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BAFTA Games Awards 2026 Longlist Revealed: Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Leads with 17 Nods

The BAFTA Games Awards 2026 longlist has officially been revealed, with standout titles such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Hades II all competing for the coveted Best Game category.


BAFTA Games Awards 2026 Longlist Revealed: Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Leads with 17 Nods.
BAFTA Games Awards 2026 Longlist Revealed: Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Leads with 17 Nods

The ceremony is scheduled for April 17, 2026, in London, where BAFTA will once again celebrate "creative excellence in video games and the people who make them."


This year’s longlist was compiled after more than 1,700 BAFTA members cast their votes, narrowing down 255 eligible releases from November 2024 to November 2025 into 64 games across 17 categories. While the nominations will only be announced in March, the longlist already gives us a strong indication of which titles have captured the industry’s attention.


Unsurprisingly, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the pack, securing an impressive 17 placements across categories. The game has already proven its dominance after winning Best Game at the 2025 Golden Joysticks, and now it’s eyeing another major accolade. However, BAFTA’s history of surprises means nothing is guaranteed. In 2023, Vampire Survivors famously beat God of War Ragnarök for Best Game, reminding everyone that underdogs can shine. This year, indie titles like Blue Prince and Dispatch could be the ones to upset the frontrunners.


The longlist also highlights strong performances in acting categories. Expedition 33 alone dominates the Performer in a Leading and Supporting Role lists, with Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Charlie Cox, Kirsty Rider, Rich Keeble, and even Andy Serkis all recognized for their work. Still, some omissions, like Maxence Cazorla (mon ami Esquie), have raised eyebrows among fans.


Another notable contender is ARC Raiders, which has secured six spots despite recent controversy over AI voice replication. Embark Studios’ extraction shooter is longlisted in categories such as Best Game, Audio Achievement, and Technical Achievement, proving resilience in the face of criticism.


With the nominations set to be unveiled in March, anticipation is already building for what promises to be another unpredictable awards season. Until then, here’s the full breakdown of the BAFTA Games Awards 2026 longlist across all categories:


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

  • 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

  • STALKER 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 IP

  • 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)

  • Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yōtei)

  • Jennifer English (Clair Obscur)

  • 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)

  • Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur)

  • David Menkin (Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest)

  • Jane Perry (Dead Take)

  • Jeffrey Wright (Dispatch)

  • Kirsty Rider (Clair Obscur)

  • Rich Keeble (Clair Obscur)

  • 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

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