Metronomik wins big at SEA Game Awards

KUALA LUMPUR: The SEA Game Awards 2026 took place on Oct 15 and was the highlight of the first day of Level Up KL 2026.

Hosted by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the event celebrated the best of Southeast Asian video games, whether already available to the public or still in development.

Metronomik came away with the most awards for its upcoming game Ondeh Ondeh: Kaya’s Tasty Tale. The game won three awards: Best Score and Music, Best Technology and the Grand Jury Award.

Other Malaysian winners included TCG Card Shop Simulator by OP Neon Games, which won Best Game Design, and Fish Can Man by Asia Pacific University, which took home Best Student Game. Indonesia won the most awards by country, with the region winning four awards per title.

The Audience Choice Award went to Little Tree Kingdom by Indonesian company Bumi Studio, while the Rising Star Award went to Voodoo Craft, developed by Indonesian studio Innersight Games. These awards highlighted audience support for Southeast Asian and local titles, including games still in development, while recognising emerging developers with the potential to reshape the industry.

The awards ceremony brought together prominent game industry representatives, creators and media. The show featured orchestral music and debut game trailers during intermissions before batches of awards were announced and presented. It also paid tribute to Malaysian pioneering game developer Johaness Reuben, who died earlier this year.

Overall, the SEA Game Awards 2026 celebrated new and upcoming Southeast Asian games from Malaysia, Indonesia and the wider region. Despite the industry’s competitive nature, the event brought the community together to celebrate the future and recognise the people behind the games.

In short, everyone who helped organise the event and attended to show their support was a winner. Let’s keep it up!

Short Beats

Sarawakian-made isometric tower defence title Overhours will be released for PC and Xbox Series platforms on Nov 13.

Malaysian-based game studio Albrite has revealed its upcoming sci-fi action-adventure game, Project XII.

Malaysian art and support studio Ten Ten Studios has announced its first video game in development , Bloodwell , a gothic bloodpunk fantasy search action/metroidvania title featuring vampire knight cyborgs and an isometric view.

Sega has pulled Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from store shelves because of technical bugs, performance issues and AI-upscaled graphics.

Ubisoft will cut 70 jobs in Singapore and close its Redlynx studio in Finland. The former worked on the recent Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake, while the latter developed the long-running Trials series.

Op-Ed

We discuss the one flaw holding back Konami’s recent Castlevania entry. Click here to view our video.

Games Of The Week

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a 2D search action “metroidvania” title featuring vampire hunters and the night creatures that hunt them. Play as Rose Belmont as she fights evil creatures terrorising 14th-century Paris while dealing with her own curse, using magical tarot cards passed down by her deceased mother. Out for PC and consoles, it is our highlight game of the week.

Tenebris Somnia is a 2D retro-style survival horror game that combines its gameplay with polished live-action cutscenes made by Argentine film professionals. Play as Julia as she ventures into an alternate world to rescue her ex-boyfriend from darkness and monsters.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is a new first-person shooter set in the Warhammer 40K universe. Play as either an Ultramarine or a Sister of Battle as you tackle stages featuring more enemies and weapons in retro-FPS style. Out for PC.

Valor Mortis is a first-person action soulslike set after the Napoleonic Wars. As an ex-soldier, you traverse a devastated European landscape, fighting horrifying monsters and former warriors, wielding supernatural powers and uncovering a conspiracy threatening a nation. Out for PC and consoles.

Enshrouded has left Early Access and is now available in its 1.0 form. The solo and co-op survival action role-playing game sees you fight through the Shroud, forge your hero as you see fit, and build a homestead in a terraformable world.

Frosthaven has also left Early Access this week. This dark fantasy tactical role-playing game features board game mechanics, unique characters and deep tactical combat.

Classic PlayStation 1 Japanese role-playing game Tales of Eternia Remastered is now available for PC and modern consoles. The third main title in the Tales Of series follows a ragtag team of adventurers helping a mysterious alien girl return to her realm, only to reignite an age-old conflict between their two worlds.

Recommended Viewing

Shacknews has released an official documentary on Yacht Club Games, covering the final hours leading up to the launch of its do-or-die indie title Mina The Hollower.