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Game Awards 2026: All Game of the Year Front-Runners and Predictions
Polygon’s early Game Awards 2026 predictions place Resident Evil Requiem first and Big Walk second among likely Game of the Year nominees.
– Resident Evil Requiem leads because of the series’ awards record, its polished action-horror appeal and broad accessibility, although review scores in the high 80s may be slightly low for a winner. – Big Walk has the strongest critic score cited, 92 on Metacritic, and benefits from enthusiasm for co-operative games and House House’s reputation after Untitled Goose Game. – Grand Theft Auto 6 could dominate the race, but a release delay beyond the eligibility deadline would rule it out; a very late release could also limit jurors’ time to assess it. – The Game Awards jury is drawn from international games media, with fan votes contributing 10%; historically it favours highly rated narrative-led role-playing games and action adventures.
In short
- Resident Evil Requiem is Polygon’s early favourite.
- Big Walk is a highly rated challenger.
- GTA 6’s eligibility depends on release timing.
Explained simply
The Game Awards is an annual event that recognises video games, with its top prize going to Game of the Year. Nominees are chosen by an international jury of games journalists and other media, while public voting makes up 10% of the final result.
The race can depend on more than a game’s review scores: jurors have often favoured role-playing games and action adventures with strong stories. Release timing also matters, because games must be available before the awards’ eligibility deadline and jurors need time to play them.