DICE Awards 2026 Nominees Announced with Two Games Dominating

By Nathalie Duke Event
9 January 2026 no comments

2026 D.I.C.E. Awards nominees are out, with Clair Obscu: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei with the most nominations.

The nominees for DICE Awards 2026 have officially been revealed. Fans can now see if their favorite titles are in the running for one of the industry’s most respected celebrations of game development.

Just making it to the nominations is already a big deal not just because they spotlight the biggest hits of the year, but because they reflect what developers themselves are recognizing as the standout achievements across storytelling, design, performance, and technical craft. Now that the full list is out, the countdown to awards night officially begins.

The Nominees For DICE Awards 2026

The DICE Awards 2026 nominees are out and this year’s list is led by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei,which top the nominations with eight each. They’re followed closely by Arc Raiders and Dispatch with six nominations, while Blue Prince earned five. These titles are all in the running for Game of the Year award.

Another worthy mention is Death Stranding 2: On the Beach which was able to bag four nominations.

Winners will be announced during the 29th Annual DICE Awards ceremony which serves as the finale of the week-long 2026 DICE Summit. The event will be livestreamed by IGN on Thursday, February 12th at 8 PM PT / 11PM ET or February 13th at 4AM GMT. Greg Miller and Stella Chung will return as co-hosts for the ceremony.

In total, 64 games received nominations across 23 categories. Below are all of the categories and nominees for this year’s DICE Awards.

• Game of the Year
  • ARC Raiders
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Dispatch

• Outstanding Achievement in Animation
  • Monster Hunter Wilds
  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • South of Midnight
  • The Midnight Walk

• Outstanding Achievement in Character
  • Ghost of Yōtei — Atsu
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — Esquie
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — Maelle
  • Dispatch — Courtney (a.k.a. Invisigal)
  • Dispatch — Robert Robertson III (a.k.a. Mecha Man)

• Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
  • Dispatch
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
  • The Midnight Walk
  • Ghost of Yōtei

• Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
  • ARC Raiders
  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Lumines Arise
  • Split Fiction

• Outstanding Achievement in Story
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Consume Me
  • despelote
  • South of Midnight
  • The Drifter

• Outstanding Technical Achievement
  • ARC Raiders
  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows
  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages

• Adventure Game of the Year
  • Blue Prince
  • Dispatch
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong

• Action Game of the Year
  • Absolute
  • ARC Raiders
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages
  • Hades II
  • Ninja Gaiden 4

• Family Game of the Year
  • LEGO Party!
  • LEGO Voyagers
  • Lumines Arise
  • MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
  • POPUCOM

• Fighting Game of the Year
  • 2XKO
  • Capcom Fighting Collection 2
  • FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
  • Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
  • 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
  • The Outer Worlds 2
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  • Monster Hunter Wilds

• 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 Midnight Walk
  • Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow

• Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
  • Baby Steps
  • Blue Prince
  • Consume Me
  • despelote
  • Dispatch

• Mobile Game of the Year
  • Persona5: 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 Direction
  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

• Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
  • Öoo
  • ARC Raiders
  • Blue Prince
  • Hades II
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

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Nathalie Duke

Sending some gaming news your way from a surfing paradise island. Loves creating content, and researching informative facts and useless trivia. A novice in the gaming industry but a veteran in communications and publication.

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