Clair Obscur and Indie Breakout Dispatch Lead the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards Nominees
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards nominees, with indie breakout Dispatch securing a surprising nine nominations ahead of the April ceremony.
The awards season calendar is winding down, but the race for hardware is still full of surprises. Sandfall Interactive's standout role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues its dominant run by leading the nominees for the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards. However, the real story of the nomination slate is AdHoc Studio and its episodic superhero comedy, Dispatch. Pulling in nine nominations, Dispatch sits comfortably in second place after riding a massive wave of viral momentum that has only accelerated since the winter awards circuit.
BAFTA's deliberate voting schedule always creates space for late-breaking hits to find their footing. This year, that calendar quirk has paid off nicely for Embark Studios and Arc Raiders, which secured five nods following its strong run as a late 2025 favorite. Heavy hitters like Ghost of Yōtei, Death Stranding 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are naturally well represented in the major categories. Meanwhile, notable snubs for Best Game include Hades 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong, proving that even massive community favorites can get squeezed out by BAFTA's eclectic voting body.
Best Game is rounded out by indie sensation Blue Prince, setting up a fascinating showdown at the April 17 ceremony. BAFTA has a long history of ignoring consensus picks in favor of left-field winners, so Clair Obscur cannot take the top prize for granted just yet. Performance categories are equally competitive, with industry veteran Troy Baker landing two separate acting nominations for his work in Indiana Jones and Death Stranding 2. You can check out the complete breakdown of nominees over at Polygon.
Tags: BAFTA Games Awards, Clair Obscur, Dispatch, Gaming News, Awards Season
Original article: Polygon