Capcom led the 44th Golden Joystick Awards in London on November 11, 2026, where Resident Evil Requiem awards included Ultimate Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year [2]. Capcom also collected Studio of the Year [4]. Four trophies went to the horror release after public voting concluded in twenty-five brackets [7].
Resident Evil Requiem Awards at the London Gala
The annual ceremony took place at the Troxy in London with Pot Noodle returning as headline sponsor [5]. Host Alix Wilton Regan opened the night by honoring BioWare following the recent closure of the Canadian studio, reminding the audience that countless creators continue standing on the shoulders of the developers who built Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect 3. Regan voiced characters in both games [6].
Actor Nick Apostoledes, who plays Leon Kennedy, walked on stage to accept the Ultimate Game of the Year trophy on behalf of Capcom. Apostoledes thanked players for thirty years of community support and said: “We are just honored to be part of a project that is so beloved. Thank you to the fans, thank you for keeping this alive. Capcom, you cannot fail.” The stage speech brought loud applause from the crowd [5].
Director Koshi Nakanishi sent recorded comments following the announcement, expressing delight that a single-player horror game could win against large online competitors in a public vote [5]. PC Gamer gave the game a 92% review score [7]. GamesRadar called it a seesaw of terror and wonder [3].
Public Voting Margins in the Final Ballot
Ultimate Game of the Year relies entirely on public ballots rather than editorial panels, and the final count produced one of the closest finishes in ceremony history. Requiem took first place with 17% of the vote. Phantom Blade Zero finished second with 16% [2].
Pearl Abyss took third place with Crimson Desert after securing 15% of the ballot before winning PC Game of the Year. Remedy Entertainment finished fourth with Control Resonant, and The Blood of Dawnwalker took fifth. Public ballots decided most categories after the Golden Joystick Awards opened public voting for the top prize earlier in the autumn. Voting stayed brisk until November deadlines [2].
The twelve-game shortlist included 007 First Light, Big Walk, Dispatch, Forza Horizon 6, Pokémon Pokopia, Pragmata, and Star Wars: Galactic Racer [2]. Because the ceremony takes place early each November, its fixed autumn cutoff date leaves late winter releases out of consideration, meaning Grand Theft Auto VI could not enter the 2026 ballot. Rockstar missed this cycle [5].
Angela Sant’Albano Wins Best Lead Performer
Angela Sant’Albano won Best Lead Performer for playing protagonist Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil Requiem. The public vote saw Sant’Albano prevail over five other nominees from major productions. The field included Aaron Paul for Robert Robertson III in Dispatch, Anna Demetriou for Sophia in Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Liam McIntyre for Wolverine in Marvel’s Wolverine, Patrick Gibson for James Bond in 007 First Light, and Will de Renzy-Martin for Coen in The Blood of Dawnwalker [1].
Grace Ashcroft departs from the series tradition of seasoned commandos, beginning her story as an anxious FBI analyst who panics during lethal encounters. Sant’Albano said in an interview with VICE that motion capture work allowed her to build small physical cues into the performance, such as shaky breathing and trembling hands as she aimed a weapon. She added that Grace’s emotional bond with Emily forms the core of her personal development throughout the narrative. Those vulnerable moments helped set the character apart from previous action heroes in Resident Evil [1].
Capcom took another trophy in Best Game Trailer for “Evil Has Always Had a Name” before Requiem secured Console Game of the Year against Pragmata, Pokémon Pokopia, 007 First Light, Forza Horizon 6, and Nioh 3. Capcom led the early console tallies [4].
Capcom Takes Studio of the Year Honors
Capcom collected seven awards during the London broadcast, winning Studio of the Year alongside individual honors for multiple releases in its catalog. Onimusha: Way of the Sword won Best Audio Design. Pragmata also added to Capcom’s total as Grace Saif took Best Supporting Performer for her role as Diana [4].
Capcom has maintained steady critical success for four consecutive seasons. No major release from the company has dropped below an 80 score on Metacritic since Exoprimal in 2023, even as Monster Hunter Wilds dealt with computer performance complaints during launch. Resident Evil Veronica is already planned for future production cycles. Sales stayed strong [5].
Capcom faced competition in Studio of the Year from House House, IO Interactive, Nintendo EPD, Frogwares, and Square Enix before taking the stage trophy [4]. The victory showed how much support the company has built with console players since beginning its release wave in 2020 [5]. Voters backed Requiem even though it had launched back in February, shrugging off the recency bias that often favors games arriving late in October and November. Ali Jones of GamesRadar said single-player releases face tough odds against persistent live-service titles, making a four-trophy night particularly memorable for Capcom [3]. Three of Capcom’s four big releases won trophies in London. Capcom won big [5].
Indie Standouts Beside Resident Evil Requiem GOTY
Although Capcom collected the most publisher trophies, viral sensation Meccha Chameleon matched Resident Evil Requiem with four trophies of its own. Built by a team of just two developers in Japan known as Lemorion_1224 and Hagneiro, the hide-and-seek game asks players to paint themselves into surrounding environments. The small-budget title won Best Multiplayer Game and Best Indie Game (Self-Published) by public vote. It also secured both industry-selected honors on the night, taking the Streamers’ Choice Award and the Developers’ Choice Award from panels of active game creators. Two developers built it [4].
Other independent developers earned recognition in several major categories during the event. Melbourne studio House House took the Critics’ Choice trophy for Big Walk. Iron Gate Studio earned Best Indie Game for Valheim, beating out competition from Mixtape and Mouse: P.I. For Hire. AdHoc Studio collected two awards for its narrative adventure Dispatch, winning Best Storytelling and Best Soundtrack. Krafton and Unknown Worlds took Best Early Access Game for Subnautica 2, and LocalThunk’s poker hit Balatro won the Still Playing mobile award. Smaller teams made their presence felt [4].
CD Projekt Red celebrated two wins of its own, with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered taking Best Remake/Remaster and The Witcher 4 claiming Most Wanted Game. The Polish studio plans to release the Songs of the Past expansion next year, and The Witcher 4 remains targeted for 2028 [5]. Mojang’s Minecraft won the Still Playing award for console and PC systems, and Valve’s Steam Controller earned Best Gaming Hardware to close out the 44th annual ceremony. The show concluded in London [4].
- ONLINE NEWS Whitfield, D. (2026, November 12). Resident Evil Requiem’s Grace Ashcroft actress Angela Sant’Albano wins Best Lead Performer at Golden Joystick Awards 2026. OtakuKart. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Straw, M. (2026, November 11). Resident Evil: Requiem wins Ultimate Game of the Year at 2026 Golden Joystick Awards. Insider Gaming. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Jones, A. (2026, November 11). Resident Evil Requiem wins Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026. GamesRadar+. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS McEvoy, S. (2026, November 12). Resident Evil Requiem wins four Golden Joystick Awards, including Ultimate and Console GOTY. GamesIndustry.biz. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Palumbo, A. (2026, November 12). CAPCOM takes seven Golden Joystick Awards 2026, with Resident Evil Requiem winning Ultimate Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year. Wccftech. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Kaser, R. (2026, November 11). Golden Joystick Awards honors BioWare, crowns Resident Evil Requiem. GamesBeat. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Chalk, A. (2026, November 11). Crimson Desert wins ‘PC Game of the Year’ at the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards. PC Gamer. [Article Link]
