Winter holidays bring joy through family gatherings and discounted video
games, but they have also become synonymous with awards
ceremonies celebrating the year’s finest releases.
In the case at hand, 2026 has established itself as a magnificent trip
around the sun thanks to the numerous masterful titles that have been,
or will be, released during its 12 months, making for a fiercely
contested race to see which is the best.
The number of events held for this purpose is as vast as it is diverse,
although all eyes are on December 10th, the day the interactive
industry’s Ballon d’Or is awarded.
Therefore, if you’re as eager as I am to see if any video game can come
close to
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s phenomenal success last year, I recommend you read this list of
seven video games that could sweep The Game Awards,ranked.
Big Walk
The Cooperative God
Initial Release Date
2026-08-04
Developer(s)
House House
Publisher(s)
Panic
Platform(s)
PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5
Systems
The first and most underrated video game to appear on this list is none
other than Big Walk, a game that will arrive completely silent
despite having the power to surprise more than a few on this special
night.
That it will win Best Multiplayer should be a given, but this would be
merely the bare minimum of the recognition that House House’s team has
earned through one of the most special and creative indie games of
recent years.
Because of this, and considering it’s this year’s highest-rated game on
Metacritic if we don’t count remasters and remakes, there’s more than
enough reason to believe it could become 2026’s most acclaimed
independent production.
My bets for Game Direction and Audio Design are bolder, especially since
these are usually awarded to larger projects with bigger budgets.
However, given what happened last year,I wouldn’t rule out Big Walk silencing more than a few detractors.
Control Resonant
Never Underestimate Remedy
Initial Release Date
2026-09-24
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Remedy Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Remedy Entertainment
Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Systems
A particularly curious case is that of
Control Resonant, which presents itself as a solid piece in numerous departments, even
though I don’t believe its overall acclaim is sufficient to be a Game of
the Year contender.
Said detail aside,
Remedy
knows what it’s like to have a string of successes after
Alan Wake 2
won three of its eight nominations in 2023, and its latest project could
repeat that feat with even greater force.
Specifically, in terms of the audiovisual component,it’s by far one of the year’s strongest contenders, which hasn’t stood out for its narratives or art direction at Control
Resonant’s level, except in the indie scene.
That a title can win so many awards without being Game of the Year
already happened in 2022 with
God of War: Ragnarök, and for reasons very similar to those experienced by Kratos’s latest
adventure, I think we could be facing the same scenario now.
Resident Evil: Requiem
Capcom Still Reigns
Initial Release Date
2026-02-27
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Franchise
Resident Evil
Systems
Capcom has been,
arguably by a wide margin, the most outstanding developer of the year,
having released
Monster Hunter Stories 3, Pragmata,
Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and, most relevantly for this occasion,
Resident Evil: Requiem.
Angela Sant’Albano’s stellar performance as Grace Ashcroft already
guarantees a strong chance of winning an award despite the fierce
competition, as does its status as the best horror game of the year and all that
entails in terms of gameplay and audio design.
From there, Resident Evil: Requiem faces an uphill battle to win all the
awards for which it will surely be a candidate, as it is undeniably one
of the best games of the year.
Will being the best
Resident Evil
be enough to secure every possible nomination? Time will tell, but its
candidacy and the seriousness with which it must be approached can be
anticipated from this very moment.
Mina the Hollower
The Independent Spearhead
Initial Release Date
2026-05-29
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence
Developer(s)
Yacht Club Games
Publisher(s)
Yacht Club Games
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
Systems
The Game Awards’ biggest winners last year ranged from indie to AA
titles, opening up a world of possibilities for this and future
iterations, especially for extraordinary adventures like
Mina the Hollower.
The current lineup isn’t as fertile for
indie products to take center stage
as it did in 2025, but I’m certain that, if any prospect can truly
achieve that, it’s
Yacht Club Games’ masterpiece.
As for Best Indie Game, Best Action-Adventure Game, and Game
Direction,I’d bet my life that this wonderful ode to classic video games will be
in the running,aiming to take home those awards, though it’s outstanding
enough in the other categories to warrant consideration as well.
The interactive medium’s pendulum is increasingly swinging in favor of
indie games in these turbulent times, where the biggest companies keep
making bad decisions, so Mina the Hollower could capitalize on those
protest votes.
Phantom Blade Zero
The Chinese Jewel
Initial Release Date
2026-10-29
ESRB
Unknown
Developer(s)
S-Game
Publisher(s)
S-Game
Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 5
Franchise
Phantom Blade
Systems
The year’s not-so-surprise surprise is
Phantom Blade Zero, which stands on the shoulders of
Black Myth: Wukong
to likely become the Chinese video game with the most nominations and
prizes at
The Game Awards.
As part of the top three contenders for the People’s Choice Award,
I see S-Game’s gem as a work robust enough to compete with the two
titans that you and I both know round out this list, which says everything you need to know about its quality.
Its greatest strength is its unique character, stemming from a singular
design, composition, and presentation philosophy that we’ve seen only a
handful of times, allowing it to stand out with literally unparalleled
ease and fluidity among the rest.
It has more than enough quality to win any title it’s given, so much so
that, if we were in any other year of the decade,
I could easily predict that Phantom Blade Zero would be GOTY.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
The Return of the King
Initial Release Date
2026-11-05
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch 2
Franchise
The Legend of Zelda
Systems
Nevertheless, the year is 2026, and it just so happens that it coincides
with the return of what many consider the best video game of all time,
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake.
If there’s one reason why I feel most action-adventure games will have a
tough time, it’s becausethe quintessential adventure has returned, the one that paved the way for the entire genre in the three decades
following its release.
From the music to its underrated art direction, including its technical
and gameplay splendor, it’s safe to say that the Ocarina of Time remake
will be present even in the Muppet segments created by the legendary
Geoff Keighley.
In 1998, there was no The Game Awards to give Link’s odyssey the
recognition it deserved, so don’t be surprised if the video game
industry, as a whole,
makes this year the perfect moment to rectify that omission.
Grand Theft Auto 6
Destined to Dominate History
Initial Release Date
2026-11-19
ESRB
Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
Developer(s)
Rockstar Games
Publisher(s)
Rockstar Games
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Systems
If we take into account what its immediate predecessor did and what its
creators have promised to do with it, there’s no doubt that the top
contender to sweep The Game Awards is
Grand Theft Auto 6.
Rockstar is
fully aware that, every year they release a game, December becomes a
month of metaphorical and material praise, given their habit of
releasing the most ambitious and massive titles the industry is ready to
see.
Link is a formidable competitor, and that’s indisputable, yet Lucia and
Jason have the added momentum of being the most anticipated video game
in history and the most expensive ever made,
making them immediate candidates for a third of the event’s
categories.
It’s difficult to predict with certainty, though if there’s one thing I
can be partially sure of, it’s that Ocarina of Time and GTA 6 will
quickly make this article obsolete by
taking home practically every award between them.
