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Taiwanese creative studio Team9 won the Game Designers Award at the Japan Game Awards for Word Game (文字遊戲), a puzzle title built entirely from Chinese characters, according to reports from the event. The ceremony, held in Tokyo on September 15, 2026, alongside the Tokyo Game Show, marked the final presentation of the peer-driven prize.
Taiwanese Studio Team9 Wins Final Game Designers Award
Word Game secured the designers award by an overwhelming majority of votes, according to judges on the Japan Game Awards official website. The panel noted that the title reminds players of old PC games utilizing classic normal characters. Judges also praised Team9 for adapting the game from traditional Chinese into a Japanese version, stating that the localization process took advanced skills and clever solutions.
Masahiro Sakurai, producer of Kirby and Super Smash Bros and chair of the judging panel, announced at the ceremony that the Game Designers Award will not return next year. Sakurai stated that he plans to focus on development and could not find an adequate successor to take up his mantle after searching for a couple of years. Team9 shared on Facebook that the studio felt honored to receive the final iteration of the award, noting that the prize’s emphasis on originality and creativity matches their own design aspirations.
Pokemon Pokopia Takes Grand Prize at Tokyo Game Show Ceremony
Pokemon Pokopia won the Grand Award at the 2026 ceremony, pulling in widespread support across age groups. Judges on the official web site described the title as offering a carefree, slow-life experience that received overwhelming backing from both franchise fans and the wider gaming community, with many players calling it soothing and addictive.
Eligible titles launched or featuring significant updates in Japan spanning April 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026, were assessed within the Annual Works division. Alongside the top winners, the ceremony handed out a Breakthrough Prize to 人機迷網 and a Movement Prize to 超級變色龍. The roster of Excellence Award honorees was extensive, featuring 死亡擱淺 2：冥灘之上, 咚奇剛 蕉力全開, 魔法少女的魔女審判, 沉默之丘 f, 羊蹄山戰鬼, 數碼寶貝物語 時空異客, 閃電十一人 英雄們的勝利之路, 卡比的馭天飛行者, 靈視異聞 FILE38 伊勢人魚物語, 惡靈古堡 9：安魂曲, Pokemon Pokopia, and 人機迷網.
Did you know?
The Game Designers Award was founded in 2010 by Masahiro Sakurai to recognize innovative and creative titles, operating for 17 editions before concluding with Team9’s win.
Frequently Asked Questions
What game won the Japan Game Awards 2026 Grand Prize?
Pokemon Pokopia won the overall Grand Prize at the 2026 ceremony, according to event coverage.
Which studio won the Game Designers Award?
Taiwanese creative studio Team9 won the final Game Designers Award for Word Game, also known as Letter Game, according to the official awards site.
Why is the Game Designers Award ending?
Judging panel chair Masahiro Sakurai announced that 2026 is the last year for the award because he is focusing on game development and could not find a successor.
Join the Conversation
What are your thoughts on Word Game’s unique character-based design and the conclusion of the Game Designers Award? Leave a comment below or explore our latest coverage of the Tokyo Game Show.