Get ready for the Golden Joystick Awards on November 22

Golden Joystick Awards presented by GamesRadar+
(Image credit: Future)

One of the most prestigious events in gaming is back this November 22, with the Golden Joystick Awards presented by our sibling publication GamesRadar+. 

As an awards show fueled by public voting, the Golden Joysticks attracts millions of votes each year to recognize some of the world’s best games, developers, publishers and personalities from across the past 12 months. 

Gaming fans will be invited to vote in 18 categories including ‘Best Storytelling’, ‘Best Studio’, ‘Most Wanted’ and the coveted ‘Ultimate Game of the Year’, with three additional ‘Critics Choice Awards’ being awarded on the night. Public voting will open here this Friday October 7.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Golden Joystick Awards will feature two new voting categories, ‘Best Early Access Launch’ and ‘Best Game Trailer’. 

The ‘Best Early Access Launch’ award reflects the growing number of games that invite the public to pre-release playtests as part of an evolving launch. While ‘Best Game Trailer’ celebrates the most impactful and original trailers which play an ever more important role in the expanding landscape of digital games showcases.

The winners will be revealed on November 22, in an all-digital awards show broadcast across all major streaming platforms. As well as the awards, the show will also feature new trailers and exclusive content from across the gaming world. To keep with all the latest news on the Golden Joystick Awards 2022 follow us on Twitter and Facebook #GoldenJoystickAwards.  

 The categories are:  

  • Studio of the Year
  • PC Game of the Year
  • PlayStation Game of the Year
  • Xbox Game of the Year
  • Nintendo Game of the Year
  • Best Multiplayer Game
  • Still Playing
  • Best Audio
  • Best Storytelling
  • Best Visual Design
  • Best Indie Game
  • Best Game Expansion
  • Best Game Community
  • Best Gaming Hardware
  • Best Early Access Launch
  • Best Game Trailer
  • Most Wanted
  • Ultimate Game of the Year (voting opens separately - for this award only - on November 7)

For our own top game picks for the year so far, check out our roundup of the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games. And do check out why Cyberpunk 2077 is well worth another visit

Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.