Resident Evil Requiem takes the first Game of the Year award of 2026

Resident Evil Requiem Wins Ultimate Game of the Year at the First Major Games Award Ceremony of 2026

Background: 2026 Awards Season Opens

The Golden Joystick Awards arrived as the first major games award ceremony of 2026, giving the new year its earliest high-profile industry result. At that event, Resident Evil Requiem was crowned Ultimate Game of the Year, the top accolade on the program.

Development: A Four-Award Showing

The game did not stop at the headline prize. It was also named Console Game of the Year, placing it at the center of the ceremony’s console-focused recognition. Resident Evil Requiem also won the category celebrating the best lead performance, credited to Angela Sant'Albano as Grace Ashcroft, and the award for best game trailer.

How the Winner Was Decided

Most of the Golden Joystick Awards are decided by a public vote. That makes the Ultimate Game of the Year result a reflection of broad player support rather than a single committee choice. The race for the top prize was described as extremely close, so the win should be read as a narrow victory in a highly competitive field.

What Readers Can Take From It

For players, the result marks Resident Evil Requiem as the early 2026 benchmark for console game recognition, with support in three additional categories: console excellence, lead performance, and trailer quality. For observers of awards season, the public-vote format and close top race mean the ceremony’s most important result was likely decided by small differences in voter preference.

Current Stage

As of the Golden Joystick Awards, Resident Evil Requiem sits at the beginning of the 2026 awards cycle with the first major top prize already secured.