The German Computer Game Award 2026 (Deutscher Computerspielpreis, DCP) will be presented on 29 April at the Residenz in Munich. Publishers and developers can submit games for the award until 23 January 2026.
Development studios and publishers can visit deutscher-computerspielpreis.de to find the information they need to prepare their applications. Submissions will only be accepted during the limited time window until 23 January 2026. Nominations for the 'Studio of the Year' and 'Player of the Year' categories will be accepted from the entire community until 30 January. Anyone interested can submit nominations on the DCP website.
Games that have been developed in Germany to at least 80 per cent can be submitted in the national categories. It is possible to submit a game in multiple categories. Eligible games must have been released, or be due to be released, between 17 January 2025 and 29 April 2026. This also applies to games in the early access or soft launch phase. A game may only be submitted once for the German Computer Game Award. In the "Best Prototype" category, prototypes must not have been released before the award ceremony. The "Best Innovation and Technology" category is not limited to computer and video games, but includes all innovative projects related to gaming. Nominations and winners will be decided by a jury of gaming experts from industry, culture, media, education and society over the coming weeks.
The DCP 2026 will present awards in 15 categories, with a total prize fund of €800,000.
This award is organised jointly by the German Federal Government, represented by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and game, the German Games Industry Association. Funding for the DCP 2026 award ceremony comes from the German Federal Government via the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, as well as from the host state of Bavaria via the Bavarian State Ministry of Digital Affairs.
