Last night, the Game Awards 2024 were presented in a live stream lasting over four hours. Team Asobi's Astro Bot was named Game of the Year, but there are also winners in 25 other categories.
The Game Awards 2024
The Game Awards – not to be confused with the Steam Awards, which are currently in the nomination phase – have now existed for ten years. Last night in Los Angeles, prizes were awarded in a total of 26 categories. In addition to Astro Bot as Game of the Year, awards included Black Myth: Wukong (test) as best action game, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (test) for soundtrack and performance and Helldivers 2 (test) as best multiplayer game.
The winners were chosen by a jury of experts drawn from the editorial offices of major video game magazines around the world. Previously, players were able to take part in a public vote, but the result only counts for a low weight of 10 percent in the final ranking.
It is currently well known that purely or strongly audience-based awards invite abuse in the context of the phenomena of review bombing and vote brigading that occur again and again in entertainment media. And on the other hand, last year's Steam Awards showed how easily audience awards can be ridiculed. The rating system for this year's Game Awards was nonetheless controversial.
These are all the nominated games and the winners
All winners of the 26 categories as well as the other nominees are listed below in alphabetical order.
Game of the year
Award for the overall best game of the year.
- Astro Bot (Winner)
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Earth Tree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best direction of play
Awarded for outstanding creativity and innovation in game design.
- Astro Bot (Winner)
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Earth Tree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best narrative
Award for outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantanzio (Winner)
- Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
- Silent Hill 2
Best Art Direction
Award for outstanding creative and technical achievements in artistic design and animation.
- AstroBot
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Earth Tree
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (Winner)
- Neva
Best score and music
Awarded for outstanding music, including original song and/or licensed soundtrack.
- AstroBot
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Winner)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Silent Hill 2
- Starblade
Best audio design
Award for the best audio and sound design in the game.
- AstroBot
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Winner)
- Silent Hill 2
Best performance
Award to an individual for the best voice recording or the best motion or performance capture.
- Hannah Telle, Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Briana White, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Humberly Gonzalez, Star Wars Outlaws
- Luke Roberts, Silent Hill 2
- Melina Jürgens, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (winner)
Innovation in accessibility
Award for hardware or software that advances the medium by adding features, technology and content so that games can be played by a wider audience.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Diablo IV
- Dragon Age: The Veil Guardian
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Winner)
- Star Wars Outlaws
Play for Impact
Award for a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message.
- Closer to distance
- Indica
- Neva (winner)
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Best running game
Award for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the gaming experience over time.
- Destiny 2
- Diablo IV
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2 (Winner)
Award for a game with outstanding community support, including social media activity and game updates.
- Baldur's Gate 3 (Winner)
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No man's sky
Best independent game
Awarded for outstanding creative and technical achievement in the field of indie games.
- Animal welfare
- balatro (winner)
- Lorelei and the laser eyes
- Neva
- UFO 50
Best debut indie game
Award for the best debut game from an independent studio.
- Balatro (winner)
- Animal welfare
- Landlords
- Pacific Drive
- The brave squire
Best mobile game
Awarded Best Mobile Game.
- AFK trip
- Balatro (winner)
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Bag
- Storm waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
Best VR/AR game
Award for the best VR/AR game regardless of the platform on which it can be played.
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Asgard's Wrath 2
- Batman: Arkham Shadow (Winner)
- Metal: Hellsinger VR
- Metro Awakening
Best action game
Award for the best game in the action genre focused primarily on combat.
- Black Myth: Wukong (Winner)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Starblade
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best action/adventure game
Award for the best action/adventure game that combines combat with adventure and puzzles.
- Astro Bot (Winner)
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Silent Hill 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best role-playing game
Award for the best role-playing game with extensive customization and player character development, including massively multiplayer games.
- Dragon's Dogma 2
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Earth Tree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (Winner)
Best fighting game
Award for the best fighting game.
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Dragon Ball: Sparks! ZERO
- Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade classic
- MultiVersus
- Tekken 8 (Winner)
Best family game
Award for the best game suitable for family play.
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Astro Bot (Winner)
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The brave squire
Best sim/strategy game
Award for the best game focusing on real-time or turn-based simulation or strategy game.
- Frostpunk 2 (Winner)
- Age of Mythology: Retold
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Landlords
- Unicorn Overlord
Best sports/racing game
Award for the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.
- F1 24
- EA Sports FC 25 (Winner)
- NBA 2K25
- Top Spin 2K25
- WWE 2K24
Best multiplayer game
Award for outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer games.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2 (Winner)
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- Tekken 8
- Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
Best esports game
For the game that offers players the best overall esports experience (including tournaments, community support and content updates), regardless of genre or platform.
- DOTA 2
- Counter Strike 2
- League of Legends (Winner)
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best adaptation
Award for game-inspired adaptations across entertainment, including television, series, films and comics.
- Arcane
- Fallout (Winner)
- ankle
- Like a Dragon: Yakuza
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Most awaited game
Award for the most anticipated game that has the potential to advance the gaming medium.
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Spirit of Yotei
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Winner)
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Player's voice
A special feature is the Player's Voice category, in which the audience and players worldwide could vote for any game in advance of the show. In this case, the prize was awarded without the involvement of a jury. In 2024 the award goes to Black Myth: Wukong.
