Public voting for the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 is open now, giving players until October 23 to choose across 21 categories before the winners are announced in London.
Voting closes October 23
The public ballot is open through October 23. With 21 categories available, the awards cover more than one kind of player and more than the biggest console launches.
The winners will be announced at the Golden Joystick Awards ceremony in London on November 11. That leaves a little under three weeks between the public-voting deadline and the event.
Mobile games have a crowded field
The Still Playing – Mobile category includes Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, NTE: Neverness to Everness, and Wuthering Waves. The lineup puts established live games beside newer competition and asks players which one has kept earning its place on their device.
“Still Playing” matters because it looks beyond launch-week impact. Updates, long-term support, and the ability to keep a community involved all shape the vote.
Most Wanted looks farther ahead
The Most Wanted nominees include ANANTA, Persona 6, and The Witcher 4. Unlike an award for a finished release, this category measures anticipation: which upcoming game has done the most to make players want to see what comes next.
That makes the category especially unpredictable. A long-running series carries built-in attention, while a newer project can break through with a strong reveal or a clear identity.
Last year set a huge participation mark
The previous awards drew more than 21 million votes. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 finished the night with seven awards, showing how strongly one game can connect across multiple categories when the audience turns out.
This year’s ballot again gives that audience the deciding voice. The important dates are October 23 for the end of voting and November 11 for the ceremony.
The bottom line
The Golden Joysticks remain one of gaming’s clearest public-vote awards. With 21 categories spanning current live games and future releases, the 2026 ballot gives players several ways to back the games they are playing now—and the ones they cannot wait to play next.
This article reflects verified Golden Joystick Awards 2026 voting details supplied to KongMNG Game Wire on October 3, 2026.