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How to Nominate and Vote in the 2027 Pocket Gamer Awards

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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To take part in the 2027 Pocket Gamer Awards, nominate games during the window running October 15 through November 15, 2026, then vote on the shortlist through December 20, 2026. As of October 13, nominations have not opened. Use Pocket Gamer’s official awards hub when the relevant phase begins, and check its live instructions for the form and participation terms.

When can you nominate and vote?

Pocket Gamer announced the 13th edition of its awards on October 9, 2026. The announced schedule is:

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Stage Dates What happens
Nominations October 15–November 15, 2026 Readers submit games or other nominees for award categories.
Voting After nominations close through December 20, 2026 Fans and players vote on the shortlist published by Pocket Gamer.
Winners Early 2027 Pocket Gamer expects to announce the winners.

The nomination period is not open before October 15. The announcement gives the dates but does not yet provide a live nomination form, voting link, or complete form terms. Go to the official Pocket Gamer Awards hub once a phase is due to open and confirm that the relevant form is live before submitting.

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How to nominate a game

  1. Wait for the nomination period. Submissions are scheduled for October 15 through November 15, 2026. The published schedule does not authorize early nominations.
  2. Open the official Pocket Gamer Awards hub. Use the current awards page and follow the nomination instructions shown there once the phase is live. The precise interface and submission requirements have not yet been announced.
  3. Choose the category that best fits the nominee. Check the 2027 category list rather than relying on an old form or guide. Category names and eligibility rules have changed since the previous edition.
  4. Check the eligibility rule for that category. Most new-release categories use a defined launch window; several named categories are exempt. Details are below.
  5. Submit before November 15. Follow the live form’s instructions and confirm the submission has been accepted, if the form provides confirmation.

When deciding between possible nominees, consider the category fit, whether the game falls within the applicable launch window or exception, and your own experience or reasons for selecting it. That is practical guidance for making a relevant nomination, not a published Pocket Gamer scoring formula.

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How to vote

  1. Wait for nominations to close and the shortlist to appear. Pocket Gamer’s described process is to total nominations and publish a shortlist before fan voting begins.
  2. Return to the official awards hub during the voting phase. Voting is scheduled to run after nominations and through December 20, 2026. Use the live voting instructions rather than a prior-year page.
  3. Review the shortlisted options in each category. Choose based on the category’s purpose and your own view of the nominees.
  4. Complete the live voting form before the deadline. The current announcement does not yet state the exact interface or full voting terms, so check the hub for the current instructions.

The announcement does not establish whether a person may submit more than one nomination or vote more than once, what personal information a form will request, or whether participation is limited by geography. Do not assume answers to those questions; rely on the terms displayed on the live form.

Which games and nominees are eligible?

For most 2027 awards that recognize new releases, a game must have launched between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026. The launch-date rule does not apply to six categories:

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  • Best Game We’re Still Playing
  • Best Community
  • Best Webshop
  • Best Game Update
  • Best In-Game Collab

For relevant update categories, Pocket Gamer says updates should fall within the eligibility period where possible. That guidance concerns the timing of an update; it does not turn the standard new-release window into a universal rule for every category.

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Developer and publisher categories

For Best Indie Developer, Publisher, and Developer, Pocket Gamer asks nominators to consider the nominee’s catalogue while keeping recent releases in mind. These categories are not simply a matter of checking one game’s launch date against the new-release window.

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Use the 2027 categories, not last year’s rules

The 2027 edition has 22 categories. Pocket Gamer removed Mobile Innovation and added Best Mobile Indie Developer, Best Mobile Game Character, Best In-Game Collab, and Best Webshop. It also renamed or reworked update-related categories. Check the current category names and descriptions before submitting: a previous-year category list may lead you to place a nomination in the wrong category.

The preceding 12th awards used an October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025 window for new releases, with some categories drawing on a back catalogue. Those were historical rules for that edition, not the 2027 eligibility dates.

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What to check if the form or category is unclear

  • The nomination or voting form is not visible: Check the date and phase. Nominations are not scheduled to open until October 15, 2026; voting follows the nomination stage.
  • You are using an old awards page: Return to the official 2027 hub and check its current category list and instructions.
  • A nominee seems outside the release window: Check whether the category is one of the six exceptions. For developer and publisher categories, consider the catalogue and recent releases as Pocket Gamer directs.
  • You cannot tell whether a repeat submission is allowed or which regions can participate: The announcement does not settle those points. Check the live form’s terms rather than guessing.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

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