Australia’s game development scene is stepping back into the spotlight, with the AGDAs 2026 Australian Game Developer Awards officially announced and nominations now open.
The awards are set to take place on Wednesday, October 7th at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and will once again close out GCAP as part of Melbourne International Games Week, for local devs grinding behind the scenes, this is the night where the work actually gets seen.
A scene that keeps punching above its weight
The AGDAs have quietly become the benchmark for Australian game development, past winners like ‘Cult of the Lamb’, ‘Untitled Goose Game’ and ‘Unpacking’ aren’t just local success stories, they’ve carved out global recognition.
That’s what makes this event hit differently, it’s not industry fluff, it’s peer recognition in a space where most wins are measured in downloads and late nights.
Dave Lloyd of Powerhoof, whose game ‘The Drifter’ took out Game of the Year in 2025, summed it up (per press release):
“The best thing about the AGDAs is the recognition from your peers… to have them celebrate your work is very special.”
Nominations now open
Developers can now submit their games for consideration, with entries closing on Sunday, June 7th, 2026, eligible titles must have launched between July 1, 2025 and October 31, 2026.
There’s a wide spread of categories covering everything from visual art and gameplay to accessibility, music and narrative, alongside major awards like Game of the Year and Studio of the Year.
It’s not just about the games either, career, contribution and culture awards continue to spotlight the people shaping the industry behind the scenes.
GAMES AWARDS
- Excellence in Visual Art
- Excellence in Gameplay
- Excellence in Narrative
- Excellence In Sound Design
- Excellence in Music
- Excellence in Accessibility
- Excellence in Mobile
- Excellence in Extended Reality
- Excellence in Impact
- Excellence In Ongoing
- Excellence in Debut
- Game of The Year
CAREER, CONTRIBUTION & CULTURE AWARDS
- Studio of the Year
- The Adam Lancman Award
- The Rising Star Award
Find out more here.
A tighter, focused ceremony
This year’s event sticks to a streamlined 90 minute format, keeping the focus on the work rather than dragging things out, it’s built as a sit down celebration, with time carved out before and after for the community to actually connect.
The AGDAs have always been as much about the people as the projects, with judging applications also open and a record breaking 2025 behind it, the awards are still growing. Quietly, steadily, without the noise of bigger global events.
Maybe that’s the point? The Aussie scene doesn’t need to shout, it just keeps delivering.
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