- Longlist announced Tuesday 8 December 2026
- Nominations announced Thursday 11 March 2027
- BAFTA Games Awards ceremony to take place in London on Wednesday 14 April 2027
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London, Tuesday 11 August 2026: Following the success of the 22nd BAFTA Games Awards earlier this year, BAFTA today opens entries for the 2027 edition, with key dates, updated entry requirements and voting rules confirmed.
The BAFTA Games Awards celebrate the very best games of the past year and the talent who make them and recognise the outstanding creativity and technical achievements of individuals and teams working in games every year.
Unlike other industry awards, the BAFTA Games Awards are voted for by an expert membership of over 1,700 experienced games professionals and industry juries, and are watched by millions online. Content from the 22nd BAFTA Games Awards on 17 April 2026 achieved over eight million on-the-day video views on @BAFTA socials, in a ceremony that saw Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Dispatch each take home three BAFTAs, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 crowned Best Game and Atomfall winning British Game.
A cross-industry BAFTA Games Committee reviews the awards’ eligibility criteria, voting and campaigning rules annually to ensure they are robust and fair, and that they evolve with the ever-changing industry landscape.
Key changes for 2027 include:
Evolving Game
BAFTA will open the Evolving Game category to a member-wide vote across all rounds, with nominations and the winner determined by BAFTA’s expert games membership. This change enables a broader range of industry expertise and player perspectives ensuring the category remains relevant, robust and reflective of today’s games landscape.
AI update
Following industry consultation, BAFTA has updated its rulebook to clarify its approach to AI, reaffirming that the Awards recognise and reward outstanding human creative achievement. The Games Awards rulebook states:
- The Awards are presented annually to recognise, honour and reward individuals for outstanding human achievement in originating, shaping and realising the final artistic outcome, regardless of the tools used to bring this work to life. BAFTA is the arbiter of all category eligibility and reserves the right to request additional information regarding any entry, this could include:
- Supporting credit information
- Supporting materials with regards to human creativity and development
Entry fees
Following a review of the Games Awards, BAFTA has updated its entry fee structure to support the long-term sustainability and continued development of the Awards. The revised fees reflect the arts charity’s ongoing investment in delivering a world-class awards programme and ensuring the robust processes, expert oversight and high standards that have made the BAFTA Games Awards a benchmark for excellence across the industry. The changes are outlined in the updated Rulebook and are summarised below:
Summary of changes:
- Removal of the Early Entry/Month of Release Discount (previously a 50% discount)
- Introduction of a 25% discount on entry fees for eligible independent and small developers
- Introduction of a new base entry fee covering entry into up to four categories of entrant’s choice and will include additional entry into Best Game, British Game, Performer in a leading Role and Performer in a Supporting Role, where applicable
- Introduction of a reduced single-entry fee for Evolving Game, recognising that entries may only be submitted to one category
- Introduction of an additional fee for categories entered beyond those included in the base entry fee.
The rulebook and eligibility requirements for the 2027 awards can be found on BAFTA’s Awards entry website here.
Key dates, announced today are as follows:
- Tuesday 11 August 2026: Entries open
- Friday 18 September 2026: Entries close (games released between November 15 2025, and 31 July 2026)
- Friday 6 November 2026: Entries close (games released 1 August to 19 November 2026)
- Tuesday 8 December 2026: Longlists announced
- Thursday 11 March 2027: Nominations announced
- Wednesday 14 April 2027: Ceremony
Kelly Smith, director of Awards, BAFTA, said: “Opening entries for the BAFTA Games Awards is always an exciting moment, as we invite the industry to share the games, teams and individual achievements that have defined the year. As games continue to push boundaries in storytelling, design, technology and player experience, BAFTA is proud to champion the people whose talent and dedication deliver exceptional creative work. With this year’s updates to eligibility and voting, the Awards continue to celebrate outstanding human creativity, craft and innovation, while evolving to reflect the way the sector is changing. I’m looking forward to seeing the exceptional work that will be recognised in 2027.”
The BAFTA Games Awards 2027 is part of the London Games Festival (LGF), which runs from 12 April to 19 April across the UK capital. Now in its 12th year, the festival engages with over 100,000 people every year across a range of events for public and industry. These include new consumer expo New Game Plus, global investment event Games Finance Market, and Ensemble, an exhibition celebrating UK games professionals from Black, Asian and underrepresented ethnicities. LGF is delivered by Games London and supported by the Mayor of London and UK Government.
The eligibility window for entries will be 15 November 2025 – 19 November 2026. The entry deadline for games released by 31 July 2026 will be Friday 18 September. The entry deadline for games released 1 August to 19 November will be Friday 6 November.
-ENDS-
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About BAFTA
BAFTA’s mission as a charity is to champion the creative and cultural importance of the screen arts across film, games and television. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of talent initiatives and learning events that include masterclasses, lectures, scholarships, bursaries and mentoring schemes in the UK and North America, BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new screen talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726)
