2026 Canadian Game Awards: Recap & Full List of Winners

The 2026 Canadian Game Awards were held yesterday, and if there was any question about where Canada’s creative momentum is right now, the 2026 Canadian Game Awards answered it decisively.

This year’s show didn’t hinge on surprise upsets or split votes; it fused around a single standout. South of Midnight emerged as the defining game of the night, with Compulsion Games’ Southern Folklore adventure taking home seven awards, including Game of the Year and Studio of the Year.

From its art direction to its audio work, South of Midnight consistently showed up and won, positioning it as one of the clearest expressions of what Canadian studios are excelling at right now: creatively expressive, stylistically distinct, narrative-driven experiences.

It's definitely a significant moment for a studio that has steadily built its reputation on tone and storytelling, rather than scale, and it reinforces the idea that those priorities are resonating more widely. That said, it wasn’t a completely one-note night.

Rogue Factor’s Hell is Us picked up Best Game Design, while Elias Toufexis earned Best Performance for his role as Rémi. It’s a strong showing for a game that leans heavily on structure and player-driven discovery, offering a useful counterpoint to the more narrative-forward winners that dominated elsewhere.

Across the broader field, the nominees painted a clear picture of where Canadian development is thriving. Montreal remains a powerhouse, with multiple studios appearing across key categories, but there was meaningful representation from Vancouver, Toronto, and beyond, particularly in indie and experimental spaces.

One of the more complicated wins came from Wanderstop, which took home Best Indie Game despite its studio, Ivy Road, having already shut down earlier this year. This signified an ongoing disconnect in the industry: That critical recognition doesn’t always translate into sustainability. Even in a celebratory setting, that tension was a bit hard to ignore.

Hosting duties fell to Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, whose on-stage chemistry brought a relaxed, familiar energy to the ceremony. It never tipped into spectacle for spectacle’s sake; instead, the tone stayed grounded, more in line with a community celebration than a high-gloss production. While there were a few technical hiccups along the way, Hale and Meer steered the ship with precision, proving the importance of a good host (or two) for a live show.

That approach extended to the night’s game reveals, which focused squarely on homegrown projects. Echo Generation 2, from local Toronto studio Cococucumber, stood out with its imminent release and Game Pass launch, while titles like Dagger Woods VR and Poly Fighter showcased the variety of creative directions Canadian teams are exploring.

Outside on the showfloor, Red Barrels marked its 15-year anniversary, a milestone that speaks to the longevity of Canadian studios operating in niche genres without losing their edge. Meanwhile, the introduction of the Game Changer Award broadened the scope of recognition beyond development itself. Its first recipient, Victor Lucas, has spent over two decades shaping games media in Canada, and the acknowledgment felt both fitting and overdue.

Taken all together, this year’s awards reinforced something that’s been building for a while: Canada’s games industry is contributing to the global conversation AND it’s carving out a distinct identity within it.

There’s a throughline connecting many of the night’s biggest winners, from their emphasis on atmosphere and narrative to their willingness to take stylistic risks. South of Midnight may have led the charge, but it wasn’t alone in defining that creative direction.

Even in a year with a clear frontrunner, the show doesn’t lose sight of the ecosystem around it: the studios, the creators, and the evolving identity of the industry itself. This year had a clear winner. But more importantly, it had a clear voice.

Full List of Winners:

*Winners are bolded.

Best Content Creator

• Alex “Vansilli” Nguyen
• Ashley Roboto
• Nicholas “NickEh30” Amyoony
• Stef Sanjati
• Victor Lucas/Electric Playground

Best Esports and Gaming Organization

• Raptors GC
• Shopify Rebellion
• Toronto Ultra/KOI/OverActive Media
• Vancouver Surge

Best Esports Coach

• Antonin “AEC” Tran
• Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling
• Loic “Effys” Sauvageau
• Mervin-Angelo “Dayos” Lachica
• Shaun Byrne

Best Esports Event

• Battle of BC 7
• Call of Duty Champs
• Electric Clash 2025
• Raptors GC Tournament
• Valorant Masters Toronto 2025

Best Esports Player

• Adam “mada” Pampuch
• Brandon “Dashy” Otell
• Keith “NAF” Markovic
• Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken
• Troy “Canadian” Jaroslawski

Innovation in Accessibility

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
• EA Sports FC26 (EA Vancouver)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
• Squeakross: Home Squeak Home (Alblune)
• Wanderstop (Ivy Road)

Best VR/AR Game

• Chronostrike (Pentachromatic Games)
• Elsewhere Electric (Games by Stitch)
• Fruit Golf (Coal Car Studio)
• Prison Boss Prohibition (Trebuchet)
• Verse VR (Lofty Sky Entertainment)

Best Mobile Game

• EA Sports FC 26 Mobile (EA Canada)
• Elsewhere Electric (Games by Stitch)
• LHEA and the Word Spirit (Soul Fuel Games)
• Rainbow Six Mobile (Ubisoft Montreal)

Best PC Game

• Aloft (Astrolabe Interactive)
• Ambrosia Sky: Act One (Soft Rains)
• Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios)
• Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
• Foundation (Polymorph Games)

Best Console Game

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
• Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios)
• Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
• Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tribute Games)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)

Best Performance

• Erica Luttrell as Melissa Mills in Battlefield 6
• Olivia Lepore as Swann Holloway in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• Momona Tamada as Oni-yuri in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Peter Shinkoda as Fujibayashi Nagato in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Elias Toufexis as Rémi in Hell is Us

Community Award

• Femme Gaming

Best Score/Soundtrack

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (The Flight and Teke: Teke)
• Eternal Strands (Austin Wintory)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Milk & Bone and Ruth Radelet)
• Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tee Lopes)
• South of Midnight (Olivier Derivière)

Best Audio Design

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
• Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios)
• Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
• Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)

Entertainment Software Association of Canada Fan Choice Award

• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal)
• Warframe: The Old Peace (Digital Extremes)
• Fresh Tracks (Buffalo Buffalo)
• Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)

Best Narrative

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
• Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
• Wanderstop (Ivy Road)

Best Art Direction

• Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal)
• Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tribute Games)
• 33 Immortals (Thunder Lotus Games)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)

Best Game Design

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
• Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios)
• Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
• Eternal Strands (Yellow Brick Games)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)

Best Indie Game

• Ambrosia Sky: Act One (Soft Rains)
• Ctrl Alt Deal (Only By Midnight)
• Fresh Tracks (Buffalo Buffalo)
• Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tribute Games)
• Wanderstop (Ivy Road)

Studio of the Year

• Compulsion Games
• Digital Extremes
• Rogue Factor
• Tribute Games
• Yellow Brick Games

Game Changer Award

• Victor Lucas

Game of the Year

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft Quebec)
• Hell is Us (Rogue Factor)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
• Wanderstop (Ivy Road)