• Big Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated the night with five wins, including the prestigious Game of the Year.
  • Technical Heavyweights: Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding 2: On the Beach secured top honors for Audio and Technical Achievement.
  • Indie Excellence: Blue Prince emerged as a critical darling, taking home awards for Independent Game and Game Design.
  • Legacy Honors: Naughty Dog co-founder Evan Wells entered the Hall of Fame; the industry paid tribute to the late Vince Zampella.

Clair Obscur’s Massive Clean Sweep

The 2026 DICE Awards just wrapped, and if there was any doubt about the impact of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, those doubts were effectively crushed. We saw the title secure five massive trophies, including Game of the Year, RPG of the Year, and Game Direction. For a single project to sweep Art Direction, Story, and Direction in one night proves that the devs hit a rare "triple-threat" sweet spot that resonated with the Academy.

AIAS President Meggan Scavio summed up the vibe perfectly, noting that the winners "showcase the extraordinary range of talent and creativity that define our industry." Our take? Expedition 33 isn't just a win for the studio; it's a signal that the industry is still hungry for high-concept, narrative-driven RPGs that don't compromise on artistic vision.

Ghost of Yotei and the Technical Powerhouses

Sucker Punch didn't walk away empty-handed either. Ghost of Yotei proved its mettle by snagging three awards, including Adventure Game of the Year. The industry clearly noticed the work put into the new protagonist, Atsu, who secured the win for Outstanding Achievement in Character. It’s a tough act to follow Jin Sakai, but Sucker Punch seems to have nailed the transition.

On the tech side, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach did exactly what we expected: it flexed. Winning both Outstanding Technical Achievement and Audio Design, Hideo Kojima’s latest continues to push the boundaries of what modern hardware can actually do. While DS2 handled the spectacle, the "fabulous" puzzle-mystery Blue Prince proved that smart design beats a massive budget every time, securing wins for Game Design and Independent Game of the Year.

Genre Winners and Standouts

The category breakdowns offered a few surprises and some expected victories for the "meta" favorites of the year:

  • Action Game of the Year: Hades 2 (Continuing Supergiant’s streak of excellence).
  • Online Game of the Year: Arc Raiders.
  • Strategy/Simulation: The Alters.
  • Animation: South of Midnight (Beating out stiff competition with its distinct visual style).
  • Racing/Fighting: Mario Kart World and Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection took home the gold for their respective legacy franchises.

Industry Icons: Hall of Fame and Final Tributes

The ceremony took a somber but necessary turn to honor the titans of the craft. Evan Wells, the recently retired co-founder of Naughty Dog, was inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame. Wells’ career has been instrumental in shaping the cinematic action-adventure genre as we know it, following the path set by legends like Tim Schafer.

The room also held a tribute for Vince Zampella, the Respawn co-founder and Call of Duty co-creator who tragically passed away in a car collision this past December. Zampella’s influence on the FPS genre cannot be overstated; the industry lost a foundational architect, and the DICE tribute was a fitting, if heartbreaking, moment of recognition for a career that changed the game forever.