PlayStation opens voting for January 2026 Players' Choice awards

The PlayStation Blog has officially opened the polls for its January 2026 Players' Choice award, asking the community to select the best new release from the year's opening month. Voting is currently live via the official announcement post and covers titles released throughout January.

January is historically a quiet month for the industry, often serving as a recovery period after the holiday sales blitz. However, 2026 kicked off with a surprisingly dense lineup of genre-specific heavy hitters. While the PlayStation Blog editorial team seeds the poll with their own list of noteworthy releases, the final winner is determined entirely by user votes.

The Contenders

The list of nominees highlights a significant shift in the mobile-to-console pipeline. Arknights: Endfield is likely the frontrunner for many. Developed by Hypergryph and Studio Montagne, this title moves the franchise away from the 2D tower defense roots of the original mobile game and into a full 3D real-time strategy RPG. It represents a growing trend of "gacha" developers building substantial, high-fidelity console experiences that function as standalone titles rather than simple ports.

On the indie front, Cairn offers a different kind of tension. The survival game tasks players with navigating a treacherous mountain environment, emphasizing the physical struggle of climbing and resource management over combat. It sits in stark contrast to the month's other notable nominee, BrokenLore: Unfollow, which leans into psychological horror. BrokenLore has gained traction for its unsettling visual style, attempting to refresh a genre that often relies too heavily on jump scares.

The Rules of Engagement

Sony has clarified the eligibility criteria for these monthly awards, particularly regarding the often-murky distinction between remakes and re-releases. According to the PlayStation Blog, standard ports or texture upscales do not qualify for the award. However, full-scale remakes are eligible.

"We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake," the post explains.

This distinction is important for preservationists and collectors who track the lineage of these titles. Sony is essentially drawing a line between commercial re-packaging and genuine development efforts. The mention of Resident Evil 4 (2023) is a useful benchmark here; Capcom's remake didn't just up the resolution but fundamentally altered the mechanics and pacing of the 2005 original. If a game on the January list is merely a "Remastered" collection, don't expect to see it on the ballot.

How to Vote

The voting process is handled through a Crowdsignal poll embedded directly in the source article. The editorial team curates the initial list based on what they consider the "most noteworthy" releases, though the criteria for "noteworthy" remain subjective. The winner will be announced on PlayStation's social channels and the blog once the tally is complete.

It is an interesting pulse check for the community. While critics often favor narrative darlings, the Players' Choice awards tend to reflect where the active player base is actually spending their time. Given the massive existing fanbase for the Arknights IP, it will be interesting to see if the dedicated communities of Cairn or BrokenLore can rally enough votes to upset the odds.