No clear favourite for 2026's GOTY yet, but two standouts

Halfway through 2026 the year feels oddly crowded and quiet at once: breakout hits such as Mixtape and Lego Batman have arrived, while big-budget Crimson Desert has been a sizeable draw for players. A reader poll shows no firm Game of the Year favourite. Twenty-nine percent of voters said none of the nine options captured their pick, while Resident Evil Requiem tops the list with 16%, with many readers citing Grace Ashcroft and uncle Kennedy, and Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert follows at 12%.

Crimson Desert proved divisive at launch, a sprawling and ambitious title with uneven execution, but Pearl Abyss has issued numerous updates that have reshaped the game, and long-time players report enjoying the changes. The rest of the poll is tightly clustered: 007 First Light has 9%, Slay the Spire 2 and Forza Horizon 6 sit at 8% each, Pragmata at 7% and Mewgenics at 5%.

At the bottom, World of Warcraft: Midnight and Bungie's Marathon are tied with 383 votes apiece.

resident evil, requiem, crimson desert, pearl abyss, mixtape, lego batman, forza horizon, spire 2, 007 first, reader poll