Embark Studios’ sci-fi extraction shooter ARC Raiders secured the prestigious Nordic Game of the Year title at the Nordic Game Awards 2026 on May 29. The Swedish developer’s flagship title led the evening, walking away with three major trophies. Alongside the top honor, the multiplayer shooter won awards for both Best Technology and Best Audio, cementing its status as one of the region’s most successful recent releases.
The critical acclaim follows a strong commercial trajectory for the title. Released on October 30, 2025, ARC Raiders quickly resonated with audiences, securing an 87 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic. According to a February 2026 financial report from publisher Nexon, the game has already surpassed 14 million copies sold worldwide. During the acceptance speech, the development team expressed gratitude toward their community and publisher, noting that the recognition from industry peers was a humbling milestone for the studio.
This latest sweep adds to a growing list of accolades for the multiplayer shooter since its debut late last year. In December 2025, less than two months after launch, the game won Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards, followed by the user-voted Most Innovative Gameplay award during the annual Steam Awards. The momentum carried into early 2026, with the title earning Online Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards and a British Academy Game Award (BAFTA) for Multiplayer.
While Embark Studios dominated the ceremony, several other Nordic developers took home honors. MoonHood’s claymation-styled puzzle game The Midnight Walk won the award for Best Art, while Hazelight Studios secured Best Game Design for its upcoming project Split Fiction. Additionally, Light Brick Studio’s LEGO Voyagers won Best Fun for Everyone, and Crinkle Cut Games’ supermarket management simulator Discounty was recognized as the year’s Best Debut.
