The 44th Golden Joystick Awards has published its shortlist of nominees across publicly voted categories, and the window to cast your ballot is already open. Voting closes on October 23 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET, with the full ceremony scheduled for November 11.
The 10 games competing for PC Game of the Year
Here's the lowdown on the PC-specific category. Ten games made the cut, all released between November 1, 2025, and September 25, 2026 (or made available to judges in pre-release form before that deadline):
- Big Walk
- Crimson Desert
- Escape from Tarkov
- Esoteric Ebb
- Meccha Chameleon
- Mewgenics
- Order of the Sinking Star
- Star Wars Zero Company
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
- Valheim
It's a genuinely interesting mix. Valheim has been in some form of early access or ongoing development for years, so its inclusion signals the judges are recognizing its continued evolution as a complete product. Crimson Desert and The Blood of Dawnwalker represent the bigger-budget action RPG contingent, while Mewgenics and Esoteric Ebb fly the flag for the indie side of the bracket. Star Wars Zero Company landing a nomination will please strategy fans who felt the franchise had been underserving that genre for too long.
Other categories up for a public vote
PC Game of the Year isn't the only category where your vote counts. The publicly voted shortlists also cover:
- Best Storytelling
- Best Multiplayer Game
- Best Visual Design
- Best Indie Game
- Best Indie Game – Self Published
What most players miss is that the self-published indie category is a separate bracket from the standard Best Indie Game award, which means smaller solo or micro-studio projects get their own spotlight rather than competing directly against games with full publishing deals behind them.
A 44-year legacy and what it means for players
The Golden Joystick Awards have been running since 1983, making them the longest-running public-voted gaming awards in existence. The key here is that word "public" , unlike industry panels or critic juries, every category on the shortlist is decided entirely by player votes. That gives the results a different texture than something like The Game Awards, where a jury component shapes the outcome.
For games like Escape from Tarkov, which has built one of the most dedicated PC player communities around, a Golden Joystick nomination carries real weight as a signal of sustained community investment. For newer entries like Order of the Sinking Star, the exposure alone from appearing on a shortlist this visible can shift player awareness significantly.
The finals ceremony on November 11 will reveal winners across all categories, including Ultimate Game of the Year once that shortlist drops on October 26. If you're the type who wants to dig deeper into the nominated titles before voting, our gaming guides have you covered on several of this year's contenders.
For PC players specifically, a couple of the nominated titles have active communities worth exploring before you commit your vote. The Finals, for instance, has had consistent updates throughout the year , if you're looking to get a feel for its current state, the PC graphics settings guide for The Finals breaks down how the game performs across different hardware setups right now. And if Escape from Tarkov is your pick but you've been curious about expanding to other tactical shooters in the conversation, WARDOGS is one title that's been generating noise , check out whether WARDOGS is available on PS5, Xbox, or Switch to see where it currently stands on platform availability.
Voting is open now. The deadline is October 23 and the ceremony follows on November 11, so there's enough time to make an informed call before the window shuts.
