🎮"CEDEC AWARDS 2026" Grand Prize Winner Announced! "Donkey Kong Bananza," Which Incorporates "Destruction" into Gaming, Wins Three Categories and Receives High Praise

On Thursday, July 23, 2026, the " CEDEC AWARDS 2026 " ceremony, which honors the achievements of game developers in the field of technology, was held at Pacifico Yokohama.
Here are comments from the development teams that received the Excellence Award and the Grand Prize, straight from the event.

Who won the Excellence and Grand Prize awards in each category of the "CEDEC AWARDS 2026"? The passion each team poured into their development.

"CEDEC 2026," one of Japan’s largest conferences on game development technology and knowledge, was held from Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to Friday, July 23, 2026.
The Grand Prize for the "CEDEC AWARDS 2026," which honors the achievements of game developers from a technical perspective, was determined by votes from conference attendees and speakers.
At the awards ceremony held on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at Pacifico Yokohama, the developers who received the Excellence Award and the Grand Prize shared their remarks!

The "Special Award" went to Shuhei Yoshida! For his contributions to computer entertainment development as a whole.

The awards ceremony began with the presentation of the “Special Award,” which honors contributions to computer entertainment development as a whole.
The 2026 “Special Award” was presented to Shuhei Yoshida, who serves as an advisor to indie game developers and publishers!

Mr. Yoshida formerly worked at Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. and was involved in development from the very beginning of the PlayStation platform.
He was an early adopter of 3D technology and has consistently brought innovation and excitement to the gaming industry.
To this day, he continues to contribute to game development as an advisor on indie games.
These achievements were recognized, leading to his receipt of this year’s “Special Award.”

There’s a saying in the game industry that I really love.
It’s “You are only as good as your last game.”
This means, “No matter how amazing a creator you are, you’ll be judged by the game you made most recently.”
No matter how amazing a game someone has created, they can’t remain a legend forever.
The game industry is a world of constant upheaval, where new creators are constantly emerging.

Recently, some wonderful games have been coming out of Japan as well.
From “Exit 8,” which was even made into a movie, to Takahashi-kun’s “Öoo,” which received global acclaim, and yona’s “DareKare,” young Japanese creators are releasing titles that are gaining recognition all over the world.
Seeing the recently released “Meccha Chameleon” sell 15 million copies, I imagine even the veterans are thinking, “We can’t afford to get complacent.”
I believe indie creators will continue to create works that threaten your positions with new ideas and concepts, so please stay vigilant and keep working hard.
I’ll be cheering you on all the way.

"Engineering Division" Announcement! Excellence Awards Go to a Wide Range of Recipients, from Capcom and Nintendo to Individual Developers

Here are the Excellence Award winners in the “Engineering Division”!

"Kawaii Physics" by Okazu ( @pafuhana1213 )

"Street Fighter 6" Development Team (Capcom Co., Ltd.)

"Monster Hunter Wilds" Development Team (Capcom Co., Ltd.)

"Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd.)

Access Controller Project Leader Nozomi Uchida (Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.)

Comments from the winners in the "Engineering Division"

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Kawaii Physics" by Okazu

Award Citation: “Provided a package that allows hair and clothing to sway ‘easily’ and ‘cute’”

I’ve been developing this as a hobby for seven years, and I’m truly grateful that so many projects have adopted it and that I’ve been able to receive this award among such distinguished recipients.
I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has used this package, everyone who has reported bugs or provided reviews, my wife who supports me in my daily life, and my one-year-old son who gives me energy.

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Street Fighter 6" Development Team (Capcom Co., Ltd.)

Award Category: “Manemon-kun: Realizing a Practical AI Sparring Partner”

In fighting games, I think there’s inevitably a tendency for attention to focus on winning and losing.
We created Manemon-kun with the goal of helping players find enjoyment beyond just winning or losing—specifically, by deriving a sense of accomplishment from their own growth.
It’s already been four years since its release, and we are deeply honored to receive this recognition from everyone at this time.

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Monster Hunter Wilds" Development Team (Capcom Co., Ltd.)

Reason for Award: "Detailed disclosure of a wide range of technical information regarding the development of a large-scale commercial title"

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for receiving such a wonderful award.
As the latest installment in the Monster Hunter series, *Monster Hunter Wilds* was a title that required us to embrace various new developments and challenges.
We are honored that our technical efforts—made as part of our multifaceted approach to refining the game—have been so highly recognized.

We intend to continue sharing the insights and experience gained from this development project with the industry and contribute to the advancement of game development itself, so we look forward to your continued support.

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd.)

Award Category: “Advanced Integration of Terrain Destruction and Physics Simulation Using Voxel Technology”

First of all, thank you very much for this wonderful award.
With *Donkey Kong Bananza*, we aimed to create an action game where everything could be destroyed using voxels.
Throughout development, we held team discussions on how to represent terrain and characters using voxels, and how to create level designs that remain coherent even as the environment is destroyed.
If our cumulative efforts have allowed everyone to enjoy the destruction, we are truly delighted.
On behalf of the development staff, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude.

Saiga NAK

Winner: Access Controller Project Leader Nozomi Uchida (Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.)

Award Citation: “Development of an accessibility controller kit that defies stereotypes and is easy for anyone to use”

I am truly grateful to receive such a wonderful award today.
This controller was not developed by our development team alone.
It was nurtured together with members of the disability community.
I would like to dedicate this award to everyone on the disability team.
Thank you very much.

And the Grand Prize in the "Engineering Category" goes to...?

Grand Prize: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team

Reason for Award: Advanced integration of terrain destruction using voxel technology and physics simulation

The reason for the award was explained as follows:

To create a viable game world where terrain and objects can be freely destroyed, it is necessary not only to handle visual changes, position updates, convincing destruction effects, and physical behavior, but also to render all of these simultaneously without any glitches.
This requires not only skillful design but also advanced optimization of both memory usage and execution performance.
The Bananza development team boldly took on this difficult challenge.

Built on a foundation of voxel technology, they have created a world where destruction seamlessly and exhilaratingly leads to a variety of subsequent actions and exploration—a feat that can only be described as magnificent.

The attempt to build everything with voxels was a massive challenge for us—one where our accumulated development experience and conventional wisdom were completely irrelevant.
I remember in the early days, Donkey Kong couldn’t even walk properly on the voxel terrain, and we were at our wits’ end.
However, I feel that we are where we are today precisely because every member of the development team faced these challenges head-on and persevered until the very end.
We are deeply honored that our development efforts have been recognized with such an outcome.
We would like to share this joy with all of our fellow developers.

"Game Design Category" Announcement! Overseas Development Teams Also Express Their Joy

Here are the Excellence Award winners in the "Game Design" category!

MIMESIS Development Team (Developer: ReLU Games, Publisher: KRAFTON)

Blue Prince Development Team (Dogubomb)

"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" Development Team (Sandfall Interactive)

Nama Takahashi, Hachinosu, Tsuyomi (Öoo Team)

"Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd.)

Winners of the "Game Design" category share their comments!

Saiga NAK

Winner: MIMESIS Development Team (Developer: ReLU Games, Publisher: KRAFTON)

Award Category: "A new voice chat experience where AI posing as players generates both 'fear' and 'laughter'"

We at ReLU Games have continuously challenged ourselves to integrate AI into the core gaming experience and create new forms of “fun.”
MIMESIS also began with the belief that monsters capable of intricately mimicking humans can create new forms of “fun.”
We are deeply honored that you have recognized the potential in this challenge.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the MIMESIS development team, who have continued to work alongside us while prioritizing the fun of the game above all else, as well as to all members of ReLU Games.
I would also like to extend my deepest thanks to all the players who have enjoyed MIMESIS and supported us.

Winner: Blue Prince Development Team (Dogubomb)

Category: “A new, inspiring experience born from the fusion of ‘roguelike’ and ‘puzzle-solving’”

We are deeply honored to receive this award.
First and foremost, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our publisher, Raw Fury, and to everyone on the Blue Prince team.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the community—who have sought out secrets and opened doors to unseen rooms—and to all the players who enjoyed this game while diligently taking notes.

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" Development Team (Sandfall Interactive)

Category: “A new combat experience that blends turn-based and action elements”

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a project developed with extraordinary passion by every member of our studio in France.
The entire team worked together with a strong desire to deliver a memorable experience inspired by classic JRPGs.

In terms of gameplay, we aimed to balance action and strategy by fusing traditional turn-based command battles—as seen in the Final Fantasy and Persona series—with real-time reactive elements such as dodging and parrying, reminiscent of FromSoftware titles like Sekiro.

We are overjoyed that this challenging gameplay has been widely embraced and appreciated by new fans around the world.

Saiga NAK

Winners: Takahashi, Hachinosu, Tsuyomi (Öoo Team)

Category: “Exploratory Puzzle Design Featuring ‘Knowledge Unlock’ Created Through Insight and Inspiration”

We developed this as a team of three.
We’re very happy that a small team like ours has been recognized in this way, and we’re truly grateful.

I’m grateful to the team members who stuck with us until completion, and I think it was actually easier for us to pull this off precisely because we were a small team.

We want to keep creating more and more interesting games, and as Mr. Yoshida mentioned at the beginning, we hope to one day challenge the status quo of the pros and the legendary pioneers in the field.
We look forward to your continued support.

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd.)

Award Category: “An exhilarating exploration experience through destruction that leverages the characters’ charm”

Once again, thank you for honoring us with this award for game design.
In this title, we aimed to express Donkey Kong’s strength and personality through the action of destruction.
We developed the game with the hope of creating an experience where players, absorbed in destruction just as Donkey Kong is absorbed in chasing bananas, would suddenly realize that the world has completely transformed.
We are truly delighted that this new take on the Donkey Kong character and the action of destruction has been recognized in this way.

And the Grand Prize in the "Game Design" category goes to...?

Grand Prize: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team

Reason for Selection: An exhilarating exploration experience through destruction that capitalizes on the characters’ charm

The reason for the award was stated as follows:

Starting from the strength and physicality inherent in the Donkey Kong character, the game design—which was exceptionally well-crafted—reimagined these traits into actions such as breaking, digging, climbing, and throwing, and consistently integrated them into various gameplay elements including exploration, movement, combat, and puzzle-solving.
In particular, the highly flexible environmental interactions that allow players to directly manipulate the terrain go beyond simply being enjoyable mechanics; they function beautifully as mechanisms that enable players to find their own paths, understand the world, and make new discoveries.
I believe the design of proactive, emergent gameplay through tactile environmental interaction demonstrated in this title offers significant insights for future action games.

As a development team, we proceeded with the theme of “discovery lies beyond destruction” as the core of our game design.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a voxel-based game, and there were many instances where we had to break away from our existing game design know-how and development methods to move forward, so we faced numerous challenges.
Receiving an award like this is very encouraging, and we look forward to continuing to develop new games in the future.

"Sound Category" Announcement! Focusing not only on game sound but also on networking among creators

Here are the Excellence Award winners in the "Sound Category"!

"Ghost of Yōtei" Sound Team (Sucker Punch Productions)

"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" Sound Team (Sandfall Interactive)

"Nintendo Music" Development and Operations Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd., Nintendo Systems Co., Ltd.)

Masafumi Watanabe (evance Co., Ltd.)

"GameSoundQuest" Executive Committee (CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.)

Winners in the "Sound Category" Share Their Thoughts!

Winner: "Ghost of Yōtei" Sound Team (Sucker Punch Productions)

Award Citation: "Sound design in which every element is meticulously crafted to enhance the story and gameplay experience"

I’m Bradley Meyer, Audio Director at Sucker Punch.
I’m sorry I couldn’t attend in person, but on behalf of our in-house audio team, PlayStation, and Arrival UK, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude.
"Ghost of Yōtei" is a period drama we created with a great deal of love.
We paid meticulous attention to every detail of the game’s soundscape, from ambient sounds and background music to the smallest details of the game world.
We are honored that you have recognized our work.

Winner: "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" Sound Team (Sandfall Interactive)

Category: “Music that enhances a unique world. Audio direction that clearly conveys the creative intent by focusing precisely on the right elements.”

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us for being selected for the Excellence Award in the Sound category.
The warm support we have received from all of you is a great source of encouragement for every member of Sandfall Interactive, and it serves as the driving force that will enable us to continue working earnestly to create even more captivating soundscapes and music.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to the entire sound team—led by composer Lorient Testar—for their dedication in blending all audio elements, including sound effects, ambient sound design, and voice acting, to take the game’s immersion to the absolute limit.

Saiga NAK

Winner: “Nintendo Music” Development and Operations Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd., Nintendo Systems Co., Ltd.)

Reason for Award: "The ongoing creation of an extensive library of music and the provision of musical experiences that leverage the unique characteristics of video game music"

At Nintendo Music, we value the connection between fond memories of gaming and game music, and we have strived to create a service that allows users to enjoy it safely and for a long time in their daily lives, addressing challenges such as length restrictions and spoiler prevention.
We are deeply honored that the ingenuity our entire team has cultivated to manage a vast collection of songs and ensure stable operations has been recognized.

Winner: Masafumi Watanabe (evance Co., Ltd.)

Award Category: “Systematization of Foley Know-How and Presentation of Physical Expression Approaches in the Digital Age”

In 1927, the first talkie was released, and sound was added to film.
We are dedicated to preserving the art of foley—a technique that has been passed down for 99 years, involving the addition of live sound effects to moving images.
As technology continues to evolve, we believe that the creative process offers a unique charm that can only be achieved through analog methods, and we are working hard to promote this as part of our branding.

Recently, we’ve had the opportunity to speak at workshops for elementary school students, and we’ve noticed an increase in the number of children expressing a desire to become Foley artists.
I believe that having more people join the field will contribute to the industry’s growth and serve as a source of interesting new ideas.
I hope that receiving this award will help spread the word to the public that this kind of work exists and that game sound is truly fascinating.

Saiga NAK

Winner: “GameSoundQuest” Executive Committee (CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.)

Reason for Award: “Revitalizing the game sound industry and fostering the next generation of creators”

I believe we were able to receive this award thanks to everyone who attended our game sound networking events and gave presentations at our study sessions.
I myself am a huge fan of game sound, and since entering this industry, I’ve had many opportunities to speak with people involved in game sound.
Through these experiences, I’ve been reminded once again just how wonderful game sound is and how amazing the people who create it are. I hope to continue providing opportunities for technical exchange and a space where connections can be made.

And the Grand Prize in the “Sound Category” goes to…?

Grand Prize: "Nintendo Music" Development and Operations Team

Reason for Selection: The ongoing expansion of a vast music library and the provision of a musical experience that capitalizes on the unique characteristics of video game music

The reasons for awarding the Grand Prize were explained as follows:

We believe Nintendo Music is a music service that continues to make a significant impact on both users and developers.
It’s still fresh in our memory how it generated a huge buzz when it suddenly launched two years ago, and since then, a wide variety of tracks—both old and new, ranging from the Famicom to the latest hardware—have been continuously added, solidifying its presence as a vast music library.
Furthermore, its distinctive playback features—such as length adjustment and playback based on the current time—are designed with the essence of video game music in mind. We strongly resonate with its approach of leveraging the appeal of video game music while making it accessible to a wider audience.
We also look forward to future developments, such as support for interactive music features.

Nintendo Music aims to bring video game music into users’ lives in a way that’s uniquely Nintendo.
The entire development and operations teams are delighted that our efforts to explore unique ways of listening to video game music—which are unique to the genre—have been so well received.
We will continue to cherish the joyful memories of gaming and use this recognition as motivation to help our users discover new video game music through our future operations.

"Visual Arts Category" Announced! Recognizing the technical skill and beauty of visual expression

Here are the developers and development teams that won the Excellence Award!

"Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd.)

SideFX Houdini Development Team (SideFX)

"Monster Hunter Wilds" Development Team (Capcom Co., Ltd.)

Academy Software Foundation (Academy Software Foundation)

"SILENT HILL f" Development Team (NeoBards Entertainment, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.)

Winners in the "Visual Arts" category share their comments!

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team (Nintendo Co., Ltd.)

Award Category: "Voxel technology that realized a fully destructible 3D world"

We refined every detail—from the dense underground world to the tactile sensation of terrain breaking—to give players the surprise of realizing, “You can actually destroy this much!”
We are delighted that the collaboration between artists and engineers—much like that between Donkey Kong and Pauline—has been recognized.
On behalf of the development team, I would like to express our gratitude.
Thank you very much.

Saiga NAK

Winner: SideFX Houdini Development Team (SideFX)

Reason for Award: “Establishing the foundation for modern asset production through 30 years of leading procedural technology and continuous knowledge sharing”

Houdini is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and we are delighted to receive this prestigious award in this milestone year.
We would like to express our gratitude to all the developers who use Houdini for their projects, as well as to all our users.

Saiga NAK

Winner: "Monster Hunter Wilds" Development Team (Capcom Co., Ltd.)

Reason for Award: "Animation that brings giant monsters to life through body deformation and posture control"

I believe that “muscle rendering using machine learning,” which was cited as one of the reasons for the selection, is a fairly novel approach.
I think the fact that the Monster Hunter team was able to implement this is a testament to their intellectual curiosity and desire to take on new creative challenges.
We will continue to approach development with sincerity so that we can incorporate new forms of expression in the future.

The RE Engine is evolving every day to help all development teams bring their creative visions to life.
We intend to continue advancing this technology and build upon it to create the next generation of game engines.

Saiga NAK

Award Recipient: Academy Software Foundation (Academy Software Foundation)

Award Category: “Establishment and Promotion of an Open Technology Infrastructure Supporting Visual Expression and Animation”

This award recognizes the efforts and achievements of the entire community.
Our members, studios, software vendors, and developers around the world have contributed to building the open technology foundation that supports today’s VFX and animation industries.
These achievements could not have been accomplished by any one person alone.
They have been made possible through collaboration that transcends corporate and national boundaries.
If you haven’t yet joined our efforts, we would be delighted to have you participate in our open-source initiatives.

Saiga NAK

Winner: "SILENT HILL f" Development Team (NeoBards Entertainment, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.)

Award Category: “Comprehensive visual expression that elevates the aesthetics of Japanese horror through modern technology”

As this was the first title in the series set in Japan, we faced various challenges, but we are truly delighted to have received such strong support from so many users.
We have pushed the boundaries of visual art to an extremely high level based on the concept that “beauty can be terrifying,” so we are truly moved to have won in the Visual Arts category.
Since about half of the Silent Hill team consists of young people in their 20s, I’d like to hear some comments from them as well.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone on the NeoBards team, who gave it their all for several years, and to kera-sensei, who created such wonderful creatures and characters.
Thank you very much for today.

And the Grand Prize winner in the “Visual Arts” category is…?

Grand Prize: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team

Reason for Award: Voxel technology that realized a fully destructible 3D world

The reason for the award was explained as follows:

What was particularly impressive was that this technology wasn’t limited to specific roles but permeated the entire development process.
Artistic decisions on how to render terrain—including what lies beneath after destruction—game design that makes destruction itself a form of play, sounds that synchronize with destruction, and ensuring the quality of a world where absolutely everything can be destroyed.
Each of these areas is connected by the same core technology and brought together as a single experience running at 60 FPS on the Nintendo Switch 2.
We believe this title, which transformed the very nature of gameplay through the power of its visuals and presentation, has provided us with many valuable insights into technology and development processes.

The role of art was extremely important in the production of Donkey Kong Bananza.
As I mentioned earlier, I believe this is the result of close collaboration between artists and engineers.
While there were challenges in expressing art using voxel technology, I’m truly grateful that the passion of our development team has been recognized in this way.

The “CEDEC AWARDS 2026” Ceremony Has Concluded! All Grand Prize Awards Went to Nintendo Development Teams

Nintendo Co., Ltd. development teams won the Grand Prize in all four categories of the "CEDEC AWARDS 2026."
In particular, the technology used to incorporate "destruction" into the game "Donkey Kong Bananza" earned high praise from game developers.

Engineering Category: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team

Game Design Category: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team

Sound Category: "Nintendo Music" Development and Operations Team

Visual Arts Category: "Donkey Kong Bananza" Development Team

At this awards ceremony, each team shared their passion for game development.
From major titles to indie games, a wide variety of developers are creating new technologies.
We’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on the evolving world of game development technology.