About the Develop:Star Awards
Bringing together the game dev community to celebrate the very best games and talent.
The Develop:Star Awards recognise the very best games and talent within the industry with categories that enable studios of every size to shine. These awards are all about the game dev community celebrating the creative excellence of the game makers behind the best games of the previous 12 months.
Key dates:
- Entries open: 12 February - 3 April 2026 (midnight)
- Shortlists announced: w/c 18 May 2026
- Voting closes: 3 June 2026
- Awards ceremony: 15 July 2026
Enter NowDevelop:Star Awards Categories
Recognising a team that has demonstrated exceptional achievement in visual art and animation in a specific game.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a team that has demonstrated exceptional achievement in storytelling to create an outstanding player experience – through innovative or ground-breaking writing.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a team that has achieved exceptional game design that exhibits innovation, creativity and technical achievement in a specific game.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a team that has demonstrated distinction in the use of sound and/or music to improve or enhance the player experience for a specific game.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a team that has achieved exceptional creative, commercial and critical results with a brand-new intellectual property.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising an exceptional technical innovation across video game software, hardware and engines, that demonstrates a fresh approach, unique thinking and/or addresses a particular need in the market.
Entries must be for a specific software or hardware innovation, the creation of which can be attributed to a company or companies.
Qualifying entries must have come to market in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising an exceptional initiative that has had a positive impact on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within a video game company or the wider industry.
Qualifying initiatives must have launched or shown demonstrable results during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising an exceptional marketing campaign for a video game or video game hardware that has demonstrated outstanding results during the qualifying period.
Campaigns must have been activated in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Qualifying campaigns can be in support of products released outside of the qualifying period but must support new content or a significant new update to that product.
Recognising the outstanding work of a company supporting the game development community, including providers of creative audio-visual assets, QA and localisation, law, accountancy and production, but not recruitment.
Qualifying entries must include evidence of success that first occurred during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising an in-house team or external company or agency for exceptional work in the fields of talent acquisition, retention and development.
Qualifying companies must be able to provide evidence of outstanding approaches, practices and results that fall within the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising an organisation that has shown outstanding support helping developers get their game published. This can include via funding, discoverability, research or anything else that helped secure a successful route to market for new games.
Qualifying publishers must have published at least one game or significant content update for a game during the qualifying period - 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026 in the UK.
Recognising outstanding new and emerging talent within the games industry.
Qualifying entrants must be in a position below senior management or director level at the time the submission is made.
All supporting evidence for the entry must fall within the qualifying period - 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising outstanding achievement in the development and application of accessibility features that are wide-ranging, impactful and show exceptional craft.
Qualifying entries must be for accessibility features in specific games released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising the stand-out game available on mobile phone or tablet devices that has excelled in all aspects of game development to achieve creative, commercial and critical success.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period - 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a live-service game that has delivered exceptional creative, commercial or critical updates and/or provided committed ongoing support to its player base.
Games must have received a significant update/updates or have a proven track record of ongoing player support in the UK during the qualifying period - 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Recognising the game on any platform that stands out above all others, excelling in all aspects of game development to achieve creative, commercial and critical success.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period - 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a studio with ten or fewer employees that has achieved exceptional critical and commercial success during the qualifying period - 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Entrants must have released a game or significant content update for a game in the UK and during that period.
Recognising a studio with eleven or more full-time employees that has achieved exceptional critical and commercial success during the qualifying period - 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.
Entrants must have released a game or significant content update for a game in the UK and during that period.
Sponsorship
Taking place on the evening of Wednesday 15 July, the Develop:Star Awards offer a range of sponsorship opportunities to help you achieve your marketing & promotional goals. Whatever your aims, there’s something to suit every pocket - all designed to maximise your exposure.
To find out how you can get involved at our 2026 awards event, contact us at:
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)20 3927 6440
