Star Wars: Galactic Racer Nominated for 2026 Golden Joystick Ultimate Game of the Year
Galactic Racer made the 12-game Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist; voting closes October 30 at 5 p.m. Pacific before November’s award ceremony.
Quick read: The Golden Joystick Awards have named Star Wars: Galactic Racer among 12 nominees for Ultimate Game of the Year. Public voting remains open through October 30 at 5 p.m. Pacific, with the winner scheduled for November 11. The nomination is confirmed; no winner has been announced.
Galactic Racer joins the 12-game shortlist
The Golden Joystick Awards announced the 2026 Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist on October 26, including Star Wars: Galactic Racer. The nomination places the Lucasfilm Games title alongside 007 First Light, Forza Horizon 6, Pokémon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem, CONTROL Resonant and other releases in a twelve-game field.
This is an organizer-confirmed nomination, not a result or an award win. The separate Ultimate Game of the Year ballot remains open after voting for most other Golden Joystick categories closed earlier in October. The organizers say the category is decided by the public.
Voting deadline and November ceremony
According to the awards organizer, the public voting window closes Friday, October 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern. The winner is scheduled to be announced at the November 11 Golden Joystick ceremony. Alix Wilton Regan is the announced host, with the event set to stream on major video platforms.
Readers interested in the ballot can follow the official Golden Joystick Awards site. The shortlist is not a ranking, and inclusion does not reveal how many votes a nominee has received. IDS will not present a projected winner as a confirmed result.
Why the nomination is notable for the game
Galactic Racer launched on October 6 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Its story revolves around Shade's effort to rise through the Galactic League, with racing routes across familiar and new Star Wars locations. The launch coverage confirmed the return of Sebulba and Crait's appearance on the circuit.
The nomination comes only weeks after the game's release. It adds a measurable recognition point to IDS coverage, which has already documented the vehicle classes and release-day details. Those earlier product facts are separate from the outcome of a public awards vote.
Source trail
What this report is based on
- Golden Joystick Awards: Official 2026 shortlist announcement ↗October 26 organizer press release with all nominees and the October 30 voting deadline.
- GamesRadar+: Golden Joystick public ballot and host ↗Awards organizer's publisher details nominee names, deadline and November 11 ceremony.
- Lucasfilm: Galactic Racer available now ↗Official October 6 game launch report for platform and game context.
IDS labels unconfirmed information explicitly and updates stories when official information materially changes the status.