Crimson Desert won PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards, according to a November 13, 2026, report by Gamersky citing Shazoo. The award went to developer Pearl Abyss, but some players questioned the strength and eligibility of the nominee list.
The report says some commenters saw The Blood of Dawnwalker and Star Wars: Zero Company as the only substantial competitors. Others questioned whether Escape from Tarkov and Valheim, which had spent years in early access, should be eligible for a yearly award after reaching version 1.0.
The timing and structure of the awards also featured in the discussion. The report says console games had a separate category, while Resident Evil Requiem was competing for the overall Game of the Year award rather than appearing among the PC nominees. It also says games released in winter were excluded because the ceremony took place in early November.
Opinion on Crimson Desert itself was divided. The report cites criticism of its world and story, including IGN’s score of 6 out of 10, alongside praise from players for its open-world scale and freedom of action. Because the Golden Joystick Awards are decided by public vote, commenters also disagreed about what the result says about the game’s quality.
