Saturday was draft day for the 2026 TAGN Fantasy Critic League, and I solely made a number of small errors alongside the way in which.
Fantasy Critic League – Like Fantasy Soccer, however for Video Video games
For no matter purpose, I put “Dec 3” quite than “Jan 3” because the draft date within the Discord channel. Happily just a few folks noticed that.
After which, whereas I beforehand wrote that we’d be drafting FOUR titles, I had set the league to have us draft FIVE. Ooops.
As well as, a remaining reminder of the rule adjustments for 2026:
- Variety of ‘any unreleased’ droppable video games per writer modified from 4 to Limitless
- Variety of ‘will launch’ droppable video games per writer modified from 4 to Limitless
- ‘Counter Picks Block Drops’ from ‘Sure’ to ‘No’
As well as, I’m going to let the league declare the ultimate winner this yr. I wasn’t certain how it could deal with that… additionally, there was a final minute change in lineup as Cyanbane fulfilled the prophecy of the league and handed Shintar to finish up in third spot. Embarrassing for me!
As deliberate, I pressed the button to run the draft at 11:00 am Pacific time, with Corr and Pallais becoming a member of me on audio for the run by the picks. Most individuals had setup auto decide, together with myself as soon as we obtained rolling, so the entire thing took simply 5 minutes to resolve all picks. I’ve added a trimmed model of the audit log to the tip of the put up.
The one problem was that Archey had not set auto-pick, so I needed to do a guide decide for him, at which level I grabbed the best hype rated recreation accessible, which is what the sport itself would do in case you set auto-pick however then didn’t have a watchlist set.
That is mirrored within the audit log.
I set the draft order on Friday afternoon, selecting the “randomize” possibility, which gave me this:
- p0tsh0t – S Class Warfare Studios
- Pallais – Hidalgo Buying and selling Firm
- Archey – Frabjous Day Enterprises
- Bhagpuss – Fairly Blue Fox Video games
- Wilhelm – TAGN HQ
- Arhanta – Rodent Leisure
- Shintar – Play Perpetually Mwahahaha
- Corr – Corr’s Artistic Collective
- Nimgimli – Inexperienced River Gaming
- Shawn – Crash and Burn Video games
- Shilgrod – Rusty Shackleford
- Ula – Anthania Interactive
- Cyanbane – Neutical Publishing
The league makes use of a snake model draft, so the final particular person picks the order is reversed after which they’re first and decide once more. So you will notice double picks at every finish for Potshot and Cyanbane within the audit log.
I had been adjusting my watchlist up till the final minute, including in a number of titles after itemizing to the Hype Issue podcast, which is devoted to Fantasy Critic League to listen to what their draft opinions have been. The highest ten gadgets on my watchlist have been:
Wilhelm’s preliminary Watchlist
I used to be flipping backwards and forwards between Saros and Forza Horizon 6 and simply stopped at one level with Forza on high. It’s in all probability the decide I really feel strongest about, the phrase being that the following installment shall be set in Japan. As a collection it additionally not often dips beneath 90 for critiques. It simply doesn’t have a concrete ship date… and the Hype Issue staff warned me about picks like that. However I went with my intestine. That all the time works out, proper?
We’ll see if I selected properly or not. However every thing on my high ten was grabbed by any individual.
After the draft concluded, the league gave its predictions as to the place folks would place.
The Standings for Week 1
We’re all tied for first, however Potshot is projected to win in the long run. Bhagpuss, who will get the crown subsequent to his title for profitable the 2025 league, is down in eleventh place. In 2025 he began in final place and ended up in first, as a result of what the league doesn’t know may fill… effectively.. 52 weeks of weblog posts in all probability.
As for what’s developing… nothing but. The primary title slated to ship after the draft doesn’t land till the twentieth.
Developing for Week 2
After all, that would change. All people nonetheless has 4 slots to fill and a counter decide to pick out.
The cycle of picks… and that is lined intimately within the FAQ linked beneath… is that any picks for the week must be submitted by Thursday at 17:00 Pacific time and shall be resolved on Saturday at 17:00 Pacific time. Throughout that point you possibly can add your individual bid to any decide or counter decide if you wish to attempt to snatch it.
Picks are limitless… however your price range is simply $100. Spend it properly.
Be cautious on the counter decide… or don’t be in a rush possibly. If you happen to fail to select one, the empty slot will price you minus fifteen factors. However when you decide one, it’s your at some point of the league. Final yr’s expertise indicated that the most effective plan was to select one thing that you simply felt was not going to ship.
Off we go. Subsequent week’s put up will possible cowl further picks. I’m certain there shall be some.
Associated:
The Draft Audit Log (trimmed):
- The Draft has Begun! (11:00)
- S Class Warfare Studios (p0tsh0t) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Resident Evil Requiem‘
- Hidalgo Buying and selling Firm (Pallais) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Grand Theft Auto VI‘
- Frabjous Day Enterprises (Archey) has had the sport Marvel’s Wolverine manually ADDED by the League Supervisor.
- Fairly Blue Fox Video games (Bhagpuss) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Mina the Hollower‘
- TAGN HQ (Wilhelm) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Forza Horizon 6‘
- Rodent Leisure (Arhanta) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Tides of Annihilation‘
- Play Perpetually Mwahahaha (Shintar) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Saros‘
- Corr’s Artistic Collective (Corr) Drafted recreation: ‘Pragmata‘
- Inexperienced River Gaming (Nimgimli) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Neverness to Everness’
- Crash and Burn Video games (Shawn) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Hearth Emblem: Fortune’s Weave‘
- Rusty Shackleford (Shilgrod) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Management Resonant‘
- Anthania Interactive (Ula) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘007 First Gentle‘
- Neutical Publishing (Cyanbane) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Nioh 3‘
- Neutical Publishing (Cyanbane) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Darkish Knight‘
- Anthania Interactive (Ula) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Monster Hunter Tales 3: Twisted Reflection‘
- Rusty Shackleford (Shilgrod) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Yoshi and the Mysterious Guide‘
- Crash and Burn Video games (Shawn) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Phantom Blade Zero‘
- Inexperienced River Gaming (Nimgimli) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Arknights: Endfield‘
- Corr’s Artistic Collective (Corr) Drafted recreation: ‘Dragon Quest VII Reimagined‘
- Play Perpetually Mwahahaha (Shintar) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘The Duskbloods‘
- Rodent Leisure (Arhanta) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis‘
- TAGN HQ (Wilhelm) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Mewgenics‘
- Fairly Blue Fox Video games (Bhagpuss) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘At all times In Thoughts‘
- Frabjous Day Enterprises (Archey) has had the sport Marvel Tōkon: Preventing Souls manually ADDED by the League Supervisor.
- Hidalgo Buying and selling Firm (Pallais) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Hole Knight: Silksong – Sea of Sorrow‘
- S Class Warfare Studios (p0tsh0t) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘REANIMAL‘
- S Class Warfare Studios (p0tsh0t) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Onimusha: Approach of the Sword‘
- Hidalgo Buying and selling Firm (Pallais) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Fable‘
- Frabjous Day Enterprises (Archey) has had the sport Persona 4 Revival manually ADDED by the League Supervisor.
- Fairly Blue Fox Video games (Bhagpuss) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Orbitals‘
- TAGN HQ (Wilhelm) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Halo: Marketing campaign Advanced‘
- Rodent Leisure (Arhanta) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Dave the Diver – Within the Jungle‘
- Play Perpetually Mwahahaha (Shintar) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Crimson Desert‘
- Corr’s Artistic Collective (Corr) Drafted recreation: ‘Deltarune Chapter 5‘
- Inexperienced River Gaming (Nimgimli) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Vampire Crawlers’
- Crash and Burn Video games (Shawn) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Trails within the Sky 2nd Chapter‘
- Rusty Shackleford (Shilgrod) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘The Blood of Dawnwalker‘
- Anthania Interactive (Ula) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Mio: Recollections in Orbit‘
- Neutical Publishing (Cyanbane) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Darkish Ties‘
- Neutical Publishing (Cyanbane) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Mouse: P.I. For Rent‘
- Anthania Interactive (Ula) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Pokémon Pokopia‘
- Rusty Shackleford (Shilgrod) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Star Wars: Galactic Racer‘
- Crash and Burn Video games (Shawn) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Unannounced Mainline Half-Life Sport‘
- Inexperienced River Gaming (Nimgimli) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Code Vein II‘
- Corr’s Artistic Collective (Corr) Drafted recreation: ‘Out of Phrases‘
- Play Perpetually Mwahahaha (Shintar) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Cairn‘
- Rodent Leisure (Arhanta) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Whole Battle: WARHAMMER 40,000‘
- TAGN HQ (Wilhelm) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred‘
- Fairly Blue Fox Video games (Bhagpuss) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Bradley the Badger‘
- Frabjous Day Enterprises (Archey) has had the sport Ace Fight 8: Wings of Theve manually ADDED by the League Supervisor.
- Hidalgo Buying and selling Firm (Pallais) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘World of Warcraft: Midnight‘
- S Class Warfare Studios (p0tsh0t) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Changed‘
- S Class Warfare Studios (p0tsh0t) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Gears of Battle: E-Day‘
- Hidalgo Buying and selling Firm (Pallais) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Unannounced Mainline 3D Mario Platformer‘
- Frabjous Day Enterprises (Archey) has had the sport Tremendous Meat Boy 3D manually ADDED by the League Supervisor.
- Fairly Blue Fox Video games (Bhagpuss) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Mixtape‘
- TAGN HQ (Wilhelm) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Whole Battle: WARHAMMER III – Lords of the Finish Occasions‘
- Rodent Leisure (Arhanta) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Ontos‘
- Play Perpetually Mwahahaha (Shintar) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven‘
- Corr’s Artistic Collective (Corr) Drafted recreation: ‘Star Wars Zero Firm‘
- Inexperienced River Gaming (Nimgimli) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Lords of the Fallen II‘
- Crash and Burn Video games (Shawn) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Resonance: A Plague Story Legacy‘
- Rusty Shackleford (Shilgrod) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Mario Tennis Fever‘
- Anthania Interactive (Ula) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Deadly Body II: Crimson Butterfly Remake‘
- Neutical Publishing (Cyanbane) Auto Drafted recreation: ‘Witchbrook‘
- The Draft has Accomplished! (11:05)
