The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced the nominees for the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. This year’s winners will be revealed on February 12, 2026, at 8:00 PM Pacific (11:00 PM Eastern) from the Aria Resort in Las Vegas. The ceremony will be hosted by Greg Miller of Kinda Funny Games and media personality Stella Chung. A total of 64 games released in 2025 were nominated, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei leading the way with eight nominations each. Arc Raiders and Dispatch received six nominations apiece, while Blue Prince earned five and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach got four.
It’s nice to see Dispatch getting so many nominations after mostly getting snubbed at other award shows for 2025 due to its later release in the year. It’s a fantastic game, and as I said in my review, my biggest complaint was that it was so short, at under nine hours. It’ll be interesting to see if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fatigue catches up to the panel of industry peers who select the winners of the D.I.C.E. Awards, considering how many trophies it took home during The Game Awards 2025.
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- South of Midnight
- The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
- The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Esquie
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Maelle
- Dispatch – Courtney / Invisigal
- Dispatch – Robert Robertson III / Mecha Man
- Ghost of Yōtei – Atsu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Herdling
- Mario Kart World
- Sword of the Sea
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Arc Raiders
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Lumines Arise
- Split Fiction
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- South of Midnight
- The Drifter
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
Action Game of the Year
Adventure Game of the Year
- Blue Prince
- Dispatch
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Family Game of the Year
- LEGO Party!
- LEGO Voyagers
- Lumines Arise
- MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
- POPUCOM
Fighting Game of the Year
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- WWE 2K25
Racing Game of the Year
- EA Sports F1 25
- Kirby Air Riders
- Mario Kart World
- Wheel World
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Sports Game of the Year
- EA Sports FC 26
- PGA Tour 2K25
- MLB The Show 25
- NBA 2K26
- Rematch
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- The Alters
- Drop Duchy
- Europa Universalis V
- The King is Watching
- StarVaders
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Ghost Town
- Hotel Infinity
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset
- Unloop
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
- Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Baby Steps
- Blue Prince
- Consume Me
- despelote
- Dispatch
Mobile Game of the Year
- Persona5: The Phantom X
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- What the Clash?
- Where Winds Meet
Online Game of the Year
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Mario Kart World
- Marvel Rivals
- Split Fiction
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Hades II
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Öoo
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Game of the Year
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
