At the Finnish Game Awards 2026 in Helsinki, host Teemu Haila opened the ceremony, highlighting that 100 games were released by Finnish studios in 2025—a landmark year amid political and funding challenges.
Juha Rintamäki, Director General of Finland’s Ministry of Culture and Education, delivered keynote remarks, citing Finland’s global gaming impact—from Cambodian children wearing Angry Bird T-shirts to Supercell’s billion-user reach—and emphasized 'Sisu' as the cultural engine behind the industry’s resilience.
Awards included Paradigm Island (We Love Games Excellence), Jonny Paasikivi (IGDA Volunteer of the Year), My Tennis Apocalypse (Bit.One Student Competition), Nora Archer (Champion of the Year for launching the ESA-aligned Spaceship Game Jam), Colossal Order’s City Skylines 2 (Best IP Extension), Cocoon Games (Rookie of the Year), Valtteri Lahti (Power Player of the Year), Supercell’s Clash Royale team (Business Excellence), and Kimmo Olahtinen’s Sektori (Best Creative Achievement).
The Finnish Game of the Year went to Channel 37: The Last Caretaker.
Brief overview
The Finnish game industry's global success stems from resilience, community, and Sisu—turning challenges into cultural exports like Angry Birds and City Skylines.
100 Finnish games shipped in 2025Juha Rintamäki stated: 'there was 100 games made in Finland last year.'
Finnish games are Finland’s top cultural exportJuha Rintamäki affirmed: 'games are Finland's greatest cultural exports' and 'the biggest cultural export of Finland.'
Sisu powers Finnish game resilienceRintamäki defined Sisu as 'the resolve to push ahead amid uncertainty and adversity'—a core trait enabling recovery from slumps and global competitiveness.
Questions this recording answers
9 questions, each answered where it is said
How many games were made in Finland in 2025?
100 games were made in Finland in 2025, as stated by the speaker at 2829.22s: 'But during that time, there was 100 games made in Finland last year.'
What are the three key numbers highlighted for the Finnish Game Awards 2026?
The three key numbers are 100 (games made in Finland in 2025), 311 (the number of people expected to attend if all nominees show up), and 13 (the edition number of the Finnish Game Awards, jointly organized by Suomen Pelikirjasto and Neo Games).
Which game won the Best IP Extension award in 2026?
Colossal Order's City Skylines 2 won the Best IP Extension award, announced at 7722.54s by Jussi Ultima and Tuomas Roininen.
Who won the Rookie of the Year award at the 2026 Finnish Game Awards?
Cocoon Games won the Rookie of the Year award, announced at 8047.26s during the ceremony.
Who received the Power Player of the Year award in 2026?
Valtteri Lahti, aka Wanda, received the Power Player of the Year award, announced at 8387.16s by Atte Kotiranta and Veli-Pekka Piirainen.
Which company and team won the Neo Games Business Excellence Award in 2026?
Supercell and the Clash Royale team won the Neo Games Business Excellence Award, announced at 8780.04s by Suvi Latva and K.P. Hiltunen.
What game won the Best Creative Achievement Award in 2026?
Kimmo Faktor Sektori won the Best Creative Achievement Award, announced at 9074.04s by Daniel Fischer and Mikael Vuorio.
What was the third-place finisher for Finnish Game of the Year 2025?
Kimmo Faktor Sektori placed third for Finnish Game of the Year 2025, announced at 9770.02s by Joni Lappalainen and Ilari Kuittinen.
What game won the Finnish Game of the Year award for 2025?
Channel 37: The Last Caretaker won the Finnish Game of the Year award for 2025, announced at 10139.04s during the ceremony.
Key Quote
“there was 100 games made in Finland last year.”
— Juha Rintamäki
Key Quote
“games are Finland's greatest cultural exports”
— Juha Rintamäki
Key Quote
“Sisu. The resolve to push ahead amid uncertainty and adversity.”