The highly anticipated 2026 Gamescom has officially concluded, wrapping up another exciting year for the gaming industry. This year’s event saw the distribution of 19 prestigious official awards, recognizing excellence across various categories. Notably, CD Projekt RED and SEGA emerged as top contenders, each clinching three awards, highlighting their significant contributions to the gaming landscape.
Artistic Achievement Award Winners
In the artistic categories, 4A Games and Deep Silver secured the award for Best Visual Effects for their work on Metro 2039. Creative Assembly and SEGA impressed the judges with Alien: Isolation 2, earning them the Best Audio Design award. Capcom’s Onimusha: Wushida no Michi was celebrated for its Best Gameplay, while Randwerk and Sidekick Publishing’s Tummy Trouble Castle took home the Most Entertaining Game award. Eclipse Glow Games received recognition for Most Epic Game with Annihilation Tide, and lidlocks and Parco Games’ Finding Polka was honored as the Most Heartwarming Game. The Game Influence Award was presented to Paintbucket Games and the Federal Agency for Civic Education for SOKO 1977: Counter-Terrorism Task Force.
Platform-Specific Accolades
The platform awards showcased the best titles across major gaming systems. Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios’ Forza Horizon 6 was named Best Xbox Game. Creative Assembly and SEGA’s Total War: Warhammer 40,000 claimed the Best PC Game award. Capcom’s Onimusha: Wushida no Michi also triumphed in the Best PlayStation Game category. For Nintendo’s upcoming platform, Ubisoft’s Rayman: Legends Revisited was awarded Best Switch 2 Game. In the mobile space, Everstone Studio and NetEase Games’ Wuthering Waves was recognized as the Best Mobile Game.
Global Accolades and Special Jury Prizes
The Global categories celebrated broader achievements and fan favorites. SEGA was awarded the Best Game Lineup by the jury, underscoring their strong portfolio. CD Projekt RED received dual jury awards for their presentation, earning Best Booth for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Old World Ballad and Best Merchandise for the same title’s badge. Gryphline’s Arknights: Endlater secured the Best Booth (Consumer Award). Ubisoft’s Business VIP Lounge was recognized as the Best Business Booth (Jury Award). CD Projekt RED also impressed consumers with the Best Trailer award for their The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remaster and Old World Ballad DLC. Capping off the special awards, Games Done Quick received the Game Heart Award (Special Jury Prize), celebrating their dedication and contribution to the gaming community.
The 2026 Gamescom has once again proven to be a pivotal event for the industry, showcasing innovation, creativity, and the passion of developers and players alike. Congratulations to all the winners!
