Crimson Desert joins Golden Joystick Awards 'Ultimate Game of the Year' race

Voting has opened for the Golden Joystick Awards’ highest honor, Ultimate Game of the Year, after organizers revealed 12 nominees on October 26 local time. According to Inven Global, Pearl Abyss’s Crimson Desert is the only Korean game included in this year’s final list.

The 12 games in contention

Future, the awards organizer, launched voting on the official website and kept the window open through October 30. The nominated games come from a mix of major franchises, upcoming releases, and smaller teams, according to the report.

• 007 First Light
• Big Walk
• CONTROL Resonant
• Crimson Desert
• Dispatch
• Forza Horizon 6
• Phantom Blade Zero
• Pokémon Pokopia
• PRAGMATA
• Resident Evil Requiem
• STAR WARS: Galactic Racer
• The Blood of Dawnwalker

Future’s games content director said the shortlist includes both small indie projects and large franchise titles. The report noted that Big Walk represents the indie side, while Dispatch was described as a well-regarded AA title. Some nominees, including Star Wars: Galactic Racer and Phantom Blade Zero, were said to be either very recent releases or still upcoming.

Crimson Desert adds another nomination

Crimson Desert had already appeared in the first nominee announcement, where it was listed for PC Game of the Year and Best Soundtrack. Its addition to the UGOTY race gives the game another shot at one of the show’s biggest prizes.

The same initial round of nominations also included other Korean-developed projects. According to the source, Nexon Mintrocket’s expansion content for Dave the Diver was up for Best Game Expansion, Krafton’s NO LAW was nominated for Most Wanted Game, and Krafton subsidiary Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica 2 was listed for Best Early Access Game.

What happened in the first voting round

The organizers said the first round of voting ended on October 23 and drew millions of votes. In the first nominee reveal, 007 First Light and Big Walk each led the pack with five nominations, and both are also in the running for Ultimate Game of the Year.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 11 in London. Winners in each category will be announced there, and the event will be streamed live on YouTube, Twitch, and X.

Why it matters to players

For ordinary players, the UGOTY vote offers an early look at which games are drawing attention across the industry. The list spans big-budget blockbusters, indie titles, and games that have not yet fully launched, showing how broad the competition has become.

Crimson Desert’s place on the list is notable because it stands out as the only Korean title in the final group. With voting open for a limited time, the award will now depend on how players respond before the deadline.

Source: Seungjin "Looa" Kang