The Roblox Innovation Awards (RIAs) unveiled its 2026 winners during a ceremony in San Jose Saturday with new title โAnimal Hospitalโ taking home several top honors.
Part of the 12th annual Roblox Developer Conference, this yearโs RIAs were hosted by Robloxโs head of the developer community, Justin Sousa (widely known as โJPartyโ to Roblox users).
The RIAs honor Roblox developers, artists, studios and creators across 20 categories. This years results were calculated based on 319 million votes.
โWhat I love most about this list is how different all of these winners are,โ Sousa said. โThere isnโt one definition of a great Roblox game anymore, and thatโs the point. From tactical shooters and terrifying forests to word games, football, fashion, audio, and one particularly suspicious medical facility, the boundaries of what can be built on Roblox keep moving because this community keeps moving them.โ
The RIAs were held at the conclusion of this yearโs Roblox Developers Conference, during which Roblox made several big announcements, including the reveal of Robloxโs upcoming 20th anniversary event, โThe Hunt.โ
Per Sousa, โRoblox has been around for two decades now, and it shows in the breadth of ingenuity creators bring to the table. For those who missed the RIAs live, we also announced a special event to celebrate Robloxโs 20-year anniversary, beginning on September 17โThe Hunt: Roblox 20. But more on that later.โ
See below for the full list of winners announced during the 2026 Roblox Innovation Awards.
Best Shooter
Game: RIVALS
Studio: Nosniy Games
A polished, competitive FPS built around intense 1v1 duels to 5v5 battles. RIVALS is easy to jump into and very hard to put down.
Best Use of Audio
Game: DOORS
Studio: LSPLASH
In DOORS, sound isnโt just atmosphereโitโs part of how players understand the world, anticipate whatโs coming, and occasionally realize theyโre in serious trouble.
Best Plugin
Plugin: UGC Makers Toolbox
Creator: Onogork
A creator-built toolbox designed to make the process of building UGC easier. This is exactly the kind of thing we love seeing developers build for other developers.
Best Puzzle Game
Game: Finish The Word
Studio: Table Game X
A wonderfully simple idea with surprisingly stressful consequences: Keep the word chain alive, think fast, and donโt be the one who runs out of answers.
Best Innovation in a Branded Game
Partnership: Steal a Brainrot x GOAT (Sony Pictures)
Studio: Do Big
A collision of one of Robloxโs biggest cultural phenomena with a major entertainment property in a way that feels native to the experience rather than bolted onto it.
Best Party & Casual Game
Game: +1 Speed Keyboard Escape
Studio: SecretVerse Studio
Letโs chill โฆ or maybe not? Fast, accessible, and delightfully chaotic, this is the kind of game where โone more roundโ can quickly turn into 10.
Best Innovation in Tech
Game: TTK
Studio: Sable Digital
An ambitious tactical shooter pushing on what high-fidelity combat can look and feel like on Roblox, from helmet cams and optics to sophisticated squad-based gameplay.
Best Sports Game
Game: FIFA Super Soccer
Studio: Play! Football
Football? Soccer? Who cares! FIFA Super Soccer brings the gameโs energy, competition, and global appeal to Roblox.
Best Action Game
Game: Jujutsu Shenanigans
Studio: Tzeโs Shenanigans
Fast combat, big abilities, destructive chaos, and exactly the right amount of shenanigans.
Best UGC Creator
Creator: Valkenheim
A creator whose distinctive work continues to show just how much personality and imagination can fit into an avatar.
Best Innovation in Creative Direction
Game: Animal Hospital
Studio: Animal Anomaly
From the creepy hospital setting to the decidedly abnormal patients, Animal Hospitalโs creative identity captures playersโ attention almost immediately.
Best Survival Game
Game: 99 Nights in the Forest
Studio: Grandmaโs Favourite Games
Build a camp, gather resources, and rescue the missing kids. Survive this fantastic party game and stop whatever is watching from the forest over 99 very long nights.
Best Strategy Game
Game: Mini War
Studio: M&M Community
Start with a small country, build its economy, raise an army, and decide whether diplomacy or total domination is the better path to victory.
Best RPG
Game: Piggy: Intercity
Studio: Piggy: Intercity
Piggy goes open world with exploration, characters, base building, and player choices that shape a journey through an infected world.
Best Classic Game
Game: Natural Disaster Survival
Studio: Stickmasterluke
Survive the flood, dodge the meteors, and stare in awe at the ones who make it through. Some Roblox lessons are timeless.
Best Video Star
Video Star: Laughability (YouTube)
Being a star has its perks. Thanks for the stories, humor, and unique creator-driven PoV!
Best New Game
Game: Animal Hospital
Studio: Animal Anomaly
The night shift at this animal hospital gets weird fast. Animal Hospital is a wonderfully unsettling mix of treating patients, spotting anomalies, and trying to survive until morning.
Peopleโs Choice
Game: Animal Hospital
Studio: Animal Anomaly
Apparently the community agrees: Questionable veterinary practices make for a pretty great Roblox game.
Best Studio
Studio: Nosniy Games
A studio that continues to combine craft, polish, and a deep understanding of what makes players want to come back for one more game. Developers of games like Treasure Quest, Super Golf, and, of course, RIVALS, named this yearโs Best Shooter. Also some pretty cool d00ds.
The Builderman Award
Game: Animal Hospital
Studio: Animal Anomaly
And the final award goes to Animal Hospital, where working the night shift gets weird โฆ fast.
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