The Nordic Game Awards 2026 highlighted some of the most notable achievements in the Nordic games industry during the NG26 Spring conference, held in Malmö, Sweden. The ceremony took place on May 28 and was streamed live from Slagthuset, bringing together industry professionals for one of the region’s most established celebrations of game development.

The night's biggest winner was ARC Raiders, developed by the Swedish studio Embark Studios. The title secured three major awards, including Nordic Game of the Year, as well as Best Audio and Best Technology, making it the most awarded game of this year's event.

Now in its eighteenth edition, the Nordic Game Awards once again served as a major highlight of the Nordic Game conference. The event is recognized as the only gathering in the world dedicated exclusively to game development across the Nordic countries, attracting creators, producers, journalists, and industry experts from throughout the region.

The 2026 ceremony was organized by Nordic Game in partnership with AMD, Dathost, and PixelTV. Danish actor Magnus Bruun hosted the event, presenting awards across seven categories selected by the jury.

The winners of the 2026 Nordic Game Awards were:

• Nordic Game of the Year: ARC Raiders, by Embark Studios (Sweden)
• Best Art: The Midnight Walk, by MoonHood (Sweden)
• Best Game Design: Split Fiction, by Hazelight Studios (Sweden)
• Best Technology: ARC Raiders, by Embark Studios (Sweden)
• Best Audio: ARC Raiders, by Embark Studios (Sweden)
• Best Fun for Everyone: LEGO Voyagers, by Light Brick Studio (Denmark)
• Best Debut: Discounty, by Crinkle Cut Games (Denmark)

The nominees and winners were selected by a jury composed of representatives from Nordic producer organizations through the Nordic Game Institute. Each participating association appointed one member to evaluate the games and determine the finalists across the seven award categories.

The 2026 jury included Alexandra Gripenhoftner, a producer with recurring work at SVT, representing Sweden; Tanya Laolapha Pettersen, a video game journalist at Level UP Norge, representing Norway; Taivassalo Jonne, Espoo Game LAB Master and Senior Advisor of the Game Industry at the City of Espoo, representing Finland; Morten Urup, owner and CEO of Arkaden, representing Denmark; and Bjarki Thor Jonsson, a representative of the Icelandic games media outlet Nörd Norðursins, representing Iceland.

With studios from Sweden and Denmark dominating the list of winners, the 2026 edition once again demonstrated the strength of the Nordic game development scene. The performance of ARC Raiders, in particular, underscored the creative and technical excellence of Swedish studios, establishing the game as the standout title of this year's awards.