Link copied to clipboard
.jpg)
Silksong is almost shut out
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive via Polygon
The nominees for the 29th annual DICE Awards have been announced by The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, and while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has dominated awards season, for this particular ceremony, Ghost of Yōtei has tied Sandfall Interactive’s RPG for most nominations. Both games appear across eight categories, including Game of the Year. Arc Raiders and Dispatch aren’t far behind with six nominations, closely followed by Blue Prince with five.
And while Hollow Knight: Silksong was a fan favorite — particularly among Steam users — and a five-time nominee at The Game Awards 2025, it secured only one nomination at the DICE Awards, for Adventure Game of the Year.
Unlike The Game Awards, which are voted on by game critics and the public, the DICE Awards are handed out by an industry body, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, which is modeled on the motion picture Academy that runs the Oscars. But AIAS often makes similar choices to the Game Awards jury anyway — the two ceremonies have agreed on Game of the Year eight of the last 11 times.
The DICE Awards will take place Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. PST, and will be livestreamed by IGN. Kinda Funny Games founder Greg Miller and media personality Stella Chung will return to co-host the event, which features 23 different categories honoring the games that professional game developers loved in 2025. Though some titles have certainly dominated the list of nominees, the overall variety of games honored spans a myriad of genres, encompassing everything from Despelote to Sword of the Sea to Split Fiction.
A full list of the DICE Awards nominees for 2026 can be found below.
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yōtei
Monster Hunter Wilds
South of Midnight
The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Dispatch
Ghost of Yōtei
The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Character
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Esquie
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Maelle
Dispatch – Courtney/Invisigal
Dispatch – Robert Robertson III/Mecha Man
Ghost of Yōtei – Atsu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Ghost of Yōtei
Herdling
Mario Kart World
Sword of the Sea
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
Arc Raiders
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yōtei
Lumines Arise
Split Fiction
Outstanding Achievement in Story
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Consume Me
Despelote
South of Midnight
The Drifter
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Arc Raiders
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Donkey Kong Bananza
Doom: The Dark Ages
Action Game of the Year
Absolum
Arc Raiders
Doom: The Dark Ages
Hades 2
Ninja Gaiden 4
Adventure Game of the Year
Blue Prince
Dispatch
Donkey Kong Bananza
Ghost of Yōtei
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Family Game of the Year
Lego Party!
Lego Voyagers
Lumines Arise
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Popucom
Fighting Game of the Year
2XKO
Capcom Fighting Collection 2
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
WWE 2K25
Racing Game of the Year
EA Sports F1 25
Kirby Air Riders
Mario Kart World
Wheel World
Role-Playing Game of the Year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Monster Hunter Wilds
The Outer Worlds 2
Sports Game of the Year
EA Sports FC 26
PGA Tour 2k25
MLB The Show 25
NBA 2k26
Rematch
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
The Alters
Drop Duchy
Europa Universalis V
The King is Watching
StarVaders
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
Ghost Town
Hotel Infinity
Marvel’s Deadpool VR
Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset
Unloop
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
Ghost Town
Marvel’s Deadpool VR
The Midnight Walk
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
Baby Steps
Blue Prince
Consume Me
Despelote
Dispatch
Mobile Game of the Year
Persona 5: The Phantom X
Umamusume: Pretty Derby
What the Clash?
Where Winds Meet
Online Game of the Year
Arc Raiders
Battlefield 6
Mario Kart World
Marvel Rivals
Split Fiction
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
Arc Raiders
Blue Prince
Hades 2
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Öoo
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
Blue Prince
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Ghost of Yōtei
Hades 2
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Game of the Year
Arc Raiders
Blue Prince
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Dispatch
Ghost of Yōtei