22nd British Academy Games Awards
The 22nd British Academy Video Game Awards are an upcoming event hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on 17 April 2026 to honour the best video games of 2025. Held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, a host for the ceremony is yet to be announced.
Background
Eligibility
Any game released between 16 November 2024 and 14 November 2025 was eligible for nomination.Awards changes
For the 22nd BAFTA Games Awards, the following changes were announced:- To bring the voting processes more in line with the Film Awards, BAFTA has created three additional craft chapters, allowing only members with experience in art, audio, and performance to participate in first round voting of their respective categories. These chapters join the already established chapters who vote in the Game Design and Technical Achivement categories. Previously, the entire BAFTA membership would vote on these categories during round one.
- The criteria for the two performance categories has been amended to allow individuals to submit a supporting clip reel to highlight the best representation of their performance.
- The criteria for the Animation, Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Game Design, Narrative, Music, and Technical Achievement categories has been amended to allow greater representation in nominations for individuals who made a significant creative contribution in their respective area.
Longlist
On 9 December 2025, the official longlist, featuring sixty-four games, was revealed in a YouTube livestream by British journalist Jane Douglas. Of the list, BAFTA chair Tara Saunders stated, “the BAFTA Games Awards longlists offers a fantastic opportunity to spotlight the creativity and craft shaping this year’s games, ahead of nominations on March 12. It’s a moment to acknowledge the breadth of remarkable work recognized by our wonderful BAFTA games members – 1,700 industry professionals whose expertise and passion continue to drive the games industry forward. This list showcases a wide range of games to dive into over the holiday season, honors the teams behind these standout titles and shines a light on the incredible skill across our whole industry.”Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 led the longlist, with seventeen appearances, followed by Dispatch with eleven mentions, as well as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, each with ten mentions.