Image via the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences 2026 DICE Awards ceremony aired last night, celebrating a fine selection of developers with a suite of trophies awarded by their industry peers. Smaller studios like Blue Prince maker Dogubomb and Hades II developer Supergiant Games snagged some well-deserved prizes, but as expected by many, it was Sandfall Interactive that swept the stage with five major award wins for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The parry-heavy turn-based RPG was awarded prizes for Outstanding Achievement in Story, Art, and Game Direction and also dubbed “Role-Playing Game of the Year” and the top prize of “Game of the Year.”
Sucker Punch Studios’ Ghost of Yōtei was the second-most prolific winner, awarded “Adventure Game of the Year” and celebrated for Outstanding Achievements in Music Composition and Character (an award that celebrates the combined talents that created the playable character Atsu).
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The most surprising win may have gone to Atari-owned Digital Eclipse, which won Best Fighting Game for Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection. The retro game collection—which also boasts an interactive documentary that guides players through the series’ history—is an unusual winner in a category dominated by the latest entries in series like Street Fighter or Tekken.
Former Naughty Dog president Evan Wells was also honored with a lifetime achievement award for his accomplishments in the game industry. You can find the full list of winners below.
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
South of Midnight
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Outstanding Achievement in Character
Ghost of Yōtei – Atsu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
Ghost of Yōtei
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Outstanding Achievement in Story
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Action Game of the Year
Hades II
Adventure Game of the Year
Ghost of Yōtei
Family Game of the Year
LEGO® Party!
Fighting Game of the Year
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Racing Game of the Year
Mario Kart World
Role-Playing Game of the Year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Sports Game of the Year
Rematch
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
The Alters
Online Game of the Year
Arc Raiders
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
Hotel Infinity
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
Ghost Town
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
Blue Prince
Mobile Game of the Year
Persona5: The Phantom X
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
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Blue Prince
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Game of the Year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
About the Author
Senior Editor, GameDeveloper.com
Bryant Francis is a writer, journalist, and narrative designer based in Boston, MA. He currently writes for Game Developer, a leading B2B publication for the video game industry. His credits include Proxy Studios’ 4X strategy game Zephon, Iron Anchor Studios’ Down With The Ship, and Amplitude Studio’s 2017 game Endless Space 2.
