Resident Evil Requiem walked away with the biggest prize of the night at the Golden Joystick Awards yesterday, capping off a total of four wins with the prestigious title of Ultimate Game of the Year. But in an acceptance speech delivered on-stage by Leon Kennedy actor Nick Apostoledes, there was an allusion to an even bigger winner - Capcom itself.
"What can I say?" Apostoledes began. "Resident Evil going 30 years strong this year - how fitting is it to win Ultimate Game of the Year for Requiem? We are just honored to be part of a project that is so beloved, a franchise that is so beloved. Thank you to the fans, thank you for keeping this alive. Capcom, you cannot fail."
Apostoledes' remarks were followed up by pre-recorded comments from Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi, who said he was "thrilled" to accept the award, and spoke about how encouraging it was for a single-player game to win, especially in such a crowded field.
While Resi itself will be making the big headlines, however, Apostoledes touched on an interesting point: the legendary run that Capcom itself is on. As well as claiming two GOTY titles for Requiem, that title also secured wins in the Best Game Trailer category, and a Best Lead Performer win for Grace Ashcroft actress Angela Sant'Albano. But two of Capcom's other titles - Pragmata and Onimusha: Way of the Sword - were also in contention for several categories, each one claiming its own win. Onimusha took the prize for Best Audio Design, while Diana actress Grace Saif took home Best Supporting Performer for her role in Pragmata. With three out of its four major releases this year claiming wins, perhaps it was of little surprise that Capcom would also take home the prize for Studio of the Year.
2026 has been a jewel in a crown that Capcom has been polishing for some time now. In the last four years, it's been on an excellent run. The last time a new release has slipped below a MetaCritic score of 80 was 2023's Exoprimal, and the closest thing it's had to a flop was Monster Hunter Wilds, which was plagued by performance issues. Elsewhere, it's been turning Resident Evil back into an essential release, breathing new life into classics, and successfully bringing life to new IP. It's been a relatively slow, quiet process, but Capcom has rarely put a foot wrong since 2020, and the community is starting to take note. 2027 looks like a quieter year for the studio, but with Resident Evil Veronica on the horizon, it looks like fans will still be eating pretty well.
