44th Golden Joystick Awards Reveals Nominee Shortlist and Opens Public Voting
Public voting has officially opened for the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards, featuring a diverse lineup of nominees across multiple competitive categories.
Image: Steam store promotional artwork
The organizers of the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards have published the shortlist of nominees across several publicly voted categories, allowing the community to begin casting their ballots. The long-running awards program has opened selection for various honors, including categories for visual design, storytelling, multiplayer experiences, and indie productions.
Contenders for the PC Game of the Year category have also been named, comprising ten selected titles. The slate features Big Walk, Crimson Desert, Escape from Tarkov, Esoteric Ebb, Meccha Chameleon, Mewgenics, Order of the Sinking Star, Star War Zero Company, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Valheim. Eligible titles generally required a launch between November 1, 2025, and September 25, 2026, or had to grant judges early access ahead of the cut-off date.
Community members can submit their votes until the ballot box closes on October 23 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET / midnight BST. Following the regular categories, nominees for the Ultimate Game of the Year award will be unveiled on October 26 alongside their own voting period, leading up to the final winner reveals during an awards ceremony set for November 11.