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The Develop:Star Awards 2026 nominations are led by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei, each shortlisted in six categories. The annual awards recognise achievements across the games industry, with this year’s selection spanning game design, visual art, narrative and more. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Brighton in July.
Develop:Star Awards 2026 nominations and Best Game shortlist
A panel of industry experts selected this year’s shortlists across 18 categories. One notable addition is Best Ongoing Game, a new category in the 2026 awards. Its introduction gives the programme a dedicated space to recognise games that continue to develop after release.
Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yōtei lead the nominations, with six each. Both are shortlisted for Best Visual Art, Best Game Design and Best Narrative, among other categories. For readers comparing the leading contenders, these nominations highlight recognition across several different areas of game development rather than a single discipline.
The Best Game shortlist also includes Blue Prince, Dispatch, Jurassic World Evolution 3, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Peak. The range of nominees makes this category one to watch when the awards are presented. Check the official awards information for the complete category lists and any updates before voting.
Tomorrow’s Star nominees and award history
Six people have been shortlisted for the Tomorrow’s Star award: Ayo Norman-Williams, Deevya Patel, Dennis Welling, Elise Barry, Jing Wang and Nicole Gregory. The category recognises emerging talent, and the shortlist offers readers a chance to discover names working across the games industry.
The recipient of this year’s Develop:Star Award has not yet been announced. Previous honourees include Remedy’s Sam Lake, former Sony Interactive Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida and game development studio Sports Interactive. The organisers say the 2026 recipient will be revealed in due course.
Voting and ceremony dates
Voting is open and closes on June 3. The winners will be revealed at the Develop:Star Awards ceremony on July 15, during Develop:Brighton 2026. Anyone planning to take part should check the official award information for voting requirements and confirm the deadline, particularly if voting close to the final day.
Tandem Events managing director Andy Lane said the awards provide a platform for games industry talent to be celebrated by peers. With nominees across 18 categories, the 2026 shortlist recognises work from individual creators, studios and teams. The Develop:Star Awards 2026 ceremony on July 15 will determine which nominees take home this year’s honours.
