The Rookies 2026 Annual Rankings
The Game Assembly ranks top 10 globally in Game Design & Development
Article | Published October 6, 2026
Creating a playable game in just a few weeks takes creativity, technical skills, and strong teamwork. This year, our students’ work has earned The Game Assembly 9th place globally in Game Design & Development in The Rookies Rankings 2026. TGA also ranks 14th in Production Excellence – Console Games, climbing four places, and 45th among the Top 50 Creative Schools.
For our students, creating games means bringing different disciplines together, testing ideas, and finding solutions as a team. Working within short production schedules, they learn to make decisions, respond to feedback, and turn shared ideas into playable experiences.
This year’s rankings recognise that work on an international stage. They also reflect the commitment of the educators and industry professionals who support our students throughout their education.
Recognition for outstanding teamwork
The Game Assembly is the only Swedish school ranked in Production Excellence – Console Games this year.
While the discipline-specific rankings focus on individual student work, Production Excellence recognises team projects. It highlights the ability to bring different skills together in a shared production, making it particularly meaningful for the way we teach and work at TGA.
Our 14th-place position, up four places from last year, celebrates what our students achieve together. Artists, designers, and programmers each contribute their expertise, learning to collaborate and solve problems throughout the production.
Highlights from The Rookies Rankings 2026
The Rookies Rankings offer an international perspective on creative education through the work of emerging talent in games, animation, and digital art.
The Rookie Awards 2026 received 6,870 entries from 111 countries and 559 schools, showcasing emerging creative talent from around the world.
The Game Assembly is recognised in the following categories:
- Game Design & Development: 9th globally
- Production Excellence – Console Games: 14th globally, up four places from 2025
- Top 50 Creative Schools: 45th globally
We are proud to see our students’ work recognised, and grateful for the energy, care, and ambition they bring to every project.
To everyone at TGA who submitted work to this year’s Rookie Awards: thank you! Sharing your projects takes courage and dedication. We are proud to celebrate your work and the people behind it.
Explore more about the rankings on The Rookies website.
/