Phantom Blade Zero Lands 2026 Golden Joystick GOTY Nomination
The 44th Golden Joystick Awards have officially unveiled the shortlist for its Ultimate Game of the Year category, and Phantom Blade Zero (影之刃零) has made the cut. Developed by Beijing-based Lingyoufang (S-GAME), the wuxia action title is the only Chinese-made single-player AAA release on this year’s list. The full shortlist includes 007: First Light, Big Walk, Control Resonant, Crimson Desert, Dispatch, Forza Horizon 6, Phantom Blade Zero, Pokemon Pokopia, Pragmata, Resident Evil 9: Requiem, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and The Blood of Dawnwalker — placing the Chinese title alongside some of the year’s biggest international productions.
Alongside the nomination news, Lingyoufang published a media praise graphic thanking global outlets for their reviews and greeting players who have been waiting for the game. Wccftech described it as one of the best action RPGs of this generation, while TheOuterhaven called it a landmark release. IGN stated it was among the best action games it had played in a long time. Reviews broadly highlighted the fluid, flashy combat system, distinctive boss designs, and the game’s unique wuxia-punk art direction as its defining strengths.
Separately, reports indicate that Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 1 Remake is aiming for a 2027 release, with Gabrielle Fritz and Jade Matthew having taken on acting roles. Konami and Bloober Team previously confirmed the remake of the 1999 original is in development, but no official release window has been announced. Casting reportedly operated under the codename “Project Noise,” while the remake itself has long been rumored to use the internal codename “Project G.” The roles for both actors remain unknown, and a new actor for protagonist Harry Mason has not been revealed. Active development is said to date back to 2022, and the 2027 target aligns with Konami’s strategy of keeping roughly one Silent Hill release per year.
With Grand Theft Auto 6 set to launch on November 19, 2026, workplace data is already reflecting its impact. HR software firm BambooHR reported that leave requests for November 19 are running 9% to 17% higher than the usual level for the third Thursday of November. Eighteen percent of respondents said they plan to take the day off for the game, rising to 32% among Gen Z and 27% among millennials. Meanwhile, Sucker Punch Productions reportedly cut 26 staff after shipping Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition this month, with management describing the decision as tied to reassessing team needs for its next project. It has been a turbulent week for the industry — here’s hoping the affected developers land on their feet.
