22nd British Academy Games Awards

22nd British Academy Games Awards
Date	17 April 2026
Location	Queen Elizabeth Hall
Hosted by	TBA
Best Game	TBA
Most awards	TBA
Most nominations	TBA
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The 22nd British Academy Video Game Awards are an upcoming event hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on 17 April 2026 to honour the best video games of 2025. Held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, a host for the ceremony is yet to be announced.

Background

Eligibility

Any game released between 16 November 2024 and 14 November 2025 was eligible for nomination. ^[1]

Awards changes

For the 22nd BAFTA Games Awards, the following changes were announced: ^{[2] [3] [4]}

• To bring the voting processes more in line with the Film Awards, BAFTA has created three additional craft chapters, allowing only members with experience in art, audio, and performance to participate in first round voting of their respective categories (Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Performer in a Leading Role, and Performer in a Supporting Role). These chapters join the already established chapters who vote in the Game Design and Technical Achivement categories. Previously, the entire BAFTA membership would vote on these categories during round one.
• The criteria for the two performance categories has been amended to allow individuals to submit a supporting clip reel to highlight the best representation of their performance.
• The criteria for the Animation, Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Game Design, Narrative, Music, and Technical Achievement categories has been amended to allow greater representation in nominations for individuals who made a significant creative contribution in their respective area.

Longlist

On 9 December 2025, BAFTA released their official longlist, featuring sixty-four games. Of the list, BAFTA chair Tara Saunders stated, “the BAFTA Games Awards longlists offers a fantastic opportunity to spotlight the creativity and craft shaping this year’s games, ahead of nominations on March 12. It’s a moment to acknowledge the breadth of remarkable work recognized by our wonderful BAFTA games members – 1,700 industry professionals whose expertise and passion continue to drive the games industry forward. This list showcases a wide range of games to dive into over the holiday season, honors the teams behind these standout titles and shines a light on the incredible skill across our whole industry.” ^{[5] [1]}

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 led the longlist, with seventeen appearances, followed by Dispatch with eleven mentions, as well as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , each with ten mentions. ^[6]

22nd BAFTA Games Awards Longlist ^[7]

• Animation: Assassin's Creed Shadows , Battlefield 6 , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Dispatch , Donkey Kong Bananza , Ghost of Yōtei , Hades II , Hollow Knight: Silksong , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Artistic Achievement: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Dispatch , Ghost of Yōtei , Hades II , Hollow Knight: Silksong , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , Kingdom Come: Deliverance II , South of Midnight , Sword of the Sea
• Audio Achievement: ARC Raiders , Battlefield 6 , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Dispatch , Ghost of Yōtei , Hades II , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , Split Fiction , Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
• Best Game: ARC Raiders , Blue Prince , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Dispatch , Ghost of Yōtei , Hades II , Hollow Knight: Silksong , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , Split Fiction
• British Game: Atomfall , Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector , F1 25 , Jurassic World Evolution 3 , Little Nightmares III , Mafia: The Old Country , Monument Valley 3 , PowerWash Simulator 2 , Two Point Museum , Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
• Debut Game: Blue Prince , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Consume Me , Date Everything! , Despelote , Dispatch , Is This Seat Taken? , The Midnight Walk , The Rogue Prince of Persia , Tiny Bookshop
• Evolving Game: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition , Cyberpunk 2077 , Fallout 76 , Helldivers 2 , Hitman World of Assassination , Marvel Rivals , No Man's Sky , Sea of Thieves , The Elder Scrolls Online , Vampire Survivors , Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
• Family: Donkey Kong Bananza , EA Sports FC 26 , Is This Seat Taken? , Lego Party , Mario Kart World , Monument Valley 3 , Pokémon Legends: Z-A , PowerWash Simulator 2 , Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds , Two Point Museum
• Game Beyond Entertainment: And Roger , Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Consume Me , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Despelote , Monument Valley 3 , S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl , Silent Hill f , The Alters
• Game Design: Ball x Pit , Blue Prince , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Donkey Kong Bananza , Ghost of Yōtei , Hades II , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , Split Fiction , The Alters
• Multiplayer: ARC Raiders , Battlefield 6 , Borderlands 4 , Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 , Dune: Awakening , Elden Ring Nightreign , Lego Party , Mario Kart World , Peak , Split Fiction
• Music: ARC Raiders , Blue Prince , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Dispatch , Doom: The Dark Ages , Ghost of Yōtei , Hades II , Hollow Knight: Silksong , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Narrative: Blue Prince , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Dispatch , Ghost of Yōtei , Hades II , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , Kingdom Come: Deliverance II , Split Fiction , The Alters
• New Intellectual Property: Absolum , ARC Raiders , Atomfall , Ball x Pit , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Dispatch , Peak , South of Midnight , Split Fiction , The Alters
• Performer in a Leading Role: Aaron Paul ( Dispatch ), Alex Jordan ( The Alters ), Ben Starr ( Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ), Erika Ishii ( Ghost of Yōtei ), Jennifer English ( Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ), Judy Alice Lee ( Hades II ), Kaja Chan ( Split Fiction ), Laura Bailey ( Dispatch ), Suzie Yeung ( Silent Hill f ), Tom McKay ( Kingdom Come: Deliverance II ), Troy Baker ( Indiana Jones and the Great Circle )
• Performer in a Supporting Role: Alix Wilton Regan ( Lies of P: Overture ), Amelia Tyler ( Hades II ), Andy Serkis ( Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ), Charlie Cox ( Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ), David Menkin ( Still Wakes the Deep: Siren's Rest ), Jane Perry ( Dead Take ), Jeffrey Wright ( Dispatch ), Kirsty Rider ( Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ), Rich Keeble ( Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ), Troy Baker ( Death Stranding 2: On the Beach )
• Technical Achievement: ARC Raiders , Battlefield 6 , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , Donkey Kong Bananza , Doom: The Dark Ages , Ghost of Yōtei , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , Kingdom Come: Deliverance II , Split Fiction

Fellowship

The BAFTA Fellowship recipient is yet to be announced.

Winners and nominees

First round voting took place between 18 November and 2 December 2025 to determine the official longlist, with all BAFTA membership voting on all categories aside from those selected by the specialised craft chapters. Second round voting will take place for the Best Game and British Game categories between 3 and 12 February 2026 to determine the five nominees. The BAFTA juries for each category will meet on 25 February to narrow down to the five nominees in each of the other categories. The official nominees will be announced on 12 March 2026. Third round voting to determine the winners will take place between 18 and 26 March 2026. The winners will be announced at the BAFTA Games Awards ceremony on 17 April 2026. ^[4]

Best Game
Animation	Artistic Achievement
Audio Achievement	British Game
Debut Game	Evolving Game
Family	Game Beyond Entertainment
Game Design	Multiplayer
Music	Narrative
New Intellectual Property	Performer in a Leading Role
Performer in a Supporting Role	Technical Achievement
BAFTA Fellowship

References

1. Leane, Rob (December 9, 2025). "BAFTA Games Awards 2026: Longlist revealed with 64 games in the running". Radio Times .
2. "BAFTA Games Awards 2026 open for entries". BAFTA. 11 August 2025.
3. "BAFTA Games Awards: Key changes to rules and processes for 2026". BAFTA. 11 August 2025.
4. "BAFTA Games Awards: Rules and Guidelines 2026". BAFTA. 11 August 2025.
5. McGowen, Andrew (December 9, 2025). "'Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,' 'Ghost of Yōtei' and 'Split Fiction' Among Best Game Contenders in 2026 BAFTA Games Awards Longlist". Variety . Retrieved December 10, 2025.
6. Block, India (December 9, 2025). "BAFTA Games Awards 2026 longlist: President Macron's favourite French game leads the pack". The Standard . Retrieved December 10, 2025.
7. "The Best Video Games of 2025". BAFTA. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2025.