The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 are on Wednesday, November 11, starting at 6pm GMT, which is 10am PT, 1pm ET and 7pm CET. I don’t think there’s anything in particular I want to win, but I always worry about some of the reasons games win.
Key takeaways
- The show starts at 6pm GMT on November 11, live from The Troxy in east London, hosted by Alix Wilton Regan.
- Twelve games are up for Ultimate Game of the Year, from Crimson Desert and Resident Evil Requiem to Pokémon Pokopia.
- Public voting closed on October 30, and 22 of the 25 categories are picked by players, not judges.
What time are the Golden Joystick Awards 2026?
The show starts at 6pm GMT on Wednesday, November 11. That’s 10am on the US West Coast, 1pm on the East Coast and 7pm in Central Europe. It’s live from The Troxy in east London, and Alix Wilton Regan is hosting. She’s the latest voice of Lara Croft, in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and also voiced Alt Cunningham in Cyberpunk 2077 and Specialist Traynor in Mass Effect 3.
| Region | Start time |
|---|---|
| US West Coast | 10am PT |
| US East Coast | 1pm ET |
| UK | 6pm GMT |
| Central Europe | 7pm CET |
In Asia and Australia, that’s the early hours of Thursday morning: 2am in Bangkok, 3am in Tokyo and 5am in Sydney.
Where can you watch the Golden Joystick Awards 2026?
Pretty much anywhere you already watch games. The ceremony streams live on YouTube, Twitch, Steam, TikTok and X, and on a long list of partner channels on top of those, including Niconico, Kuaishou and Bilibili for viewers in Japan and China.
Which games are up for Ultimate Game of the Year?
Twelve games made the shortlist for the big one, Ultimate Game of the Year:
- 007 First Light
- Big Walk
- Control Resonant
- Crimson Desert
- Dispatch
- Forza Horizon 6
- Phantom Blade Zero
- Pokémon Pokopia
- Pragmata
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Star Wars: Galactic Racer
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
Voting was open to the public and closed on Friday, October 30. Games had to have come out in the last 12 months to be eligible. The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 shortlist went up in October with the other categories, so the results on Wednesday reflect votes that are already in.
What do I want to win at the Golden Joysticks?
Nothing in particular. I always worry that some of the ones winning are winning for reasons outside of the game. I guess you could call it political reasons, or industry clique type reasons. Hopefully it’s about the games themselves.
For what it’s worth, most of the Golden Joysticks are a public vote. Of the 25 categories this year, 22 are chosen by players and three by judges, so the big one, Ultimate Game of the Year, comes down to what people actually voted for.
Will AI cost a game a Golden Joystick?
I do think a lot might get penalised for any sort of touch of AI. Especially if it comes out that any of the winners have even slightly looked in the direction of AI. You’re going to have the real toxic side of the gaming community saying that’s terrible, nothing good can be made with AI. But that’s because they’re the middle of the bell curve.
It’s already happened at another show. The Indie Game Awards took back two awards from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in December 2025, its Game of the Year and Debut Game, after the studio confirmed it had used generative AI art during production. Those awards’ rules made any game built with generative AI ineligible, even if the assets were no longer in the final build. The Golden Joysticks haven’t published a rule like that. And it didn’t stop Clair Obscur elsewhere: it still won nine awards at The Game Awards that same month, more than any game in that show’s history.
FAQ
When are the Golden Joystick Awards 2026?
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 6pm GMT, 10am PT and 1pm ET.
Who is hosting the Golden Joystick Awards 2026?
Alix Wilton Regan, live from The Troxy in east London.
How are the Golden Joystick winners picked?
Mostly by public vote. Of the 25 categories, 22 are voted on by players and three are chosen by judges. Voting for the 2026 awards closed on October 30.
