Game of the Year,” I don’t believe we’ve ever had a situation where all the nominees were also in the big category. But as things stand, I expect most of the big titles to be here. Remedy is always in the mix for “Best Narrative,” so Control Resonant seems like a no brainer. GTA6 and Marvel’s Wolverine similarly have developers with track records of making it to this category. Both Spider-Man games from Insomniac have been nominated, and Red Dead Redemption won this prize in 2018.
IO Interactive isn’t exactly known for great stories with its Hitman franchise, but 007 First Light seems like a clear candidate to change that. Not only is this a James Bond game, but it also appears to be the first ever origin story for the long running franchise. There is an insane amount of potential with that, and I think all of the ingredients are there for this to be great.
Finally, if Clockwork Revolution is as good as I expect it to be, I anticipate a very good story being attached to it. There are a lot of BioShock inspirations, after all.
Best Art Direction
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Fable
-Orbitals
-Out of Words
I’m actually playing Control right now, and it’s amazing how good that game looks even seven years later. It’s a game that almost entirely takes place within a big government building, yet they found so many ways to make it look stunning. With more of a standard open world, I can’t imagine how good Control Resonant is going to look. Alan Wake 2 won this award in 2023, so Remedy knows what they are doing.
Looking back at past “Game Awards,” there are almost no games that take place within a modern day city that have been nominated for this award. The only exception I can find is Arkham Knight back in 2016, which had a sort of dreary comic book look that helped elevate it. The Spider-Man games weren’t nominated for this award, despite being great looking games, because there’s only so much you can do stylistically with these kinds of settings. But given everything Rockstar can do, I think they will be an exception and make it in. That game will certainly look amazing, and if it releases, I expect it to be here.
From there, we finally break free of my “Game of the Year” nominees that have dominated thus far. We haven’t seen much of Fable, but the little that we have seen looks amazing visually, and I expect the big fantasy setting will have many amazing sights throughout.
Orbitals has an early 90s anime art style that doesn’t look like much else out there. It’s very appealing, and I think it will stand out enough to get a nomination if it is released this year.
Much like Orbitals, Out of Words is also a co-op game, but it has a stunning looking a Claymation design instead. I’ve been blown away by every short trailer I’ve seen from it, and I think it will similarly stand out enough for voters to remember it if it drops this year.
Best Score and Music
-007 First Light
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Mixtape
-Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
This was one of the tougher ones for me.
Much like narrative, IO Interactive doesn’t have a track record with getting nominations in this category. However, since they are making a Bond game, I’m expecting some iconic and cinematic scores that will help carry it to a nomination.
The first Control did not get a nomination for “Best Score and Music,” but I feel like Remedy took their music game to another level with Alan Wake 2, which did get a nomination. This makes me feel like Resonant will similarly level up and grab a nomination.
GTA6 is an easy enough pick. Red Dead Redemption 2 won this category, and I expect people to be in love with the various radio stations in the game.
Mixtape is from the same developers that made The Artful Escape, which received a nomination in 2021. Mixtape seems to be leaning even harder into the music (as you can probably tell from the title), and they have already announced a soundtrack with a lot of heavy hitters. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it here.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is another series that has received nominations in this category, so I’m throwing it in, but it’s easily the one I struggled with the most.
Best Audio Design
-Forza Horizon 6
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-Resident Evil: Requiem
-Saros
Usually, I find “Best Audio Design” to be somewhat difficult to predict, but this year we have a lot of developers with strong track records in it.
The Forza Horizon series is a regular in this category, and Horizon 5 won it, so Horizon 6 is a pretty safe bet.
That logic holds for everything else here. Red Dead Redemption 2 won this in 2018, so GTA 6 is an easy pick.
Insomniac has received nominations here for the Spider-Man series, so I expect the same with Wolverine. The extra violence in that game might give them even more opportunities to create satisfying audio.
Generally, the best rated survival horror game of the year makes it here, and Resident Evil has a track record of nominations, so Requiem is another easy choice.
Returnal also received a nomination in this category in 2021, so Housemarque’s Saros is another simple prediction. I loved the audio design in Returnal, and I expect it to be even better in Saros.
Best Performance
-Dylan Rourke as Jason Duval (Grand Theft Auto 6)
-Liam McIntyre as Wolverine (Marvel’s Wolverine)
-Manni L. Perez as Lucia Caminos (Grand Theft Auto 6)
-Patrick Gibson as James Bond (007 First Light)
-Sean Durrie as Dylan Faden (Control Resonant)
This category is generally one of the hardest, but if these games come out, it actually feels like one of the easiest this time around. If someone is a lead actor in a big, cinematic game, they are usually frontrunners. We have several games like that this year, and these games don’t have ensemble type casts like some other games in recent years, such as Expedition 33, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Death Stranding 2. That makes it a lot easier.
While the voice actors for GTA 6 aren’t confirmed yet, internet rumors seem pretty confident that Dylan Rourke and Manni L. Perez will be in the leading roles. Whoever plays those two characters will almost assuredly be in a tremendous spot to get a nomination here.
Spider-Man actors have consistently received nominations, so Liam McIntyre as Wolverine also feels easy.
Playing the iconic James Bond also makes it feel like it will be easy for Patrick Gibson to slide in as 007.
And finally, as I stated earlier, I am currently playing Control, and Sean Durrie as Dylan is excellent in many ways. I have no doubt he will excel as a leading man. Remedy also has a very strong track record of delivering nominees to this category.
Best Independent Game
-Fields of Mistria
-Mina the Hollower
-Order of the Sinking Star
-Witchbrook
-Valor Mortis
Whew, now this one is tough. Indie games are generally pretty vague with their release dates, but all of these games have tremendous potential if they come out this year.
Fields of Mistria is one of the games I feel best about here. There have been many indie farming sims since Stardew Valley became a sensation, and Fields of Mistria finally feels like the one that could overtake it in popularity. It has been in early access for about a year and a half and currently has “overwhelmingly positive” Steam reviews. It also has over 18,000 reviews. Those are impressive numbers for an early access game from a team without any real track record. The roadmap for the game has 2026 slated as its 1.0 release date, and if that happens, I expect critics to love it the way players have.
Mina the Hollower is another game that I feel pretty good about. This is from the developer of the highly acclaimed Shovel Knight, and I’ve heard very positive impressions from the demo. I think the Zelda direction gives them more upside to be even more creative and to gain more players this time as well. With the big name behind it and the high chance of it being well rated, I think Mina will be here. It was due out late last year and pushed back, so it should be out within a few months.
From there, it’s harder. We haven’t seen much from Order of the Sinking Star, but Jonathan Blow’s last game, The Witness, received a nomination. Order of the Sinking Star seems massive in scale and looks pretty damn interesting and complex. If it releases as intended this year, I think it has a good chance.
Witchbrook basically looks like the cozy wizarding school game that Harry Potter fans have always wanted. It was originally scheduled for last winter, but got pushed to 2026. That makes me feel like it has a good chance of being released. This is probably the one I feel the least confident in, as I don’t believe anyone has played it, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of footage of how it will work. But if it works, I think a lot of people will be in love.
Finally, I have Valor Mortis, the new game from the developers of Ghostrunner. The Ghostrunner games are great, so I know the developers have a lot of talent. The unique setting for a soulslike and the first-person perspective make this game feel very unique in a genre that has, at times, grown stale for some. This mix makes me pretty bullish on this one surprising people. The game also had an Alpha test late last year that received a great reception. If this comes out in 2026, keep an eye out.
Best Action Game
-Gears of War: E-Day
-Halo: Campaign Evolved
-Nioh 3
-Phantom Blade Zero
-Saros
Saros is the easiest one here, as I think it has a great chance to receive an overall “Game of the Year” nomination. If it gets snubbed there, there’s almost no way it won’t be here. Returnal actually won this category in 2021 as well.
Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved are two very big Microsoft franchises that tend to get good reviews, which is obviously important in this category. The original Halo is still one of my favorite FPS campaigns of all time, and the early footage looks great.
Both Nioh 1 and Nioh 2 were nominated in this category, so Nioh 3 is another decent bet.
I’m not sure how to feel about Phantom Blade Zero. A few of the trailers have looked really good, but the last one just didn’t click with me. Regardless, it’s one of the highest profile action games slated for this year, so odds are it will be good enough to make it as long as it releases. I considered Valor Mortis in its spot, but Phantom Blade Zero feels a bit safer.
Best Action/Adventure Game
-007 First Light
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake
-Resident Evil Requiem
Given my Game of the Year predictions, most of these were pretty easy. If 007 First Light, GTA6, and Wolverine are nominated for “Game of the Year,” they should be here. Requiem was my biggest snub from my “Game of the Year” predictions, so that also goes in here.
From there, I have no idea. I decided to throw in the Sands of Time remake, as that game is considered an all-timer, and we’ve seen tons of great remakes in the past few years. If this does what it is supposed to, it should be very acclaimed.
Best Role Playing Game
-Clockwork Revolution
-Control Resonant
-Fable
-The Blood of the Dawnwalker
-The Duskbloods
Clockwork Revolution and Control Resonant are the easy ones since I had them in “Game of the Year.” It’s pretty weird to be putting a Remedy game in the role-playing category, but that is how Resonant is being advertised. I’m fascinated by what an RPG will look like from them.
From there, it gets a bit tougher. Fable seems like the safest bet to me after that. Playground Games is very talented, and the game looks amazing visually. I think there should be room for it.
The Blood of the Dawnwalker and The Duskbloods are the wild cards, but I have faith in both. I really like some of the footage and mechanics that I’ve seen from Dawnwalker. And while I think the multiplayer elements of The Duskbloods will hold it back from getting tons of awards traction, I can very easily see FromSoft at least scooping up a nomination in a lesser category like this one.
Best Family Game
-Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
-Mario Tennis Fever
-Orbitals
-Out of Words
-Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
This is famously the Nintendo and Lego category, so that solved a few of my predictions fast. Lego Batman, Mario Tennis Fever, and Yoshi all fit the bill and have good chances of being here.
I’m sure there are some unannounced Nintendo games that will make it in, and Splatoon Raiders probably has a shot, but I decided to throw in two games that I had predicted for “Best Art Direction” as my other picks for now. Orbitals and Out of Words are both co-op, look family friendly, and have incredible looking visuals. They are probably as good a guess as any, considering how little we know about Nintendo’s 2026 plans at this point.
Best Sim/Strategy Game
-Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
-Game of Thrones: War of Westeros
-Mewgenics
-Star Wars Zero Company
-Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4
This category is always weird because I’m convinced many of the voters don’t play most of the games in this genre. But this year, we have a lot of potentially big franchises entering the strategy realm, which might make this easier.
Fire Emblem is the easiest one here, as that series is actually going to get played by casuals and is generally high enough quality to deserve a nomination. Even the slightly lower rated Fire Emblem Engage received a nomination in 2023.
From there, I included all the big names. Game of Thrones and Warhammer RTS games should be a big deal, so they are easy predictions. Star Wars Zero Company is essentially supposed to be a Star Wars X-Com game. That will be massive if it releases, and that’s a similarly easy call.
Finally, I put Mewgenics in here, which is the newest game from the creator of The Binding of Isaac. It has a crazy mix of cat breeding and tactical turn-based combat. The pedigree and the concept make it feel like a good guess. Also, given the creator, I expect a lot of people to play it, which is important too.
Best Multiplayer
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Highguard
-John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
-Marathon
-The Duskbloods
GTA 6 should be a safe bet if it drops this year. It’s still weird to me that the online component of GTA is probably bigger than the single player element at this point, and I’m sure they will have plenty of big plans for it.
I also feel somewhat safe with The Duskbloods. Once again, it’s tough to deny FromSoft. Elden Ring: Nightreign received a nomination here, so I’m sure The Duskbloods will, too.
From there, it’s several games that are complete wildcards. As I’m writing this, Highguard is in a strange place. It dropped one big trailer and has said nothing else since. People are already writing off the game. It might not be good, but with the Apex Legends track record of much of the development team, I still think it’s going to be pretty good.
I haven’t seen much hype for John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, but the trailers have impressed me way more than I would have expected. I don’t care that much about Left 4 Dead, but this could be a decent successor. And I’m actually moderately interested in trying this one, which says something.
Finally, I put Marathon in here. It would be wild if a Bungie game got totally snubbed. There was a lot of negativity around this one for a while, with some good reason, but I feel like people are starting to get excited for it now. I actually think the success of Arc Raiders is going to help it, as that game has introduced a lot of people to the extraction shooter formula. I think the game will turn out okay.
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