The organizers of the Gamescom Award 2026 released the shortlists of nominees just ahead of the Opening Night Live show. A panel of judges, comprised of industry journalists and bloggers, selected key projects that attendees will be able to test out in the exhibition area.
The post-apocalyptic shooter Metro: 2039 from 4A Games and Deep Silver emerged as the undisputed winner of the preliminary round. The title snagged five categories, including “Most Epic Project,” “Best Visuals,” and all target platforms for which it was announced.
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Who is up for the Gamescom Award 2026 statuettes?
Following the leader with four nominations is the horror action game Alien: Isolation 2, whose creators hope to replicate the cult success of the 12-year-old original. The indie hit Denshattack!, first shown at last year’s show, also swept the awards in the same number of categories.
Japanese giant SEGA also earned a significant amount of attention, with a total of eight mentions across its entire portfolio. The strategy game Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000 and the action game STRANGER THAN HEAVEN from RGG Studio also stood out, earning two nominations each. The racing simulator Forza Horizon 6 is up for three awards, and the rock climbing simulator Cairn took home two.
You simply can’t miss the full shortlists, broken down by key sections:
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Best Gameplay: Alien: Isolation 2, Cairn, Denshattack!, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker.
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Best Visuals: Alien: Isolation 2, DEPERSON, Forza Horizon 6, Inkblood, Metro: 2039.
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Most Epic Project: Crimson Desert, Metro: 2039, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, Tides of Annihilation, Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000.
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Best Sound: Alien: Isolation 2, Cairn, Denshattack!, Forza Horizon 6, There are No Ghosts at the Grand.
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Most Addictive Game: Bad Magpie, Denshattack!, Escape from Duckov, There are No Ghosts at the Grand, Wanderburg.
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Most Friendliest Game: Age Twisters, Book Nook, Finding Polka, Garden Ink, OPUS: Prism Peak.
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Games with a Purpose: Fishbowl, Media Circus, OPUS: Prism Peak, SOKO 1977: Anti-Terror Task Force, The Regreening.
Top Games by Platform
The battle for consoles and PCs is fierce, as only high-profile releases are nominated. The platform categories are as follows:
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Best Microsoft Xbox Game: Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War: E-Day, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Metro: 2039, STRANGER THAN HEAVEN.
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Best PC Game: Alien: Isolation 2, Crimson Desert, Guns of Eschaton, Metro: 2039, Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000.
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Best Sony PlayStation Game: Dragon’s Dogma 2 Dark Arisen, Metro: 2039, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Tides of Annihilation.
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Best Nintendo Switch 2 Game: Denshattack!, Mega Man: Dual Override, Nintendo Switch Sport Resort, OPUS: Prism Peak, Rayman Legends Retold.
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Best Mobile Game: Arknights: Endfield, Genshin Impact, Silver Palace, Where Winds Meet, Zenless Zone Zero.
The winners will be announced at Gamescom 2026.
