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Silksong is almost shut out
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive via PolygonSign in to your Polygon account
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
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