World Video Game Hall of Fame announces 2026 finalists

The Strong National Museum of Play has announced the 2026 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. This year’s nominees include arcade favorites from the early 80s, a game that had everyone with a smartphone playing it and a dance/rhythm game that helped create a new genre.

“This year’s finalists span decades and platforms, from arcade classics of the 1970s to PC icons of the 1990s to one of the most popular mobile games of all time from the 2000s,” says Jon-Paul C. Dyson, PhD, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “Some first-time finalists include the horror classic Silent Hill, the platform icon Mega Man, and the ever-popular, multiplayer League of Legends.”

Here are the 12 finalists:

• Angry Birds: Launched by Rovio in 2009, Angry Birds became a breakout hit and introduced millions of people to mobile gaming. The conceptually simple game—hurling birds from a slingshot to knock over precariously balanced pigs—becomes increasingly difficult as you play, providing gamers quick fun or endless hours of entertainment. The game has been downloaded billions of times, achieved billions of dollars in sales, inspired movies and massive amounts of merchandise, and captured the public consciousness around smartphone gaming.
• Dragon Quest: Released in 1986, Dragon Quest transformed more complicated Western-style computer role-playing games into a player-friendly console version, setting the foundation for Japanese-style role-playing games. The game combined beautiful music (despite limited technology), compelling narrative structures, and user-friendly controls into a game that shaped the modern role-playing game, inspiring other iconic games such as Final Fantasy and Pokémon.
• FIFA International Soccer: FIFA International Soccer was not the first sports simulation video game—nor even the first one about soccer—but it is the most popular sports game franchise of all time, with sales continually bolstered by annual releases from publisher Electronic Arts until 2023. First launched in 1993, the game garnered worldwide success and spawned a franchise that has sold more than 325 million games by the early 2020s.
• Frogger: Originally developed by Konami and later licensed by Sega/Gremlin, Frogger jumped into the arcade in 1981. The simple but increasingly challenging gameplay—navigating frogs across a five-lane highway—provided widespread appeal to players of all ages. The game leaped from the arcade into everyday culture, becoming infused with music, TV, and other games. It reached its pop culture pinnacle in a 1998 episode of Seinfeld, where the character George navigated a Frogger arcade cabinet across a busy road, mimicking the gameplay to humorous effect.
• Galaga: Released in 1981 as a sequel to Namco’s 1979 hit Galaxian, Galaga raised the bar for arcade space shooters with its fast-paced, enthralling gameplay. An arcade bestseller ported to dozens of consoles, personal computers, and handhelds, Galaga is one of the most iconic arcade video games of all time. Galaga’s influence can also be seen in the wider culture, as it has appeared or been referenced in popular films and television shows such as WarGames (1983), Lost, and Stranger Things.
• League of Legends: Riot Games’ League of Legends launched in 2009 as an unassuming attempt at a free-to-play online arena inspired by a Warcraft III fan map—but it quickly grew into a behemoth. League of Legends has become a flagship of esports, and its 2025 World Championships peaked with 6.7 million viewers. Beyond the game itself, its characters (champions) and other intellectual property have spurred K-pop crossovers, active fan communities, and a popular Netflix show (Arcane).
• Mega Man: Capcom’s Mega Man debuted in 1986 on the Nintendo Entertainment System.  The platform shooter became a massive bestseller and provided a large boost to NES sales. The character Mega Man, a cartoonish and benevolent robot, inspired a bestselling sequel, more than 100 versions and ports, and a popular cartoon series in the mid-1990s.
• PaRappa the Rapper: PaRappa the Rapper, a playfully rendered title for Sony’s PlayStation console, helped usher in the rhythm game genre after its launch in 1996. The game’s distinctive visuals, original songs, and accessible gameplay offered wide appeal across many age groups and an international audience. It set the stage for later music franchises such as Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band.
• RuneScape: RuneScape began as an idea to create a game that was accessible to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. For 25 years now, the game has stuck to that goal, making itself available on any computer and now on mobile devices, allowing players to explore and play in an enchanting open world. Since its launch in 2001, the game has seen more than 300 million user accounts created, been played by people from 150 countries, and has achieved multiple Guinness World Records related to its updates and music.
• Silent Hill: Launched in 1999, Konami’s Silent Hill pushed the boundaries of the horror genre with innovative 3-D graphics, a dynamic camera, and an emphasis on psychological intensity. Silent Hill’s sold more than two million copies and sequels quickly followed across a wide range of systems, with collective sales of more than 14 million. A film version of the original game grossed more than $100 million in 2006, and two more movies followed.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: The open-world game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim debuted in 2011 to critical acclaim, achieving perfect rating scores from many critics and earning several game-of-the-year awards. The sheer scale of the game’s open world, its beautiful graphics, and its accessible gameplay captivated the imaginations of players. It has influenced many fantasy games that followed, from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to Dragon Age.
• Tokimeki Memorial: Konami’s Tokimeki Memorial brought a cohesive narrative, colorful graphics, unparalleled depth of choices, and engaging gameplay to the dating simulator genre after its launch in 1994. While it was never localized outside Japan, its impact on game design was widespread, paving the way for graphic adventure games, visual novels, dating sims, and role-playing games to emphasize personal relationships as part of their gameplay loop.

The Strong says the World Video Game Hall of Fame received thousands of nominations for consideration for the 2026 class. Fans can vote for their favorites from March 5 to March 13 as part of a “Player’s Choice” ballot at worldvideogamehalloffame.org. The three games that receive the most public votes will form one ballot and join the other ballots submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee, comprising journalists and scholars from around the world who are familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.

The inductees will be announced during a special, onsite ceremony at The Strong National Museum of Play on Thursday, May 7, at 10:30 a.m.