Gamescom 2026 has come to a close, and the awards ceremony has produced two very different but equally impressive stories. Both CD Projekt Red and Sega went home with three awards each, sharing the top spot at this year's event. Most surprisingly, a game originally released in 2015 took center stage – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
CD Projekt Red used gamescom to make two significant announcements: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered and the new DLC "Songs of the Past." The announcement trailer, shown during Opening Night Live, was voted Best Trailer / Announcement by fans. The physical presence at the show also impressed – the DLC booth featuring a pin and medallion as merchandise won Best Merchandise, and the jury honored the booth with the Best Booth jury award. For a game nearly a decade old to dominate the show in this way speaks volumes about the enduring appeal of the Witcher franchise.
The remaster itself is more than just a cosmetic update. According to CD Projekt Red, the modernization includes not only visual and performance improvements but also overhauls to combat, movement, Roach handling, monster behavior, Witcher Signs, the skill tree, finishers, transmogrification, and a photo mode. Most generously, the upgrade is free for qualifying existing owners, and the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions are now also provided at no additional cost for base game owners. A move that further strengthens the community's goodwill.
Sega, meanwhile, proved that the publisher isn't resting on old laurels. With the Best Lineup award (Jury), Sega demonstrated an impressive breadth of titles. In detail, Alien: Isolation 2 won Best Audio, while Total War: WARHAMMER was named Best PC Game. A remarkable mix of horror sound design and strategy game excellence that underscores Sega's versatility.
Other notable winners included GRYPHLINE with Arknights: Endfield, which received the Consumer Award for Best Booth, and Ubisoft, which was named Best Business Booth and also won the award for best Nintendo Switch 2 game. A special Heart of Gaming award went to Games Done Quick (GDQ), whose charity speedrunning events have raised over $50 million in the past. A European GDQ event took place for the first time directly as part of Gamescom, with proceeds going to the Gaming for Democracy initiative.
This year's Gamescom Awards paint a fascinating picture of the industry: on one hand, the community's longing for trusted favorites – The Witcher 3 proves that a strong universe can still mobilize crowds a decade later. On the other, publishers like Sega delivering quality across all genres with thoughtfully curated lineups. For the nerd community, the news of the free Witcher 3 remaster is particularly welcome and a strong signal for consumer-friendly practices in an era of increasingly fragmented editions and paid upgrades.