The nominees for the 2026 Canadian Game Awards have been announced, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows leading the way with nine nominations across all categories. South of Midnight is close behind with eight, and Hell is Us follows with six. The sixth annual ceremony takes place on May 21 at Toronto’s John W.H. Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, coinciding with the XP Game Summit conference.
This year’s Game of the Year nominees are headlined by Quebec-based studios, with four of the five nominees coming from the province. Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec), Hell is Us (Rogue Factor), Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal), and South of Midnight (Compulsion Games) are all Montreal or Quebec City studios. Wanderstop from Vancouver’s Ivy Road is the lone nominee from outside Quebec, though it’s worth noting that Ivy Road sadly announced its closure last week after failing to secure funding for its next game.
The Canadian Game Awards also introduced a new Fan Choice Award in partnership with the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, with fans able to vote on the official ESAC website. The top 10 finalists will be revealed on May 4 for a final round of voting. Additionally, Victor Lucas, creator of The Electric Playground, will receive this year’s Game Changer Award.
See the full list of nominees below.
Best Art Direction
- Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal)
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tribute Games)
- 33 Immortals (Thunder Lotus Games)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
Best Game Design
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios, includes Montreal’s Motive)
- Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
- Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
Best Score / Soundtrack
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (The Flight and Montreal’s Teke: Teke)
- Eternal Strands (Austin Wintory)
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Montreal’s Milk & Bone and Ruth Radelet)
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tee Lopes)
- South of Midnight (Olivier Deriviere)
Best Narrative
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
- Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
- Wanderstop (Ivy Road)
Best Performance
- Erica Luttrell as Melissa Mills in Battlefield 6
- Olivia Lepore as Swann Holloway in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- Momona Tamada as Oni-yuri in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Peter Shinkoda as Fujibayashi Nagato in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Elias Toufexis as Remi in Hell is Us
Best Audio Design
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios, includes Montreal’s Motive)
- Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
- Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
Best PC Game
- Aloft (Astrolabe Interactive)
- Ambrosia Sky: Act One (Soft Rains)
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios, includes Montreal’s Motive)
- Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
- Foundation (Polymorph Games)
Best Console Game
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios, includes Montreal’s Motive)
- Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tribute Games)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
Best Indie Game
- Ambrosia Sky: Act One (Soft Rains)
- Ctrl Alt Deal (Only By Midnight)
- Fresh Tracks (Buffalo Buffalo)
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tribute Games)
- Wanderstop (Ivy Road)
Best Mobile Game
- EA Sports FC 26 Mobile (EA Canada)
- Elsewhere Electric (Games by Stitch)
- LHEA and the Word Spirit (Soul Fuel Games)
- Rainbow Six Mobile (Ubisoft Montreal)
Best VR / AR Game
- Chronostrike (Pentachromatic Games)
- Elsewhere Electric (Games by Stitch)
- Fruit Golf (Coal Car Studio)
- Prison Boss Prohibition (Trebuchet)
- Verse VR (Lofty Sky Entertainment)
Best in Accessibility
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
- EA Sports FC26 (EA Vancouver)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
- Squeakross: Home Squeak Home (Alblune)
- Wanderstop (Ivy Road)
Best Esports Player
- Adam “mada” Pampuch
- Brandon “Dashy” Otell
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken
- Troy “Canadian” Jaroslawski
Best Esports Coach
- Antonin “AEC” Tran
- Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling
- Loic “Effys” Sauvageau
- Mervin-Angelo “Dayos” Lachica
- Shaun Byrne
Best Esports Organization
- Raptors GC
- Shopify Rebellion
- Toronto Ultra/KOI/OverActive Media
- Vancouver Surge
Best Esports Event
- Battle of BC 7
- Call of Duty Champs
- Electric Clash 2025
- Raptors GC Tournament
- Valorant Masters Toronto 2025
Best Content Creator / Show
- Alex “Vansilli” Nguyen
- Ashley Roboto
- Nicholas “NickEh30” Amyoony
- Stef Sanjati
- Victor Lucas/Electric Playground
Game of the Year
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
- Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
- Wanderstop (Ivy Road)
Studio of the Year
- Compulsion Games (Montreal, Que.)
- Digital Extremes (London, Ont.)
- Rogue Factor (Montreal, Que.)
- Tribute Games (Montreal, Que.)
- Yellow Brick Games (Quebec City, Que.)
Fan Choice of the Year (ESAC)
- Nominees to be announced
