It’s not even November yet, but the 2026 video game awards season, which essentially stretches from now until the BAFTAs in the spring, has already kicked off. The Golden Joystick Awards , essentially the Iowa Caucus of video game awards season, revealed its Ultimate Game of the Year contenders this week and we already have what some will see as the first big snub for Gears of War: E-Day .

The Coalition’s excellent and gorgeous-looking sci-fi shooter was not among the 12 games selected for voting on by the public in the Golden Joysticks’ GOTY category. Here’s the full list:

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

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