The nominations for the prestigious DICE Awards 2026 have landed, with a glittering array of games nominated across multiple established categories. This year, the leaders of the pack are Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei, which are nominated for Game of the Year as well as in other several categories for game art, animation, music, and more.
As one of the later annual awards shows, the DICE Awards 2026 nominations also include one major title that missed out on The Game Awards: Dispatch. It’s achieved six nominations in total, including multiple for outstanding achievement in character work.
Elsewhere, Hollow Knight: Silksong has been given a single nod for Adventure Game of the Year. Titles including The Drifter, Lego Party!, Mario Kart World, and Marvel Cosmic Invasion have also achieved well-earned nods.
Here’s the full list of nominees for the DICE Awards 2026.
DICE Awards 2026: Full list of nominations – quick links
Game of the Year
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- South of Midnight
- The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
- The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Esquie
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Maelle
- Dispatch – Courtney/Invisigal
- Dispatch – Robert Robertson III/Mecha Man
- Ghost of Yōtei – Atsu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Herdling
- Mario Kart World
- Sword of the Sea
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
Action Game of the Year
- Absolum
- Arc Raiders
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Hades 2
- Ninja Gaiden 4
Adventure Game of the Year
- Blue Prince
- Dispatch
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
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
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
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
- Persona 5: 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 Design
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Hades 2
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Öoo
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades 2
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
The winners of the DICE Awards 2026 will be announced in a ceremony taking place on 12 February (ET/PT), with livestream support for those keen to tune in.
