The Vietnam Game Awards 2026 is one of the most anticipated activities at the Vietnam GameVerse. The awards ceremony will take place at 19h30 on 8/5 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in TP HCM. The event brings together representatives from publishers, game development studios, technology companies, Esports teams, streamers, key opinion leaders (KOLs), and a large community of gamers nationwide.

A representative from Wood Screw Puzzle (right) receiving the Global Vietnamese Game award at the Vietnam Game Awards 2025. Photo: Quynh Tran

Following the preliminary and final rounds, VNGGames, Gamota, Funtap Games, and VTC are strong contenders for the 'Outstanding Game Publisher' title. Games with large, long-standing communities such as Audition, Lien Quan Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Dot Kich, and Rise of Kingdoms also saw a close "vote race" in the 'Timeless Game' category.

The Golden Star Esports segment brings together outstanding teams, tournaments, and players from the 2025-2026 season. Familiar representatives such as Team Secret Whales, Saigon Phantom, and the Vietnam Lien Quan Mobile women's team may be honored.

Tournaments like the LCP Final Weekends held in Da Nang, Dau Truong Danh Vong Spring 2025 - AOGS 2025, and the Asian Esports Championship - ECA 2025 for Lien Minh Huyen Thoai will be candidates in the 'Esports Tournament of the Year' category.

In The Golden Sun category for Vietnamese games, local studios are gaining attention as more Vietnamese products make their mark on the international market. For instance, the 'Vietnamese Game of the Year' category sees fierce competition among new titles such as Lang Hai Tac FNS, Into the Mist, Soul Huntress, and Arcane Hunter: Soul Survivor.

The 'Global Vietnamese Game' and 'Outstanding Game Developer' categories are considered important benchmarks for domestic game production capabilities, reflecting the 'Do Local - Go Global' trend (meaning 'together reaching out to the big sea') - the main theme of this year's GameVerse.

The final results for each category are based on 70% evaluation scores from the Jury Council and 30% votes from the community. However, for three specific awards: 'Outstanding Vietnamese Indie Game', 'Global Vietnamese Game', and 'Outstanding Game Developer', the results are based 100% on evaluation scores from the Jury Council. This ensures the results reflect both expert perspectives and the actual reach of each product and individual.

Thy An