Gamebase 2026 GOTY Watch (Game of the Year Candidates)

This year’s leading projects form a collection of works defined by confidence, clarity, and a willingness to push their genres into new emotional or mechanical territory. They are the games that feel fully realized from the moment they begin, the ones that carry a sense of authorship in their storytelling, their worldbuilding, and their moment‑to‑moment play.

Each of them demonstrates a commitment to craft, whether through striking visual identity, ambitious narrative structure, or systems that feel honed with purpose rather than assembled by convention. Together they represent the releases that shape the year’s conversation, the experiences that linger long after the credits roll because they feel like statements rather than simply products.

These are the titles that define the year’s creative peak and set the tone for what the medium can aspire to next. 

007: First Light

• Release Date: May 27, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2 (Delayed)
• Developer: IO Interactive
• Publisher: IO Interactive

IO Interactive draws on the intricate stealth design it perfected with the Hitman trilogy, shaping Bond’s earliest missions into a more grounded and emotionally charged espionage story. 

007: First Light blends meticulous infiltration with cinematic flair, letting players slip between shadows one moment and navigate tense character‑driven drama the next, offering a more vulnerable, human portrayal of Bond, lending weight to the choices and consequences that shape his identity. 

The polished action, stylish presentation, and orchestral spy atmosphere mean it could easily earn recognition for its storytelling, its action design, and its music, with its cohesive vision making it a strong candidate for creative direction awards. 

Crimson Desert

• Release Date: March 19, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
• Developer: Pearl Abyss
• Publisher: Pearl Abyss

Pearl Abyss expands the technical artistry and fluid combat it established with Black Desert Online, transforming those strengths into a sweeping single‑player epic filled with rugged landscapes and grounded medieval conflict. 

The game’s special quality comes from how it marries gritty realism with sweeping fantasy, creating a world that feels harsh, lived‑in, and full of emotional stakes, and it also distinguishes itself through its dynamic encounters, where cinematic flair and brutal combat collide in unpredictable ways. 

Its impressive visuals, expressive performances, and ambitious scope mean it could win awards for its visual presentation, its character work, and its worldbuilding, with its overall ambition making it a contender for the main award.

Forza Horizon 6

• Release Date: May 19, 2026
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series, PlayStation 5 (Later)
• Developer: Playground Games
• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Playground Games continues refining the open‑world racing formula it perfected across Forza Horizon 3, 4, and 5, delivering a new region full of diverse biomes, dynamic weather, and a festival atmosphere that feels constantly alive. 

What sets Forza Horizon 6 apart is its sense of momentum, the way every race, event, and social feature flows together to create a world that celebrates speed, style, and community. 

It also elevates the series with more expressive environments that react to player behavior, making the world feel responsive and energetic. 

Roaring soundscapes, smooth multiplayer systems, and evolving seasonal content could earn it awards for audio design, multiplayer experience, and ongoing support, with its racing excellence making it a standout for genre‑specific achievement. 

Mewgenics

• Release Date: February 10, 2026
• Platforms: PC
• Developer: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel
• Publisher: Edmond McMillen, Tyler Glaiel

Team Meat channels the chaotic precision of Super Meat Boy into a strategy roguelike centered on unstable, mutating cats whose genetics and personalities shape every encounter. 

Mewgenics’ uniqueness lies in its unpredictability, where bizarre interactions, strange mutations, and emergent storytelling collide to create runs that feel mischievous, surprising, and endlessly replayable. 

It also thrives on its offbeat humor, turning even disastrous outcomes into memorable moments that feel intentionally absurd. 

Its indie charm, inventive mechanics, and eccentric art direction could earn it awards for independent innovation, strategy design, and art style, with its originality making it a strong candidate for debut recognition, and maybe even take home the main award.

Mina the Hollower

• Release Date: May 29, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 1&2
• Developer: Yacht Club Games
• Publisher: Yacht Club Games

Yacht Club Games follows Shovel Knight with a gothic, Game Boy‑inspired action-adventure that blends whip‑based combat, burrowing traversal, and retro precision with modern pacing and atmospheric storytelling. 

What makes Mina the Hollower truly special is its ability to evoke nostalgia without relying on it, using its pixel art, chiptune soundtrack, and tight level design to create something that feels both classic and freshly imagined. 

It also stands out through its moody tone, which gives its retro aesthetic a sense of mystery and emotional texture. 

These qualities mean it could win awards for its music, its visual style, and its independent craftsmanship, with its confident identity making it a contender for action‑adventure achievement. 

Pokemon Pokopia

• Release Date: March 5, 2026
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
• Developer: Game Freak, Omega Force
• Publisher: The Pokémon Company, Nintendo

The studio behind Pokopia embraces cozy exploration and gentle strategy, inviting players to befriend quirky, personified Pokémon and build a thriving community across a colorful, personality‑rich world. 

Its charm lies in how it turns small interactions into meaningful moments, encouraging players to nurture bonds, experiment with creature behavior, and discover stories hidden in the quiet corners of its world. 

It shines through with its emphasis on kindness and creativity, making every discovery feel warm and personal. 

These fan-beloved qualities mean it could win awards for its family‑friendly design, art direction, and impactful themes of kindness and community.

Resident Evil: Requiem

• Release Date: February 27, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2
• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom

Capcom continues its modern resurgence after Resident Evil 2 Remake, Village, and RE4 Remake, steering the series into gothic bio‑horror that blends cutting‑edge bioweapons and atmospheric Raccoon City environments. 

Resident Evil: Requiem focuses on psychological unease, using its environments, characters, and moral dilemmas to create horror that lingers long after the action ends. 

It also deepens the emotional stakes by exploring how trauma and guilt shape its cast, giving the story a more human core. 

The chilling sound design, strong narrative beats, and polished combat mean it could win awards for its storytelling, its audio, and its horror design, with its overall craft making it another contender for the main award. 

Pragmata

• Release Date: April 17, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2
• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom

Capcom branches into new territory with a high‑concept sci‑fi adventure that pairs an astronaut with a mysterious girl in a world shaped by lunar desolation and reality‑bending anomalies. 

Its distinctiveness comes from its emotional stillness, using quiet moments, surreal imagery, and fragile relationships to explore themes of identity and connection in a collapsing reality. 

Additionally, Pragmata stands out through its dreamlike pacing, which lets players absorb its strange environments at a contemplative rhythm. 

Its expressive art direction, enigmatic narrative, and thematic ambition could earn it awards for visual creativity, storytelling, and direction, with its fresh universe making it a candidate for broader sci‑fi recognition. 

Saros

• Release Date: April 30, 2026
• Platforms: PlayStation 5
• Developer: Housemarque
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

The studio behind Saros is known for atmospheric sci‑fi storytelling, and this entry pushes that identity further by immersing players in a fractured star system shaped by ancient technology, political tension, and cosmic mystery. 

What sets it apart is its contemplative tone, inviting players to absorb its quiet spaces, decipher its cryptic histories, and form emotional connections through exploration rather than exposition. 

It also distinguishes itself through its sense of solitude, creating a world where silence and distance become part of the narrative texture, an experience they learned from their previous work with Returnal.

Saros’ layered worldbuilding, emotional weight, and striking visual identity could earn it awards for narrative depth, indie excellence, art direction, and emotional impact. 

Splatoon Raiders

• Release Date: July 23, 2026
• Platforms: Switch 2
• Developer: Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
• Publisher: Nintendo

Splatoon Raiders kicks the door down like a full‑squad breach and demands to be taken seriously. It’s the rare spinoff that presents itself as both a side project and a bold evolution, taking Splatoon’s trademark chaos and sharpening it into something faster, tighter, and shockingly strategic.

It’s a genuine GOTY contender because it proves Nintendo can still surprise us. Raiders blends playful ink‑splat antics with raid‑style intensity, creating a single-player loop that is both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly new.

It’s the kind of game that makes you think, “Oh, they’re really doing this,” and then keeps proving it with every match.

And while it’s still drenched in Splatoon’s colorful absurdity, Raiders carries itself with the confidence of a heavyweight. It’s polished, inventive, and wildly replayable, the sort of game that always puts Nintendo on the Game of the Year list with its innovative but familiar design choices.

Honorable Mentions 

The honorable mentions form a vibrant constellation of ideas, each one offering a distinctive spark even if they sit just outside the highest tier of recognition. These are the games that surprise, experiment, or refine in ways that make them memorable, whether through unusual mechanics, atmospheric storytelling, or sheer stylistic flair.

They may not command the spotlight with the same force as the top contenders, but they enrich the landscape with personality, curiosity, and creative risk‑taking. Each one contributes something meaningful to the year’s catalog, adding texture and variety that broaden the scope of what players can experience. In their own ways, they highlight the medium's depth, proving that innovation and charm can thrive even without center stage.

Nioh 3

• Release Date: February 6, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5
• Developer: Team Ninja
• Publisher: Koei Tecmo

Team Ninja builds on the precise and punishing action design it refined across Nioh, Nioh 2, Ninja Gaiden, and Wo Long, pushing its samurai-and-yokai combat into an even more supernatural and volatile era. 

What makes this entry feel exceptional is how it deepens its stance system and weapon variety, giving players more expressive ways to fight while still demanding discipline and mastery. 

It also enriches its mythic world with eerie folklore and cursed battlegrounds, making exploration feel both dangerous and rewarding. Its intense combat, atmospheric worldbuilding, and high skill ceiling could earn it awards for combat design, action gameplay, and artistic worldbuilding.

Cairn

• Release Date: January 29, 2026
• Platforms: PC,  PlayStation 5
• Developer: The Game Bakers
• Publisher: The Game Bakers

The team behind Cairn draws on a history of atmospheric and physically grounded adventure design, creating a climbing‑focused narrative that explores isolation, perseverance, and the human relationship with nature. 

Cairn stands out with its tactile movement system, which turns every ascent into a careful negotiation with the environment rather than a simple traversal mechanic. 

Its emotional tone, naturalistic presentation, and physical authenticity suggest it could win awards for its narrative impact, animation and movement, and environmental art.

Esoteric Ebb

• Release Date: March 3, 2026
• Platforms: PC
• Developer: Christoffer Bodegard, Sudden Snail AB
• Publisher: Raw Fury

From a studio known for surreal and experimental storytelling, Esoteric Ebb presents a dreamlike world shaped by shifting logic, symbolic environments, and characters who blur the line between reality and metaphor. 

It encourages players to interpret rather than simply observe, turning puzzles and exploration into acts of personal meaning‑making, and uses its abstract imagery and mood‑driven scenes to create an atmosphere that feels hypnotic, unsettling, and strangely beautiful. 

The unusual structure, evocative presentation, and thematic ambition mean it could win awards for its art direction, its experimental narrative, and its music and atmosphere.

Marathon

• Release Date: March 5, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
• Developer: Bungie Inc.
• Publisher: Bungie Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment

Bungie returns to one of its earliest universes with Marathon, drawing on decades of experience in competitive and cooperative shooters from Halo to Destiny. 

It transforms the original setting into a high‑intensity extraction shooter, where player‑driven objectives and dynamic encounters create tension that builds moment to moment, and it is visually distinctive, with a bold cyberpunk aesthetic that gives the world a sharp identity rooted in corporate conflict and technological decay. 

Its polished gunplay, striking visual style, and focus on social competition could earn it awards for its multiplayer experience, visual presentation, and live service design.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

• Release Date: March 23, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2
• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom

Capcom builds on the charm and narrative focus of Monster Hunter Stories and Stories 2, expanding the turn‑based combat, companion bonding, and colorful worldbuilding that define the series. 

What makes this entry special is its theme of mirrored worlds, which introduces new monster behaviors, unusual ecosystems, and emotional story beats centered on identity and transformation. 

The expressive characters, vibrant art style, and heartfelt storytelling could earn it awards for its family‑friendly design, creature design, and music.

MOUSE: P.I. for Hire

• Release Date: April 16, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2
• Developer: Fumi Games
• Publisher: PlaySide Studios

Fumi Games builds on the retro-cartoon aesthetic of the original Steamboat Willy cartoons, transforming its rubber‑hose animation style into a noir detective adventure filled with expressive characters, slapstick action, and mystery‑driven exploration. 

Mouse: P.I. for Hire fuses classic cartoon exaggeration with a gritty noir atmosphere, creating a world that feels both whimsical and shadowy, and uses its hand‑drawn animation to give every movement personality, making even small interactions feel lively and theatrical. 

The unique visual identity, comedic timing, and character‑focused storytelling could earn it awards for its art style, animation, humor, and writing.

Pathologic 3

• Release Date: January 9, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
• Developer: Ice-Pick Lodge
• Publisher: HypeTrain Digital

Ice‑Pick Lodge continues its legacy of unsettling, philosophical storytelling after Pathologic and Pathologic 2, creating a new chapter that explores illness, morality, and human desperation in a surreal, oppressive world. 

What makes this entry remarkable is its willingness to confront discomfort, using time pressure, social tension, and psychological horror to force players into ethically fraught situations and deepen its thematic weight by examining how communities fracture under stress, turning every conversation into a potential turning point. 

Its haunting narrative, unconventional structure, and emotional intensity could earn it awards for narrative depth, atmospheric design, and experimental storytelling.

REANIMAL

• Release Date: February 13, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2
• Developer: Tarsier Studios 
• Publisher: THQ Nordic, Amplifier Studios, Amplitude Studios

The studio behind REANIMAL builds on its experience with fast‑paced action and stylized combat, creating a game where animal‑themed fighters clash in exaggerated arenas filled with personality and spectacle. 

What makes it shine is its playful tone, using expressive animation and over‑the‑top abilities to give each fighter a distinct identity that feels both humorous and competitive. 

It also thrives on its lively presentation, making every match feel energetic and full of character.

Its vibrant style, strong mechanical clarity, and lively animation could earn it awards for animation, action design, and character art.

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced

• Release Date: July 9, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
• Developer: Ubisoft Singapore
• Publisher: Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced is a remake‑reimagining hybrid that feels like a victory lap for one of Ubisoft’s most beloved franchises, which has slowly been drifting from the originals fans loved.

IT reinvigorates the series by taking one of the most beloved entries and building upon it, giving the high‑seas fantasy a sharper edge, a faster rhythm, and a modern touch that makes returning to the Caribbean feel surprisingly fresh.

It stands tall as a real GOTY contender because it remembers exactly what made the original special: its freedom, momentum, and irresistible pirate‑theatre charm. Resynced layers new systems and tighter combat on top of that foundation, transforming a classic into something that's competitive in today’s action‑adventure landscape.

It’s bold, confident, and wildly replayable, and is the kind of revival that doesn’t just honor its legacy, but actively challenges newer games to keep up.

Black Flag is here to prove it still belongs at the top of the genre, and not just act as nostalgic bait.

Big Walk

• Release Date: August 4, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5
• Developer: House House
• Publisher: Panic Inc.

Big Walk is the kind of game that doesn’t chase prestige so much as it meanders into it.

It’s a gentle, slightly chaotic stroll of an experience, one of those rare games that feels like a warm afternoon spent with friends where nothing important happens, yet somehow everything does. It charms its way into the conversation with sheer personality, a goofy sense of cooperation, and that unmistakable House House knack for turning simple interactions into tiny comedic miracles.

It’s not the game that defines the year, but it is the game that brightens it. Big Walk feels like a reminder that GOTY discussions shouldn’t only be about ambition and polish, they should also celebrate the weird, the whimsical, and the wonderfully unnecessary.

And with how other "friend-slop" games have performed in the past, this one is sure to stay in the hearts of many.

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls

• Release Date: August 6, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5
• Developer: Arc System Works
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing LLC

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls punches and performs its way into this list. It’s a loud, stylish brawler where Marvel turned pure hype into a playable format.

Underneath all that spectacle is a surprisingly sharp competitive core. Casual matches feel electric, and serious play starts to look like a choreographed fight scene.

That’s exactly why it edges into awards territory. It could easily snag Best Fighting Game for being the most unabashedly fun contender, or even Best Esports Game thanks to its snappy pacing and crowd‑pleasing chaos.

Fighting Souls is a joyful and crowd-pleasing fighting game, with niche and notable Marvel characters alike. And that joy is what earns it a seat at the Game of the Year table.

Mortal Shell II

• Release Date: August 20, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
• Developer: Cold Symmetry
• Publisher: Playstack

Cold Symmetry builds upon its previous work to sharpen and enhance Mortal Shell II.

It refines the deliberate combat, deepens the Shell system, and smooths out the rough edges that kept the first game from fully breaking through. There’s a sense of maturity here, a feeling that the developers took everything that worked in the first Mortal Shell, polished it, and then doubled down on the game’s brooding, heavy identity.

It has that satisfying weight and rhythm that action fans crave, the kind of combat that makes every encounter feel meaningful rather than mindless. It carves out its own space with confidence, precision, and a clear understanding of what made the original special.

In a year full of massive releases, Mortal Shell II stands out by being focused, atmospheric, and unmistakably itself.

Here were our winners for 2025!

For each section, we have our Mobalytics Staff Choice along with our Community Vote.

In cases where they matched, the winner will be highlighted in green.

Best Early Access Game

• 2XKO (Mobalytics Staff Choice)
• 33 Immortals
• Aethermancer
• ENDLESS Legend 2
• Fellowship
• Grounded 2
• Mycopunk
• R.E.P.O.
• Schedule I
• Titan Quest II (Community Vote)

Best Remake / Remaster

• Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
• Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles (Mobalytics Staff Choice)
• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
• Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
• Suikoden I & II HD Remaster
• Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Community Vote)
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
• Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
• Yooka-Re-Playlee

Best Indie Game

• Ball x Pit
• Blue Prince
• Hades 2 (Tied, Mobalytics Staff Choice + Community Vote)
• Hollow Knight: Silk Song (Tied, Mobalytics Staff Choice + Community Vote)
• Look Outside
• Megabonk
• Peak
• Sword of the Sea
• The Alters
• The Bazaar

Multiplayer

• Absolum
• ARC Raiders (Mobalytics Staff Choice + Community Vote)
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Dune: Awakening
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Mario Kart World
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• PEAK
• Split Fiction

Single Player

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Community Vote)
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Mobalytics Staff Choice)
• Dispatch
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Silent Hill f
• The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy

2025 Game of the Year

• ARC Raiders
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Mobalytics Staff Choice + Community Vote)
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silk Song
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Split Fiction