26th Game Developers Choice Awards
2026 awards ceremony in California, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 26th Game Developers Choice Awards was an award ceremony honoring outstanding achievements by game developers and video games released in 2025. The event took place on March 12, 2026,[1] at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California[2] and was hosted by Sam Maggs.[3] It was held alongside the Independent Games Festival awards.[2][4]
| 26th Game Developers Choice Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 12, 2026 |
| Venue | Moscone Center San Francisco, California |
| Hosted by | Sam Maggs |
| Highlights | |
| Most awards | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (5) |
| Most nominations | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (8) |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Don Daglow |
| Ambassador Award | Rebecca Ann Heineman |
| Game of the Year | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
Winners and nominees
Game of the Year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Best Audio
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Best Debut
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
Best Design
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EDP/Nintendo)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts)
Innovation Award
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy/Devolver Digital)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EDP/Nintendo)
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena/Panic)
- Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
- Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts)
Best Technology
Best Visual Art
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Social Impact
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson/Hexacutable)