South of Midnight was the biggest winner at the Canadian Game Awards 2026, taking home seven awards, including Game of the Year. The Compulsion Games adventure had a near perfect night, winning almost every category where it was nominated and giving the studio one of the strongest showings of the event.
The awards closed out the 2025 gaming awards season with a celebration focused on Canadian made games and talent. Since the show is limited by region, international favorites such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 were not part of the same race. That left room for Canadian projects to take the spotlight, and South of Midnight clearly became the center of the night.
Compulsion Games had the night’s strongest showing, but Hell is Us and Assassin’s Creed Shadows also won key awards
South of Midnight won Game of the Year, Best Art Direction, Best Audio Design, Best Score or Soundtrack, Best Console Game, and Best Narrative. Compulsion Games also won Studio of the Year, beating nominees such as Digital Extremes, Rogue Factor, Tribute Games, and Yellow Brick Games.
The only category South of Midnight lost among its nominations was Innovation in Accessibility, which went to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. That gave Ubisoft’s major release one win at the event. Hell is Us also had a strong showing, with Rogue Factor’s game winning Best Game Design and Elias Toufexis winning Best Performance for his role as Rémi.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Game of the Year | South of Midnight |
| Studio of the Year | Compulsion Games |
| Best Narrative | South of Midnight |
| Best Art Direction | South of Midnight |
| Best Audio Design | South of Midnight |
| Best Score or Soundtrack | South of Midnight |
| Best Console Game | South of Midnight |
| Best Game Design | Hell is Us |
| Best Performance | Elias Toufexis as Rémi in Hell is Us |
| Innovation in Accessibility | Assassin’s Creed Shadows |
The event also highlighted other parts of Canada’s games industry. Battlefield 6 won Best PC Game, Rainbow Six Mobile won Best Mobile Game, Elsewhere Electric won Best VR or AR Game, and Wanderstop won Best Indie Game. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage won the ESAC Fan Choice Award, giving it recognition from players even though it did not take the top award.
Esports and creator categories were also included. Raptors GC Tournament won Best Esports Event, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken won Best Esports Player, Loic “Effys” Sauvageau won Best Esports Coach, Shopify Rebellion won Best Esports and Gaming Organization, and Victor Lucas with Electric Playground won Best Content Creator.
The show also introduced the Game Changer Award, a lifetime achievement style honor. It went to longtime games media creator and host Victor Lucas, recognizing more than two decades of work in video game media. The event also marked Red Barrels’ 15 year anniversary and showed upcoming Canadian games, including Echo Generation 2, which is set to launch next week and arrive on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
South of Midnight’s strong showing gives Compulsion Games a major moment after years of building a distinct identity inside the Canadian development scene. The awards also showed the wider strength of Canadian studios, with major releases, indie projects, esports talent, and long running creators all represented across the night.
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