It's December which can only mean one thing - it's almost time for the annual Game Awards show on Friday, December 8th! This year will also mark the 10th year of The Game Awards.
You can tune in for free Friday morning (830AM Perth/10AM Darwin/1030AM Brisbane/11AM Adelaide/11:30AM Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart and Canberra) on YouTube, Twitch, X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook, Steam, TikTok, Instagram, and even Kick. Outlets IGN and GameSpot will also be streaming the event.
From Remedy's anticipated survival horror Alan Wake II, Insomniac's web slinging heroes in Spider-Man 2, Respawn's Jedi: Survivor, and Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, there's been practically no video game drought for this year. Some months were more quiet than others, but for the most part gamers were quite busy. If there wasn't a video game to play though, there was a video game adaptation to watch. From TV series The Last of Us on HBO, to The Super Mario Bros. Movie on the big screen. So yeah, it's been busy (and good!)
And that's just a light brief overview of just some titles that dropped this year! Phew. You still here? Good. In case you missed it or needed a refresher for this Friday, here's a list of all the categories and nominees for The Game Awards 2023.
GAME OF THE YEAR
Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.
- Alan Wake II
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom
BEST GAME DIRECTION
Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.
- Alan Wake II
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom
BEST NARRATIVE
For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
- Alan Wake II
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
BEST ART DIRECTION
For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.
- Alan Wake II
- High-FI Rush
- Lies of P
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom
BEST SCORE AND MUSIC
For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.
- Alan Wake II, Composer Petri Alanko
- Baldur's Gate 3, Composer Borislav Slavov
- Final Fantasy XVI, Composer Masayoshi Soken
- HI-FI Rush, Audio Director Shuichi Kobori
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, Composed by Nintendo Sound Team
SHOW ME THE CHAMPION OF LIIIIIIGGGHHHT
BEST AUDIO DESIGN
Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.
- Alan Wake II
- Dead Space
- HI-FI Rush
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
BEST PERFORMANCE
Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.
- Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield, Final Fantasy XVI
- Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Idris Elba as Solomon Reed, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Melanie Liburd as Saga Anderson, Alan Wake II
- Neil Newbon as Astarion, Baldur's Gate 3
- Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker, Marvel's Spider-Man 2
INNOVATION IN ACCESSIBILITY
Recognizing software and/or hardware that is pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology and content to help games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience.
- Diablo IV
- Forza Motorsport
- HI-FI Rush
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Street Fighter 6
GAMES FOR IMPACT
For a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message.
- A Space for the Unbound
- Chants of Sennaar
- Goodbye Volcano High
- Tchia
- Terra Nil
- Venba
BEST ONGOING
Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time.
- Apex Legends
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency and responsiveness, inclusive of social media activity and game updates/patches.
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy XIV
- No Man's Sky
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME
For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Dredge
- Sea of Stars
- Viewfinder
BEST DEBUT INDIE GAME
For the best debut game created by a new independent studio.
- Cocoon
- Dredge
- Pizza Tower
- Venba
- Viewfinder
BEST MOBILE GAME
For the best game playable on a mobile device.
- Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Honkai: Star Rail
- Monster Hunter Now
- Terra Nil
BEST VR / AR
For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.
- Gran Turismo 7
- Horizon Call of The Mountain
- Humanity
- Resident Evil Village VR Mode
- Synapse
BEST ACTION GAME
For the best game in the action genre focused primarily on combat.
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Dead Island 2
- Ghostrunner 2
- HI-FI Rush
- Remnant 2
BEST ACTION / ADVENTURE
For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.
- Alan Wake II
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom
BEST RPG
For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences.
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Lies of P
- Sea of Stars
- Starfield
BEST FIGHTING
For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.
- God of Rock
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
- Pocket Bravery
- Street Fighter 6
BEST FAMILY
For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform.
- Disney Illusion Island
- Party Animals
- Pikmin 4
- Sonic Superstars
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
BEST SIM / STRATEGY
Best game focused on real time or turn-based simulation or strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform.
- Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-boot Camp
- Cities: Skylines II
- Company of Heroes 3
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Pikmin 4
BEST SPORTS / RACING
For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.
- EA Sports FC 24
- F1 23
- Forza Motorsport
- Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
- The Crew Motorfest
BEST MULTIPLAYER
For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre or platform.
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Diablo IV
- Party Animals
- Street Fighter 6
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
BEST ADAPTATION
Recognizing outstanding creative work that faithfully and authentically adapts a video game to another entertainment medium.
- Castlevania: Nocturne
- Gran Turismo
- The Last of Us
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Twisted Metal
MOST ANTICIPATED GAME
Recognizing an announced game that has demonstrably illustrated potential to push the gaming medium forward.
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Hades II
- Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Tekken 8
CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR
For a streamer or content creator who has made an important and positive impact on the community in 2023.
- Ironmouse
- Peoplemakegames
- Quackity
- Spreen
- Sypherpk
BEST ESPORTS GAME
For the game that has delivered the best overall esports experience to players (inclusive of tournaments, community support and content updates), irrespective of genre or platform.
- Counter - Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- PUBG Mobile
- Valorant
BEST ESPORTS ATHLETE
The esports athlete judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2023, irrespective of game.
- Lee "Faker" Sang-Hyeok
- Mathieu "Zywoo" Herbaut
- Max "Demon1" Mazanov
- Paco "Hydra" Rusiewiez
- Park "Ruler" Jae-Hyuk
- Phillip "Imperialhal" Dosen
BEST ESPORTS TEAM
Recognizing a specific esports team (not the full organization) judged the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2023.
- Evil Geniuses
- FNATIC
- Gaimin Gladiators
- JD Gaming
- Team Vitality
BEST ESPORTS COACH
The esports coach judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2023.
- Christine "Potter" Chi
- Danny "Zonic" Sorensen
- Jordan "Gunba" Graham
- Remy "XTQZZZ"
- Yoon "Homme" Sung-Young
BEST ESPORTS EVENT
Recognizing an event (across single or multiple days) that delivered a best-of-class experience for participants and the broadcast audience.
- 2023 League of Legends World Championship
- Blast.TV Paris Major 2023
- EVO 2023
- The International Dota 2 Championships 2023
- Valorant Champions 2023
And there you have it, a whopping 31 categories with over 100+ nominees.
What To Expect
Of course, it wouldn't be a Game Awards show without a few reveals, surprises, and performances here and there throughout the 3 hour (give or take) show.
We could potentially see or hear more about Death Stranding 2, as there's a very quick glimpse of Fragile at the 54 second mark from Geoff's Hype Trailer.
The Game Awards 2023: Geoff's Hype Trailer
Also while we're on the same week as TGA, the first Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer will finally drop on Tuesday, December 5. IGN have an official trailer countdown livestream, or you can keep an eye out on Rockstar's YouTube Channel here. Or on any gaming outlet/platform really.
We'll keep you updated with the winners of each category, surprises, and announcements dropped during TGA. Happy Gaming/Watching!
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