Golden Joystick GOTY Nominees Revealed: Zero Sony First-Party Games
The 2026 Golden Joystick Ultimate Game of the Year nominees are out, and not a single Sony first-party title made the cut. Here's the full list and what it means.
Well, this is awkward. The 2026 Golden Joystick Awards have just unveiled their nominees for Ultimate Game of the Year, and somehow, Sony didn't get a single nod. Twelve games are in the running, and none of them are published or owned by PlayStation. Ouch.
Let's run through the list, shall we? The nominees are: 007 First Light, Big Walk, Control Resonant, Crimson Desert, Dispatch, Forza Horizon 6, Phantom Blade Zero, Pokémon Pokopia, Pragmata, Resident Evil 9: Requiem, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and The Blood of Dawnwalker. That's a seriously diverse lineup, but you'll notice a certain blue-branded elephant missing from the room.
Now, before you point fingers at Phantom Blade Zero, here's the deal: yes, it's got a deep partnership with PlayStation and is a timed console exclusive on PS5, but it's published by developer S-GAME itself. So it doesn't count as a Sony first-party title. Nice try, though.
So where did Sony's heavy hitters end up? They're scattered across other categories. Housemarque's Saros got a nod for Console Game of the Year, and Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine snagged nominations for Best Lead Performance and Best Supporting Performance. Solid recognition, sure, but neither made the final cut for the big prize.
It's a strange year for Sony, especially after such a strong showing in previous award seasons. Maybe the competition is just that fierce this time around, or maybe the voting body is feeling a little rebellious. Either way, it's a talking point.
Voting closes on October 30, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 11. So there's still time for fans to make their voices heard, even if Sony's first-party lineup isn't on the ballot.
What do you think? Is this a snub, or just a reflection of a packed year in gaming? Let us know in the comments.
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