Predicting the 2026 Game of the Year Contenders

Speculation regarding the 2026 Game of the Year award has already begun, despite the year being in its early stages. Following the unexpected success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in 2025, analysts are looking at a diverse lineup of upcoming releases to see which title might capture the top honor. The field includes highly anticipated sequels, franchise reboots, and new intellectual properties from major developers.

The primary contenders identified include Grand Theft Auto 6, which faces the challenge of overcoming the series' historical lack of wins in this category. Other notable entries are Resident Evil Requiem, Control Resonant, Marvel's Wolverine, Saros, and Fable. Each title brings distinct gameplay mechanics and developer pedigree to the table, ranging from horror and action-adventure to open-world RPGs.

The conversation surrounding the 2026 award is dominated by two major releases: Grand Theft Auto 6 and Resident Evil Requiem. Rockstar Games' upcoming title is described as the "quite enormous elephant in the room" and is arguably the most anticipated game of all time. Despite Rockstar's history of critical acclaim and perfect review scores, no game in the Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption series has ever won the overall Game of the Year prize. Previous entries like Vice City, San Andreas, GTA 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2 all missed the top spot.

On the other hand, Resident Evil Requiem represents a potential shift for the survival horror franchise. While the series has never secured the award, the Resident Evil 2 remake came close as a runner-up in 2019. Scheduled for release on February 27, this new entry aims to blend the classic third-person action-horror of Resident Evil 4 with the first-person perspective utilized in Village. This hybrid approach is viewed as a "perfect cocktail" that could appeal to a broad audience.

Several established franchises are returning with sequels that aim to build on previous successes. Control Resonant follows the 2019 award-winning Control, giving developer Remedy Entertainment a chance to go "back-to-back." The sequel shifts the perspective to Jesse Faden's brother and moves the setting to a wide-open Manhattan environment. It also introduces a switch to melee-focused combat and deepens the narrative connection to Alan Wake 2.

Meanwhile, Insomniac Games is preparing to release Marvel's Wolverine. Although the studio has produced consistently high-quality games like Marvel's Spider-Man and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, they have never won the overall Game of the Year award. Marvel's Wolverine is positioned as a 2026 release and marks an attempt to secure a PlayStation exclusive win, a feat not achieved since 2018.

Original intellectual properties and franchise reboots also feature prominently in the 2026 lineup. Saros, developed by Housemarque, serves as a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Returnal. As a PlayStation 5 exclusive releasing in April, it relies on the studio's expertise in "exquisite shooter design" honed through titles like Super Stardust and Resogun.

Finally, Playground Games is tackling the Fable reboot. Having won the award in 2021 with Forza Horizon 5, the developer is shifting gears to a fantasy RPG. Historical data indicates that fantasy RPGs have performed exceptionally well in recent years, with winners including Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Elden Ring, and Metaphor: ReFantazio. This trend suggests Fable has a strong statistical chance of success.

The race for the 2026 Game of the Year is already shaping up to be highly competitive, featuring a mix of blockbuster sequels and innovative new projects. While Grand Theft Auto 6 stands as the most significant release, the historical preference for fantasy RPGs and the strong track records of developers like Housemarque and Insomniac suggest a tight contest. As release dates approach throughout the year, the performance of titles like Resident Evil Requiem in February will provide the first real indicators of how the rankings might settle by the end of 2026.