Crimson Desert' Wins PC Game of the Year at Golden Joystick Awards; Resident

Pearl Abyss's Crimson Desert has won PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards.

The 44th Golden Joystick Awards 2026, the world's oldest video game awards ceremony determined by direct votes from gamers worldwide, was held in the early hours of November 12 (KST) at Troxy in London, UK. Capcom's 'Resident Evil Requiem' took home top honors for 'Ultimate Game of the Year,' which selects the best game of the year, securing 17% of the global fan vote.

In addition to claiming the Golden Joystick Ultimate Game of the Year, Resident Evil Requiem swept Console Game of the Year, Best Lead Performer, and Best Game Trailer to secure four awards. Backed by this performance, Capcom was named Studio of the Year, while also taking Best Audio Design with 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword' and Best Supporting Performer for Grace Saif's role as Diana in 'Pragmata,' amassing a total of seven Golden Joystick Award trophies.

Among Korean games, Pearl Abyss's 'Crimson Desert' placed third in the Ultimate Game of the Year category with 15% of the vote, behind Phantom Blade Zero (16%), missing out on the top prize. However, it claimed first place in the PC Game of the Year category with 18% of the vote to be named PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. On stage, a Pearl Abyss representative stated in their acceptance speech, "It's 5:00 AM right now in Korean time, but staying up for this news was worth every second." They added, "We sincerely thank everyone who believed in us. It is deeply moving that global gamers understood and connected with the world we strove to present, even when we were uniquely headstrong about our vision."

'Subnautica 2,' launched in Early Access last May by Krafton subsidiary Unknown Worlds, secured 35% of the vote to be named Best Early Access Game. Mintrocket's Dave the Diver: In the Jungle was nominated for Best Game Expansion, but fell short as 'Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelation' took the award.

Indie title 'Meccha Chameleon,' which created a buzz among streamers and gamers this year, also delivered a standout performance. 'Meccha Chameleon' achieved a four-award haul, winning Best Multiplayer Game, Best Indie Game – Self-Published, the Streamer's Choice Award, and the newly established Developer's Choice Award. In addition, AdHoc Studio's 'Dispatch' picked up two awards for Best Storytelling and Best Soundtrack, while House House's 'Big Walk' took home the Critics' Choice Award.

Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red won Best Remake/Remaster for 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered,' securing its 10th career Golden Joystick trophy across the original game, expansions, and remasters. Its upcoming title, 'The Witcher 4,' was voted Most Wanted Game.

Below is the full list of winners for the 44th Golden Joystick Awards.

■ Best Storytelling

- 007 First Light

- The Blood of Dawnwalker

- Dispatch

- Zero Parade

- Silent Hill: Townfall

- Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave

■ Best Audio Design

- Rhythm Heaven: Miracle Stars

- Big Walk

- Saros

- Marathon

- Star Wars: Galactic Racer

- Onimusha: Way of the Sword

■ Best Multiplayer Game

- Big Walk

- Valheim

- Marvel Toukon: Fighting Souls

- Marathon

- ARC Raiders

- Meccha Chameleon

■ Best Visual Design

- Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

- Forza Horizon 6

- Saros

- Phonopolis

- Control Resonant

- Orbitals

■ Best Game Expansion

- Doom: The Dark Ages | Revelation

- World of Warcraft: Midnight

- Dave the Diver: In the Jungle

- Quake: Dawn of the Machine

- The Alters: Last Variable

- Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven

■ Best Indie Game – Self-Published

- Mewgenics

- Mina the Hollower

- Perfect Tides: Station to Station

- Phonopolis

- The Incident at Galley House

- Meccha Chameleon

- Rhythm Doctor

- Fields of Mistria

- Vampire Crawler

- Cairn

■ Best Indie Game

- Big Walk

- Valheim

- Order of the Sinking Star

- Titanium Coat

- Mixtape

- Densha Attack!

- Esoteric Ebb

- Mouse: P.I. For Hire

- Reanimal

- Sovereign Tower

■ Best Gaming Hardware

- Sony Inzone M10S II

- Steam Controller

- Secretlab Atlas

- Logitech G PRO X2 Superstrike

- Turtle Beach Stealth Pro I

- Razer Viper V4 Pro

■ Studio of the Year

- Capcom

- House House

- IO Interactive

- Nintendo EPD

- Frogwares

- Square Enix

■ Best Early Access Game

- Slay the Spire 2

- Subnautica 2

- Dead as Disco

- Wardogs

- Menace

- Skate

■ Best Soundtrack

- Lumines Arise

- Mewgenics

- Mixtape

- Crimson Desert

- Dispatch

- 007 First Light

■ Still Playing Award - Mobile

- Genshin Impact

- Honkai: Star Rail

- Marvel Snap

- Pokémon GO

- Wuthering Waves

- Monopoly GO!

- Old School RuneScape

- Neverness to Everness

- Sky: Children of the Light

- Roblox

- Balatro

- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Mobile

■ Still Playing Award - PC & Console

- No Man's Sky

- Helldivers 2

- Minecraft

- Fortnite

- The Elder Scrolls Online

- Warframe

- GTA Online

- Hitman World of Assassination

- Apex Legends

- World of Warcraft

- Palworld

- Call of Duty: Warzone

■ Streamer’s Choice Award

- Meccha Chameleon

■ Best Game Trailer

- Big Walk – Release Date Announcement Trailer

- Resident Evil Requiem – Evil Has Always Had A Name

- Mouse: P.I. For Hire | Official Launch Trailer

- Prove Your Human – Announcement Trailer

- Cairn – Launch Trailer

- Battlefield 6 x Top Gun: Carrier Strike Cinematic Trailer

■ Best Remake/Remaster

- The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 2nd

- Gothic 1 Remake

- Assassin's Creed Black Flag Rethinked

- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered

- Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2

- Star Fox

■ Developer’s Choice Award

- Meccha Chameleon

■ Best Game Adaptation

- Fallout (Season 2)

- Iron Lung

- Resident Evil

- The Exit 8

- Mortal Kombat II

- Devil May Cry (Season 2)

■ Best Supporting Performer

- Troy Baker – Marvel's Wolverine (as Nathaniel Essex)

- Vic Michaelis – Star Wars: Zero Company (as Luna Vlask)

- Lennie James – 007 First Light (as John Greenway)

- Terry O'Quinn – Silent Hill: Townfall (as Richard)

- Frankie Kevich – Control Resonant (as Joey De Vera)

- Grace Saif – Pragmata (as Diana)

■ Best Lead Performer

- Liam McIntyre – Marvel's Wolverine (as Wolverine)

- Patrick Gibson – 007 First Light (as James Bond)

- Aaron Paul – Dispatch (as Robert Robertson III)

- Angela Sant'Albano – Resident Evil Requiem (as Grace Ashcroft)

- Will de Renzy-Martin – The Blood of Dawnwalker (as Coen)

- Anna Demetriou – Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (as Sophia)

■ PC Game of the Year

- Big Walk

- Escape from Tarkov

- Valheim

- Star Wars: Zero Company

- The Blood of Dawnwalker

- Esoteric Ebb

- Mewgenics

- Meccha Chameleon

- Crimson Desert

- Order of the Sinking Star

■ Console Game of the Year

- Resident Evil Requiem

- Pragmata

- Pokémon Pocopia

- 007 First Light

- Forza Horizon 6

- Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave

- Onimusha: Way of the Sword

- LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

- Saros

- Nioh 3

■ Critics’ Choice Award

- Big Walk

■ Most Wanted Game

- The Witcher 4

- God of War: Laufey

- Black Myth: Zhong Kui

- Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet

- Fable

- Final Fantasy VII Revelation

- Kingdom Hearts IV

- Persona 6

- The Expanse: Osiris Reborn

- Metro 2039

- Total War: Warhammer 40,000

- Stranger Than Heaven

- Tide of Annihilation

- Exodus

- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

- Resident Evil Code: Veronica

- Alien: Isolation 2

- No Law

- Stuntman: Hollywood

- Infinity

■ Ultimate Game of the Year

- 007 First Light

- Big Walk

- Control Resonant

- Crimson Desert

- Dispatch

- Forza Horizon 6

- Phantom Blade Zero

- Pokémon Pocopia

- Pragmata

- Resident Evil Requiem

- Star Wars: Galactic Racer

- The Blood of Dawnwalker

Originally written in Korean, this article was translated with AI assistance and edited by a native English-speaking editor. Every translation is reviewed by our editorial team before publication. [Read Original]