Valheim has earned three nominations at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026, putting the survival game in contention for Best Indie Game, Best Multiplayer Game, and PC Game of the Year.
The nominations give Valheim recognition across three different aspects of its appeal. Its Best Indie Game nod highlights the game’s continued impact as an independently developed survival experience, while its Best Multiplayer Game nomination recognizes the cooperative experience that has helped keep players engaged. The PC Game of the Year nomination puts Valheim alongside some of the year’s biggest releases.
According to the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 Nominations, Valheim is among several games receiving three nominations, alongside titles including MECCHA CHAMELEON, Mewgenics, The Blood of Dawnwalker and SAROS.
Valheim faces strong competition
The Best Multiplayer Game category includes ARC Raiders, Big Walk, Marathon, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, MECCHA CHAMELEON and Valheim. That gives Valheim a particularly competitive field, with both established franchises and newer multiplayer experiences represented.
The Best Indie Game category features ten nominees, including Big Walk, Denshattack!, Esoteric Ebb, Mixtape, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, Order of the Sinking Star, REANIMAL, Sovereign Tower, Titanium Court and Valheim.
For PC Game of the Year, Valheim competes against Big Walk, Crimson Desert, Escape from Tarkov, Esoteric Ebb, MECCHA CHAMELEON, Mewgenics, Order of the Sinking Star, STAR WARS Zero Company and The Blood of Dawnwalker.
Public voting for the current Golden Joystick Awards categories is open until October 23, 2026. The separate Ultimate Game of the Year vote will run from October 26 through October 30, with its nominees announced later.
The winners will be revealed at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 ceremony in London on November 11.
Valheim’s three nominations give its fans multiple opportunities to support the game, but the PC Game of the Year and Best Multiplayer Game races could be particularly interesting given the strength of this year’s competition.
