Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been named Game of the Year at the 26th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, taking home five awards during the ceremony held at the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming.
The GDC Awards are among the industry’s most respected honours, recognising standout achievements in game development over the past year.
Developed by Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has drawn widespread praise for its dramatic storytelling and striking presentation. The fantasy RPG also won the awards for Best Debut, Best Visual Art, Best Narrative, and Best Audio.
Another multiple-award winner on the night was Blue Prince, the puzzle adventure from Dogubomb, which picked up the awards for Innovation and Best Design.
Elsewhere, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach from Kojima Productions won Best Technology. The semi-autobiographical indie title Consume Me by Jenny Jiao Hsia received the Social Impact award, while the Audience Award went to and Roger.
Two influential figures were also recognised for their contributions to the medium. Veteran designer Don Daglow received the Lifetime Achievement Award for a pioneering career spanning more than five decades and over 100 games, including Neverwinter Nights and Utopia.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador Award was presented posthumously to Rebecca Ann Heineman, a trailblazing developer who contributed to more than 250 games, including classics such as The Bard’s Tale III, Wolfenstein 3D, and Doom.
Below is the full list of winners and nominees from the 2026 GDC Awards.
2026 Game Developers Choice Awards Winners
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena / Panic)
- Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
- Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
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)
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)
Social Impact
- And Roger (TearyHand Studio / Kodansha)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena / Panic)
- Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
Catch up with the winners of the 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards.
