Don Daglow, Rebecca Heineman to Receive Game Developers Choice Awards Honors

Don Daglow will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and Rebecca Ann Heineman will be posthumously honored with the Ambassador Award at the 26th annual Game Developers Choice Awards on March 12 during GDC 2026.

The organizers of the 26th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) have revealed the recipients of two of the ceremony's most prestigious accolades. Don Daglow will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the late Rebecca Ann Heineman will be posthumously honored with the Ambassador Award. The ceremony will take place Thursday, March 12 at 6:30 PM PT during the GDC Festival of Gaming at San Francisco's Moscone Center (March 9–13).

Don Daglow, an Emmy Award-winning game designer with a 55-year career spanning over 100 games, is being recognized for his indelible impact on the craft of game development. His pioneering work includes the first interactive baseball game (BASBAL, 1971); the first RPG on a non-classroom computer (Dungeon, 1976); the first console God Game, City Builder and RTS (Utopia, 1981); and the first graphical MMORPG (Neverwinter Nights, 1991–1997). He also served as Executive Producer on hit franchises including Carmen Sandiego, EA Sports, Lord of the Rings, Prince of Persia, and Star Wars .

Rebecca Ann Heineman (1963–2025) will receive the Ambassador Award posthumously for her trailblazing career and her advocacy for the transgender community. In 1980, she won the first National Space Invaders Championship, becoming the inaugural U.S. video game tournament champion. Over 45 years, she contributed to more than 250 games, including The Bard's Tale III, Wolfenstein 3D, and Doom (3DO). She co-founded Interplay Productions and later Contraband Entertainment, working on titles like Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale. The Ambassador Award recognizes individuals who help the game industry advance through advocacy and action.

Nina Brown, President of GDC, stated: "Honoring the creators who shaped this industry is one of the great privileges of hosting the Game Developers Choice Awards. Don Daglow and Rebecca Heineman helped define what games could become, and their innovations continue to influence how developers create today." 

The awards were chosen by this year's Game Developers Choice Editorial Committee following suggestions from the International Choice Awards Network (ICAN). The ceremony will be streamed live on the GDC Twitch and YouTube channels.