Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Nominated in Multiple Categories at the 2026 GDC Awards

The GDC Awards showcase the best in gaming, and like the renowned DICE Awards, they rely solely on votes from game developers and industry insiders. This year, the standout title is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, leading with an impressive array of nominations, including the coveted Game of the Year award.

Clair Obscur’s recognition spans nearly every category, as it finds itself nominated in eight out of nine categories— a remarkable achievement. While the awards do not encompass an extensive list of categories, the level of admiration from industry professionals towards this title is clearly reflected in its nominations.

Among the accolades it didn’t snag is a nomination in the Social Impact category. Following closely behind Clair Obscur is Ghost of Yōtei with five nominations, while Blue Prince, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Split Fiction each garnered four. Meanwhile, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Dispatch each secured three nominations.

A unique feature of the GDC Awards is that it recognizes Honourable Mentions for each category alongside the main nominations. For instance, although ARC Raiders did not receive any nominations, it was highlighted with three Honourable Mentions, showcasing the game’s notable achievements.

The ceremony will occur on March 12, 2026, marking a shift from previous years by taking place a day after the IGF Awards, rather than concurrently.

2026 GDC Awards Nominations and Honourable Mentions

Best Audio

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Rift of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc Games / Klei Publishing)
South of Midnight (Compulsion Games / Xbox Game Studios)

Honourable Mentions: ARC Raiders (Embark Studios), Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo), Doom: The Dark Ages (id Software / Bethesda Softworks), Lumines Arise (Enhance / Monstars Inc.), To a T (uvula LLC / Annapurna Interactive)

Best Debut

BALL X PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends / Devolver Digital)
Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Dispatch (Adhoc Studio)

Honourable Mentions: ARC Raiders (Embark Studios), Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia), Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry), The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (Too Kyo Games, Media. Vision Inc./ Aniplex), The Roottrees are Dead (Evil Trout Inc.)

Best Design

BALL X PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends / Devolver Digital)
Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Honourable Mentions: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver), The Alters (11 Bit Studios)

Innovation Award

BALL X PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends / Devolver Digital)
Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy / Devolver Digital)
Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)

Honourable Mentions: CloverPit (Panik Arcade / Future Friends Games), Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia), REPO (Semiwork Studios), Sunderfolk (Secret Door / Dreamhaven), To a T (uvula LLC / Annapurna Interactive)

Best Narrative

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Chaos (Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena / Panic)
Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Honourable Mentions: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (DON’T NOD Montréal, DON’T NOD), South of Midnight (Compulsion Games / Xbox Game Studios), The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios), The Séance of Blake Manor (Spooky Doorway / Raw Fury)

Best Technology

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Honourable Mentions: ARC Raiders (Embark Studios), Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / Electronic Arts), Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry), Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver), PEAK (Team PEAK / Aggro Crab, Landfall)

Best Visual Art

Absolum (Guard Crush Games, Dotemu, Supamonks / Dotemu)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Keeper (Double Fine Productions / Xbox Game Studios)

Honourable Mentions: Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry), South of Midnight (Compulsion Games / Xbox Game Studios), Sword of the Sea (Giant Squid), The Midnight Walk (MoonHood / Fast Travel Games)

Social Impact

And Roger (TearyHand Studio / Kodansha)
Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia)
Chaos (Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena / Panic)
Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)

Honourable Mentions: Herdling (Okomotive / Panic), Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (DON’T NOD Montréal, DON’T NOD), PEAK (Team PEAK / Aggro Crab, Landfall), To a T (uvula LLC / Annapurna Interactive)

Game of the Year

Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Honourable Mentions: Absolum (Guard Crush Games, Dotemu, Supamonks / Dotemu), BALL X PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends / Devolver Digital), Hades II (Supergiant Games)

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