Berlin loses the race: Computer Games Prize 2026 goes to Munich!

Berlin loses the race: Computer Games Prize 2026 goes to Munich!

The German games scene is experiencing significant change: The German Computer Games Prize (DCP) will be hosted by Munich in 2026. This decision was announced today and sends Berlin, which has hosted the awards ceremony in previous years, to the substitutes' bench. Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner tried everything to bring the prize to the capital permanently, but ultimately had to give way to Munich's strong application, which convincingly demonstrated the further development of the award ceremony rbb24 reported.

The decision does not come out of the blue. Both cities have been working to survive in the German games industry for years. And the survey by the industry association “game” also shows that Munich is slightly ahead in favor of developers. Dorothee Bär, the Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space, praised Munich's commitment to the industry and sees this as an important step for the future of the location.

Berlin's defeat and Munich's victory

Kai Wegner had taken a combative position and declared war on Bavaria's Prime Minister. But in the current situation, it's not just political ambition that counts, but also the commitment and vision that Munich has for the games industry. This is also reflected in the opening of the “House of Games,” which will open in Berlin in 2026 – a massive hub for game developers and a sign of progress in the industry.

But what is actually behind the German Computer Games Prize? Since it was first presented in 2009, the award has been given to innovative, culturally and educationally valuable games that were at least 80% developed in Germany. The prize is sponsored by the game industry association and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. In 2019, the DCP was endowed with a total of 590,000 euros - the highest amount for digital games in Germany Wikipedia shows.

• Der DCP umfasst 14 Kategorien, inklusive einem Publikumspreis und drei internationalen Kategorien.
• Der DCP wurde von der Bundesregierung auf Initiative des Bundestags sowie mit den Branchenverbänden BIU e. V. und G.A.M.E. e. V. ins Leben gerufen.
• Ein Nachwuchspreis für Schüler und Studierende ist ebenfalls ausgeschrieben, um den Kreislauf der Spieleentwicklung zu fördern.

An exciting personality in this context is Prof. Mareike Ottrand, who has been on the DCP jury since 2015 and was appointed jury chairwoman in 2023. She and her team won the main prize in 2014 for their game “The Inner World”. As a specialist in game art at HAW Hamburg, she brings valuable insights into the industry, which she is happy to share in the interview, reports deutscher-computerspielpreis.de.

The next few years promise exciting competition between the cities as they continue to fight for dominance in the German games world. The relocation of the DCP is not just a signal, but a clear indication of the changing dynamics of the industry, all of which have the future of gaming in Germany in mind.