I didn’t think I could do anything more to show off how big of a Game Awards sicko I am. I have consistently predicted the “Game Awards” nominees both in the middle of the year, and right before the ceremony. I make customized betting odds for them, and I do several other articles about them every year.
Yet, I managed to take things to another level this year and decided to predict what the nominees would be in January. It was an insane exercise, but I honestly had a lot of fun with it. However, the lack of data meant that I made a lot of predictions that crashed and burned fast. RIP Highguard.
But now, we are back in a territory where I feel like I can do pretty well. We are halfway through the year. Many games have been released, and we also have plenty of release dates locked into place. I don’t feel like doing the math, but I believe I generally average around a low to mid 60% hit rate when I do these in the summer, which is pretty good in my opinion.
So, let’s get to it! Here are all my predictions for the 2026 Game Awards. Tune in tomorrow for predictions from David, the new STAR of the BigNerdGaming podcast. And then come on back in November for my final predictions and plenty of other Game Awards content.
Game of the Year
-007 First Light
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Order of the Sinking Star
-Resident Evil Requiem
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
I have to say, this one was a serious struggle. The hardest part here is that I would say no game released so far in 2026 has distinguished itself as a true lock to be nominated. The only AAA game sitting at a 90 or higher on Opencritic is Forza Horizon 6, and that series has never been nominated for this despite some stellar ratings in the past. On the indie side, Mina the Hollower is the one game that I would say is a clear contender to be here, but I just haven’t seen quite the amount of buzz for that game that I’d normally hope to see from an indie that makes it here. While the game is definitely popular, it isn’t a sensation like most of our more recent indie “Game of the Year” nominees.
Of games that have been released so far this year, I decided that First Light and Resident Evil Requiem are both the safest. Both games are very well rated, and the buzz hasn’t died down for either since their new release. The Game Awards really likes a new series over a sequel, which I think gives 007 First Light a nice chance to be here, as it really is a lot more innovative than you’d think. Meanwhile, the Resident Evil series has consistently performed pretty well at The Game Awards, so Requiem feels like a logical fit.
From there, I kept three games that I predicted back in January. It’s really hard not to see GTA6 or Control Resonant making it here if they release on time. Remedy and Rockstar both have incredibly good track records. I also decided to go for it with the Ocarina of Time remake. Well made remakes of classics from that era have done very well in recent years.
There were tons of games that I could have chosen for the last spot, but I decided to take a shot with Order of the Sinking Star. That game has a very ambitious and intriguing concept, and Jonathan Blow has a track record of strong reviews with his games. At this point, it feels like one indie game will have to make it, and I think that is the best bet for now. After playing the demo, I feel even stronger about this prediction. Wolverine is obviously the biggest snub here, but I’m just worried that the more linear nature will take away a lot of what people enjoy about these superhero games.
Best Game Direction
-007 First Light
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
While there can be differences, including last year, generally “Best Game Direction” is usually a category with games that are also nominated for “Game of the Year.” I don’t see any real reason to diverge too far from that for my nominations to this point. This award is also shaded toward games that are more cinematic, so that makes First Light, Control Resonant, and GTA6 easy choices. I decided to throw in Wolverine over Order of the Sinking Star and Requiem since I expect that game to be much more cinematic.
Best Narrative
-007 First Light
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-Silent Hill: Townfall
We finally have a category where I feel like there is a stone cold lock with a game that has already been released. There is absolutely no way that 007 First Light won’t be here. That story is top notch and even the Bond fans I’ve seen think that the game stands with most of the movies in terms of its plot. The pacing is excellent throughout that entire experience.
Honestly, I feel like 2026 has been pretty weak from a big release story perspective. The one other game that has come out that could fit in here seems like Mina the Hollower, but I’m skeptical on that at this point.
Instead, I just went for a bunch of unreleased games that all have great track records with their narratives. Once again, Remedy, Rockstar, and Insomniac all have pretty good track records with this category, so they were easy choices. The last two Silent Hill games have also been nominated for this category, so taking a shot on Townfall felt like my next best option after that.
Best Art Direction
-Control Resonant
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-MOUSE: PI For Hire
-Orbitals
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
This was a tricky one. We’ve reached a level with graphics in games where it’s tough for a great looking game to stand out in the same ways in the AAA scene. And even though this is an award for “Art Direction,” I think it’s undeniable that graphic fidelity has played a role in the past. I’m not sure that will be the case going forward. 007 First Light and Resident Evil Requiem are incredible looking games, but I didn’t even consider them here.
“Indie game with a really unique art style” is a very common theme with this award, so two of my easier choices were actually MOUSE and Orbitals. MOUSE’s animations are so fantastic, and it’s unlike anything else ever done in the gaming scene that I’m aware of. The old-school anime visuals in Orbitals are also really stunning from what I’ve seen in trailers, so I think that will stand out to the voters.
From there, I went with track record. Remedy has won this award with its last two major releases, so it’s tough not to see Control Resonant getting a nomination here. GTA6 also is probably a lock to be here with all of the detail its world is going to have.
The last pick was a real struggle, but the last two big Zelda games received nominations here, so I’m guessing Ocarina of Time will pull it off as well.
Best Score and Music
-Control Resonant
-Final Fantasy Resonance
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Mixtape
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
This category feels weird, but I actually think I landed in a decent place.
First off, GTA6 and Mixtape seem like good bets for their respective soundtracks. Mixtape has tons of licensed songs, and while I didn’t absolutely love the soundtrack, I think it’s interesting and blended with the story well enough to get respect here. GTA6 will probably get on thanks to its radio stations, but I won’t be shocked if they have some other tricks up their sleeve as well.
Final Fantasy Resonance is a Final Fantasy game. Final Fantasy games tend to not only get nominated but win this category. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t at least work its way in for a nomination. Similarly, Ocarina of Time has a legendary soundtrack, and if it gets remixed and fleshed out more, I can’t see it getting snubbed. The Final Fantasy VII remakes have had great success here.
Finally, I went with Control Resonant. I feel like Remedy leveled up their music game with Alan Wake 2, and I have to think that they will continue that momentum with Resonant. I also think it will be a “Game of the Year” nominee, and those games tend to pick up more nominations.
Best Audio Design
-Forza Horizon 6
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-Resident Evil Requiem
-Saros
This is one of two categories where I have not shifted a thing since my original predictions back in January.
All of these developers have track records of making it into this category, and nothing has come along to make me question any of them to this point. Forza always makes it, Rockstar got here with RDR2, the Resident Evil games usually make it, Insomniac made it with the Spider-Man games, and Housemarque made it here with Returnal.
There could be some competition from Silent Hill: Townfall or Modern Warfare 4, but I’m sticking with this for the time being.
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)
Here is the other category where nothing has shifted for me since my first predictions in January.
The best way to get nominated for this category is to be the lead character in a big, cinematic game. Patrick Gibson easily locked up a nomination with his awesome performance in 007 First Light. As it stands, I anticipate all of the other leads from all of the other big, cinematic games this year making it as well. I haven’t heard one performance from any larger release this year that makes me question these selections at all.
Best Independent Game
-Fields of Mistria
-Mewgenics
-Mina the Hollower
-Order of the Sinking Star
-Valor Mortis
There are still a lot of indies out there without release dates, so this could change pretty dramatically.
Mewgenics and Mina the Hollower are easy locks. Mewgenics is at an 89 on OpenCritic, and Mina is at a 91. Both are from well known developers and have sold well. There’s just no way five games surpass either of them.
From there, I obviously feel pretty confident in Order of the Sinking Star, considering that I also have it as a “Game of the Year” nominee, so that one is set. I also feel decent about Fields of Mistria. That game now has a set release date, 20,000+ English reviews on Steam, and an overwhelmingly positive rating. I really think that game is about to be a sensation.
Originally, I was going to predict that Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse would be here, as it is made by indie developers and looks amazing. However, it is published by Konami, so that (probably) won’t happen, but you never know with the voters. So I ended up debating between Mixtape and Valor Mortis for the last spot. Mixtape is definitely the safer bet here. It has a passionate fanbase, and it was played by a lot of people. But I am just a huge believer in Valor Mortis. The developer has a great track record, and it has a very interesting take on Soulslikes that I haven’t personally seen yet. I think it’s going to be a hit, and Mixtape will be on the outside looking in.
Best Action Game
-Gears of War: E-Day
-Halo: Campaign Evolved
-Phantom Blade Zero
-Saros
-Valor Mortis
One of the biggest challenges with genre awards is figuring out where different games are going to be placed. I feel like if critics classify Pragmata as an “Action” game, which could be argued, it should be in here, but I think it’s going to be classed into the much more competitive “Action/Adventure” category. I also originally had Nioh 3 in this category when I made predictions in January, but the more open nature of that game has me pretty convinced that it will be classed into the “RPG” category this time around.
So because of that, I ended up with the five games you see above. Saros is the most obvious lock here. I don’t expect it to get a “Game of the Year” nomination, but it’s at least sort of in the conversation, so it won’t have a problem getting a nomination here.
After that, it’s all unreleased games. Gears of War E-Day seems like the safest bet, as it looks really good from what I’ve seen, and the series has a strong track record of delivering quality. I’ve seen some skepticism about the Halo remake, but I think the early trailers look great, and having some new missions definitely makes the game feel much more worth playing. I’ve also liked a lot of what I’ve seen from Phantom Blade Zero, so I also threw it on here.
Finally, I debated between Onimusha and Valor Mortis. As I said in the indie category, I’m a big believer in Valor Mortis, so I decided to go ahead and take a shot at it.
Best Action/Adventure Game
-007 First Light
-Grand Theft Auto 6
-Marvel’s Wolverine
-Resident Evil Requiem
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
This one was really easy. I have four “Game of the Year” nominees that fit in very nicely here, and then I have my biggest snub in Marvel’s Wolverine. Simple enough. With the more linear format for Wolverine, I was thinking that Wolverine might get classed into “Best Action,” but the other more linear games from Insomniac, Ratchet and Clank, made it into “Action/Adventure” in the past, so I put it in there as well.
Best RPG
-Beast of Reincarnation
-Crimson Desert
-Control Resonant
-Final Fantasy Resonance
-Nioh 3
This category has been filled with “Game of the Year” contenders in recent years, but this year, it’s going to be a weirder category.
It feels weird to put two particular games in here. Remedy generally makes “Action/Adventure” games, but they are explicitly advertising Control Resonant as an RPG, so that is where I am putting it. As I said earlier, the past Nioh games have been in the “Best Action” category, but if Lies of P and Elden Ring are RPGs, I have no idea why Nioh 3 wouldn’t also be an RPG, so I put it in as well.
From there, I put Final Fantasy Resonance in, because even though a lot of these HD-2D games don’t have huge success at these awards, I think the Final Fantasy name will garner it way more attention. I’m also a massive believer in Beast of Reincarnation, so that also makes it here.
Finally, I put in Crimson Desert. I’m someone who didn’t end up loving that game, but it has enough passionate fans that I think it should be able to sneak in.
I considered The Duskbloods as well, but I think the multiplayer format will keep it out of this category, even if it’s pretty good.
Best Family Game
-Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
-Orbitals
-Pokémon Pokopia
-Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
-Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
Lego Batman and Pokopia are incredibly easy locks. Both are very highly reviewed and family friendly. Tomodachi Life isn’t a huge game in the hardcore gamer scene, but it is insanely popular, and I think that will also get it in here despite the reviews not being quite as strong.
From there, I think Orbitals looks like a pretty good bet to be a lot of fun. I think it’s also in a good position to get a few other nominations, which should help it here. Finally, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book hasn’t gotten much hype, but it’s well rated, and it was tough to find any other obvious contenders for this spot.
Best Sim/Strategy Game
-Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
-Mewgenics
-Star Wars Zero Company
-Vampire Crawlers
-Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4
Fire Emblem, Mewgenics, and Star Wars Zero Company are all easy choices. Mewgenics is a stone cold lock, and I think something disastrous would have to happen for Fire Emblem or Zero Company not to be here with their respective track records.
From there, I picked Dawn of War 4 because of the IP, which I think is big enough for it to get noticed by non-strategy gamers. Finally, I went with Vampire Crawlers. There aren’t a lot of instances of deckbuilders making it in this category; the most recent example I could find was Inscryption in 2021. But this category is not exactly stacked with lots of obvious contenders, and Vampire Crawlers was big enough and well reviewed enough to sneak in.
Best Multiplayer
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
-Gears of War: E-Day
-Marathon
-Orbitals
-The Duskbloods
This was a tough one to put together. The only one I feel decent about is Marathon. Even though that game is under some real turmoil, it was still well reviewed and is easily one of the most played multiplayer games this year.
I’ve mentioned Orbitals several times so far, and if it makes it for “Art Direction” and “Best Family Game,” then I don’t see how it wouldn’t also make it in here.
If The Duskbloods comes out this year, it also feels like a lock, but I do find it strange that we still don’t have a release date. For all the complaints about Nightreign, it did make it into this category last year.
From there, I went with two of the biggest shooters coming out that will have multiplayer. Simple enough.
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