BAFTA announces 2026 BAFTA Games Awards Longlists

Posted by Peter Tolan 7 months Ago
  • 64 games have made the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards longlists, representing the best games of 2025 as voted by BAFTA’s 1,700 games members
  • The longlist comprises 17 competitive awards categories, including ‘Best Game’
  • 64 longlisted games will now progress to Round Two voting to decide the nominations, to be announced on 12 March 2026
  • The BAFTA Games Awards will take place on 17 April 2026
  • See the full longlist bafta.org/stories/best-video-games-2025/

BAFTA today announces the longlists for the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards. 64 games have been selected by more than 1,700 BAFTA members, who are experienced games professionals working in the industry. The BAFTA Games Awards are the industry’s most prestigious Awards, founded in 2004 to celebrate creative excellence in video games and the people who make them, as voted by their peers.

Tara Saunders, chair of BAFTA’s Games committee, said: “The BAFTA Games Awards longlists offers a fantastic opportunity to spotlight the creativity and craft shaping this year’s games, ahead of nominations on 12 March. It’s a moment to acknowledge the breadth of remarkable work recognised by our wonderful BAFTA games members – 1,700 industry professionals whose expertise and passion continue to drive the games industry forward. This list showcases a wide range of games to dive into over the holiday season, honours the teams behind these standout titles, and shines a light on the incredible skill across our whole industry.”

255 games were considered by BAFTA members this year, released between 16 November 2024 and 14 November 2025. Each of the 64 longlisted games is now in the running for at least one BAFTA nomination across 17 categories. BAFTA members will begin voting for the nominations in Best Game and British Game categories in February 2026, with specialist BAFTA juries voting for the remaining categories.

Following the nominations announcement on 12 March, BAFTA members will then vote for the winners in Best Game and British Game and BAFTA juries will vote for the winners in all other categories.

The winners will be announced at the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards on Friday 17 April.

‘Best Game’ Category Longlist, In Alphabetical Order

  • ARC Raiders
  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dispatch
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Split Fiction

2026 BAFTA Games Awards Longlist, In Alphabetical Order

  • Absolum
  • Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
  • and Roger
  • ARC Raiders
  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows
  • Atomfall
  • BALL x PIT
  • Battlefield 6
  • Blue Prince
  • Borderlands 4
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
  • Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Consume Me
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Date Everything!
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dead Take
  • despelote
  • Dispatch
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages
  • Dune: Awakening
  • EA SPORTS FC 26
  • ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN
  • F1 25
  • Fallout 76
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Helldivers 2
  • Hitman World of Assassination
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Is This Seat Taken?
  • Jurassic World Evolution 3
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  • LEGO Party!
  • Lies of P: Overture
  • Little Nightmares III
  • Mafia: The Old Country
  • Mario Kart World
  • Marvel Rivals
  • Monument Valley 3
  • No Man’s Sky
  • PEAK
  • Pokémon Legends: Z-A
  • PowerWash Simulator 2
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
  • Sea of Thieves
  • SILENT HILL f
  • Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
  • South of Midnight
  • Split Fiction
  • Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest
  • Sword of the Sea
  • The Alters
  • The Elder Scrolls Online
  • The Midnight Walk
  • The Rogue Prince of Persia
  • Tiny Bookshop
  • Two Point Museum
  • Vampire Survivors
  • Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

The 2026 BAFTA Games Awards longlists can be found at bafta.org/stories/best-video-games-2025/.

THE LONGLIST BY CATEGORY:

ANIMATION

  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows
  • Battlefield 6
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dispatch
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dispatch
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  • South of Midnight
  • Sword of the Sea

AUDIO ACHIEVEMENT

  • ARC Raiders
  • Battlefield 6
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dispatch
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Split Fiction
  • Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

BEST GAME

  • ARC Raiders
  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dispatch
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Split Fiction

 

BRITISH GAME

  • Atomfall
  • Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
  • F1 25
  • Jurassic World Evolution 3
  • Little Nightmares III
  • Mafia: The Old Country
  • Monument Valley 3
  • PowerWash Simulator 2
  • Two Point Museum
  • Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

DEBUT GAME

  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Consume Me
  • Date Everything!
  • despelote
  • Dispatch
  • Is This Seat Taken?
  • The Midnight Walk
  • The Rogue Prince of Persia
  • Tiny Bookshop

EVOLVING GAME

  • Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Fallout 76
  • Helldivers 2
  • Hitman World of Assassination
  • Marvel Rivals
  • No Man’s Sky
  • Sea of Thieves
  • The Elder Scrolls Online
  • Vampire Survivors
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

 

FAMILY

  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • EA SPORTS FC 26
  • Is This Seat Taken?
  • LEGO Party!
  • Mario Kart World
  • Monument Valley 3
  • Pokémon Legends: Z-A
  • PowerWash Simulator 2
  • Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
  • Two Point Museum

GAME BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT

  • and Roger
  • Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Consume Me
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • despelote
  • Monument Valley 3
  • T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
  • SILENT HILL f
  • The Alters

GAME DESIGN

  • BALL x PIT
  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Split Fiction
  • The Alters

MULTIPLAYER

  • ARC Raiders
  • Battlefield 6
  • Borderlands 4
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
  • Dune: Awakening
  • ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN
  • LEGO Party!
  • Mario Kart World
  • PEAK
  • Split Fiction

 

MUSIC

  • ARC Raiders
  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dispatch
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

NARRATIVE

  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Dispatch
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  • Split Fiction
  • The Alters

NEW INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  • Absolum
  • ARC Raiders
  • Atomfall
  • BALL x PIT
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Dispatch
  • PEAK
  • South of Midnight
  • Split Fiction
  • The Alters

PERFORMER IN A LEADING ROLE

  • Aaron Paul as Robert Robertson IN Dispatch
  • Alex Jordan as Jan Dolski (s) IN The Alters
  • Ben Starr as Verso IN Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Erika Ishii as Atsu IN Ghost of Yōtei
  • Jennifer English as Maelle IN Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Judy Alice Lee as Melinoë IN Hades II
  • Kaja Chan as Mio IN Split Fiction
  • Laura Bailey as Invisigal IN Dispatch
  • Suzie Yeung as Hinako Shimizu IN SILENT HILL f
  • Tom McKay as Henry of Skalitz IN Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  • Troy Baker as Indiana Jones IN Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

  • Alix Wilton Regan as Lea Florence Monad IN Lies of P: Overture
  • Amelia Tyler as Hecate IN Hades II
  • Andy Serkis as Renoir IN Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Charlie Cox as Gustave IN Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • David Menkin as Hans IN Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest
  • Jane Perry as Lia Cain IN Dead Take
  • Jeffrey Wright as Chase IN Dispatch
  • Kirsty Rider as Lune IN Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Rich Keeble as Monoco IN Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Troy Baker as Higgs IN Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

  • ARC Raiders
  • Battlefield 6
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  • Split Fiction

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Peter Tolan
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Peter Tolan is a Junior Content Editor for the HIPTHER network, where he has quickly established himself as a versatile voice in the global iGaming and technology sectors. Operating across the network's specialized platforms, Peter leverages a deep understanding of the European and American gaming landscapes to deliver high-impact, B2B intelligence. He is a key contributor to the "Evolution" side of the industry, specializing in the analysis of online gaming trends, the fast-paced world of esports, and the integration of deep-tech innovations. With a sharp eye for emerging technologies, Peter ensures that the HIPTHER community remains at the forefront of the global digital revolution.