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The nominations for the DICE Awards 2026 have been revealed. The event is held annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, which describes it as the “most credible, respected and recognized awards” show for video games. Winners are voted for by more than 33,000 Academy members, and Dispatch has earned a Game of the Year nod alongside Clair Obscur Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei.
Below are the DICE Awards 2026 Game of the Year nominees:
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yotei
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has already won the second-most Game of the Year awards behind only Elden Ring. Sandfall Interactive’s debut RPG won Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards and also took home Game of the Year at Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards.
Meanwhile, Ghost of Yotei won PlayStation’s Game of the Year award ahead of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, as voted for by PS5 users on the PlayStation Blog.
Beyond the DICE Awards, Dispatch, Expedition 33, and Ghost of Yotei have all been included on the BAFTA Game Awards 2026 Game of the Year longlist.
The DICE Awards 2026 nominations
Below is all of the nominations for the DICE Awards 2026:
Outstanding Achievement in Animation:
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yotei
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- South of Midnight
- The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yotei
- The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Character:
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33 – Esquie
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33 – Maelle
- Dispatch – Invisigal
- Dispatch – Robert Robertson
- Ghost of Yotei – Atsu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition:
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yotei
- Herdling
- Mario Kart World
- Sword of the Sea
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design:
- Arc Raiders
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yotei
- Lumines Arise
- Split Fiction
Outstanding Achievement in Story:
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Consume Me
- Desolate
- South of Midnight
- The Drifter
Outstanding Technical Achievement:
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Death Stranding 2
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- DOOM The Dark Ages
Action Game of the Year:
- Absolum
- Arc Raiders
- DOOM The Dark Ages
- Hades 2
- 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:
- 2KXO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- FATAL Fury City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat Legacy Collection
- 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 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Sports Game of the Year:
- EA Sports FC 26
- PGA Tour 2K25
- MLB The Show 25
- NBA 2K26
- Rematch
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year:
- The Alters
- Drop Duchy
- Europa Universalis V
- The King is Watching
- StarVaders
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement:
- Ghost Town
- Hotel Infinity
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- Star Wars Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset
- Unloop
Immersive Reality Game of the Year:
- Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons Battlemarked
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- The Mightnight Walk
- Thief VR Legacy of Shadow
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game:
- Baby Steps
- Blue Prince
- Consume Me
- Despolete
- Dispatch
Mobile Game of the Year:
- Persona 5 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
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design:
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Hades 2
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
- Öoo
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction:
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hades 2
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Game of the Year:
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yotei
When are the DICE Awards 2026?
The DICE Awards 2026 will take place on February 12 at 8PM PST/11PM EDT and February 13 at 4AM GMT. This year marks the 29th ceremony, and it will be hosted by Greg Miller, founder of Kinda Funny Games, alongside games consultant, esports commentator, and award-winning personality Stella Chung.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei lead the nominations with eight nods each. Expedition 33 previously made Game Awards history by receiving a record 13 nominations.
All of this year’s Game of the Year nominees are strong contenders. Arc Raiders already won Multiplayer Game of the Year at The Game Awards, while Blue Prince won Indie Game of the Year at the Indie Game Awards after Clair Obscur Expedition 33 was later stripped of the award due to Sandfall Interactive’s limited use of AI during development.
Ghost of Yotei and Dispatch have also drawn significant praise, with The Witcher 3 director previously naming Dispatch his personal Game of the Year for 2025.
Voting for the DICE Awards is conducted by more than 33,000 members of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, with the process supervised and certified by Votenet Solutions. Unlike the Golden Joystick Awards and The Game Awards, the DICE Awards do not include a fan-voted component.
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