Resident Evil Requiem has taken home the Ultimate Game of the Year award at the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards, narrowly beating out Phantom Blade Zero in one of the closest races of the ceremony.
The Capcom survival horror game secured 17% of the public vote, finishing just one percentage point ahead of Phantom Blade Zero, which received 16%. Crimson Desert rounded out the top three, followed by CONTROL Resonant in fourth and The Blood of Dawnwalker in fifth.
The award was announced during the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards on November 11, with the ceremony taking place in London. The awards are largely decided by public voting, making Ultimate Game of the Year one of the night’s most anticipated announcements.
A loaded lineup of games
Resident Evil Requiem faced competition from a diverse group of releases, including 007 First Light, Big Walk, Dispatch, Forza Horizon 6, Pokémon Pokopia, PRAGMATA and STAR WARS: Galactic Racer.
The full list of Ultimate Game of the Year nominees included:
- 007 First Light
- Big Walk
- CONTROL Resonant
- Crimson Desert
- Dispatch
- Forza Horizon 6
- Phantom Blade Zero
- Pokémon Pokopia
- PRAGMATA
- STAR WARS: Galactic Racer
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
- Resident Evil Requiem
The win adds another major award to the collection for Capcom’s latest entry in its long-running survival horror franchise. In total, Capcom and Resident Evil: Requiem won four awards on the night, including Best Trailer, Best Lead Performer, and Console Game of the Year.
For a look at every award handed out during this year’s ceremony, including all the winners across the 24 categories, check out our full list of 2026 Golden Joystick Awards winners.
What was your pick for Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards? Let us know down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read about the layoffs at Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor. For even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
More from Mike Straw
Comments