DICE Awards Announce Nominees for Game of the Year

Key Takeaways

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The 29th annual DICE Awards nominations have been announced, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei leading the pack with eight nominations each.
Nominations span across various categories such as animation, art direction, writing, audio design, technical achievement, action game, adventure game, family game, fighting game, racing game, role-playing game, sports game, strategy/simulation game, mobile game, online game, game design, game direction, and Game of the Year.
Several international studios have been recognized in the awards, including Czech studio Warhorse, Swedish studio MoonHood, Danish studios Triband and Light Brick Studio, UK-based Maze Theory, French Sleepy Mill Studio, Polish 11 bit studios, and GSAs Herdling.
The DICE Awards celebrate excellence in game development, with winners chosen by over 30,000 industry members. The ceremony will be held on February 12, 2026, in Las Vegas and streamed online.

DICE Awards 2026 Nominations – Best Animation to Best Original Music Unveiled!

The nominees for the 29th annual DICE Awards have been announced, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei leading the nominations with eight each. ARC Raiders and Dispatch are close behind with six nominations apiece. The DICE Awards, presented by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, celebrate excellence in game development, with winners selected by over 30,000 industry members. The awards ceremony will be held on February 12, 2026, in Las Vegas and streamed online. Approximately 64 games are nominated across categories ranging from animation and art direction to narrative and game design. Greg Miller from Kinda Funny Games and Stella Chung will host the event. DICE Awards 2026 Nominees: Best Animation: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yotei, Monster Hunter Wilds, South of Midnight, The Midnight Walk Best Art Direction: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Dispatch, Ghost of Yotei, The Midnight Walk Best Character: Atsu (Ghost of Yotei), CourtneyInvisigal (Dispatch), Esquie (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33), Maelle (Dispatch), Robert Robertson IIIMecha Man (Ghost of Yotei) Best Original Music: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei, Herdling, Mario Kart World, Sword of the Sea.

DICE Awards 2026 Nominations – Best Audio Design, Writing, Technical Achievement, Action Game, Adventure Game, Family Game, Fighting Game, Racing Game, Role-Playing Game, Sports Game Unveiled!

Best Audio Design: ARC Raiders, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yotei, Lumines Arise, Split Fiction Best Writing: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Consume Me, Despelote, South of Midnight, The Drifter Best Technical Achievement: ARC Raiders, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, DOOM: The Dark Ages Action Game of the Year: Absolum, ARC Raiders, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Hades II, Ninja Gaiden 4 Adventure Game of the Year: Blue Prince, Dispatch, Donkey Kong Bananza, Ghost of Yotei, Hollow Knight: Silksong Family Game of the Year: LEGO Party, LEGO Voyagers, Lumines Arise, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, POPUCOM Fighting Game of the Year: 2XKO, Capcom Fighting Collection 2, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, WWE 2K25 Racing Game of the Year: EA SPORTS F1 25, Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart World, Wheel World Role-Playing Game of the Year: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Monster Hunter Wilds, The Outer Worlds 2 Sports Game of the Year: EA SPORTS FC 26, MLB The Show 25, NBA 2K26, PGA Tour 2K25, Rematch.

DICE Awards 2026 Nominations – Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year, Best Technical Achievement in Immersive Reality, Mobile Game of the Year, Online Game of the Year, Best Game Design, Best Game Direction, Game of the Year (Expanded Categories)

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: The Alters, Drop Duchy, Europa Universalis V, The King is Watching, StarVaders Best Technical Achievement in Immersive Reality: Ghost Town, Hotel Infinity, Marvel’s Deadpool VR, Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset, Unloop Game of the Year in Immersive Reality: Battlemarked (Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons), Ghost Town, Marvel’s Deadpool VR, Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow, The Midnight Walk Best Independent Game: Baby Steps, Blue Prince, Consume Me, Despelote, Dispatch Mobile Game of the Year: Persona5: The Phantom X, Umamusume: Pretty Derby, WHAT THE CLASH, Where Winds Meet Online Game of the Year: ARC Raiders, Battlefield 6, Mario Kart World, Marvel Rivals, Split Fiction Best Game Design: ARC Raiders, Blue Prince, Hades II, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Ooo Best Game Direction: Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei, Hades II, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Game of the Year: ARC Raiders, Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dispatch, Ghost of Yotei.

DICE Awards 2026 Expanded Nominees Spotlight: Global Developers Recognized

In addition to the leading nominees, several other studios are being recognized at the DICE Awards. Blue Prince earned five nominations, while Death Stranding 2: On the Beach garnered four. Czech studio Warhorse received three nominations for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Other European contenders include MoonHood (Sweden, The Midnight Walk), Triband and Light Brick Studio (Denmark), Maze Theory (UK), Sleepy Mill Studio (France), and 11 bit studios (Poland). Herdling represents GSA. Notably, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 released two albums in 2025 related to the game. The DICE Awards promise to be a celebration of the best in interactive entertainment, recognizing the creativity and technical achievements of developers worldwide.

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