Golden Joystick Awards are coming back for their 44th year, and they're getting a fresh identity to go with it. That new look is already out in the wild, if you haven't caught it yet. The show remains the longest-running publicly voted game awards, and the folks behind it clearly want the next ceremony to feel like a proper event.
Voting is going to happen in stages. First up, a critically curated shortlist will land on the Golden Joystick Awards site. That's also when the public vote opens across the initial 21 categories, a list that includes Best Storytelling, Console Game of the Year, Best Lead Performer, and plenty more. You'll have a window to make your picks in those categories before that first round closes. Then the spotlight shifts to Ultimate Game of the Year, with a separate public vote that casts a wider net over games arriving in the run-up to the ceremony.
If you want the fine print, the full eligibility conditions and rules are available on the Golden Joystick Awards events site. Worth a look if you're the kind of person who reads the rulebook before arguing about award snubs.
The timing matters, too, because GTA 6 is looming just after the awards. That puts extra weight on the games that have already made their mark. Big-budget heavy hitters like Resident Evil: Requiem and 007: First Light have grabbed attention, while acclaimed indies such as Mina the Hollower and Big Walk proved you don't need a massive studio to turn heads. Toss in recent standouts like Control: Resonant, Marvel's Wolverine, and The Blood of Dawnwalker, and you've got one of the most wide-open fields the Golden Joysticks have seen in ages.
At the most recent ceremony, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated. The French RPG took home a record-equalling seven trophies, including Ultimate Game of the Year. Hollow Knight: Silksong and Ghost of Yōtei also had big nights, and GTA 6 picked up a pair of awards for Best Game Trailer and Most Wanted Game.
So who sweeps the next one? That's the fun part. Start sketching out your dream list now, because once the ballot goes live, it'll be time to back your favorites and help decide who takes the stage.