Last year’s Game Awards took the right move with the digital approach to the award show with the whole world being in a global pandemic. Things have opened more up a year later thanks to vaccinations, masks and so much more which allows The Game Awards to come back on the big stage with an audience.
This year we once again celebrate game developers and the games they created this year while acknowledging them for certain aspects all the way to the best games in a genre, platform, accessibility and of course, Game of the Year. Those previously mentioned aspects include games that set the bar with narrative storytelling, game/art direction, impact, score/soundtrack, performance and more. It isn’t just about the games but those who play them are being celebrated as well including categories in Esports, as well as creators in the gaming space and game community support.
The Game Awards was created and is hosted by Canadian game journalist and producer Geoff Keighley. The event introduced in 2014 evolved from its predecessor, the Spike Video Game Awards and has gone to become the “Oscars of Video Games”. Part of the show for most people is tuning into the show for the game announcements as we get a better idea of what games are coming out next year and beyond. This includes the game IPs we already know about with a better look at them and a release update, as well as the bombshell announcements that are like Randy Orton’s RKO, they come out of nowhere. For that, we recapped all the announcements separately as this is just about who won at The Game Awards
The 2021 edition of the prestigious event will include a sleuth of presenters which include figures from the gaming industry like Geoff Keighley, Reggie Fils-Aime, Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson and Neil Druckmann. Celebrities will have a presence at the award show as well including John Wick actor Keanu Reeves, Shang Chi actor Simu Liu, Antón Castillo (from Far Cry 6) actor Giancarlo Esposito, Fennec Shand actor Ming-Na Wen, director Guillermo Del Toro, Dr. Robonik actor Jim Carrey, Sonic actor Ben Schwartz and more. They will present awards to the most played games including Deathloop which accumulated eight nominations this year. Other games include Metroid Dread, It Takes Two, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and many more.
The pre-show featured a couple of announcements, as well as game award announcements of the Esports categories rapidly. Announcements in the pre-show include the release date of Tunic, another King of Fighter XV Open Beta Test, an announcement of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre game and Telltale’s newly announced game, The Expanse: a Telltale Series.
GAME OF THE YEAR
- Deathloop (Arcane Studios / Bethesda)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
- Metroid Dread (MercurySteam / Nintendo)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Games Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Winner: It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
BEST GAME DIRECTION
- Deathloop (Arcane Studios / Bethesda)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
- Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Games Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Winner: Deathloop (Arcane Studios / Bethesda)
BEST ONGOING
- Apex Legends (Respawn / EA)
- Call of Duty: Warzone (Infinity Ward/Raven / Activision)
- Final Fantasy XIV Online (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Genshin Impact (MiHoYo)
Winner: Final Fantasy XIV Online (Square Enix)
BEST INDIE
- 12 Minutes (Luis Antonio / Annapurna Interactive)
- Death’s Door (Acid Nerve / Devolver Digital)
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
- Loop Hero (Four Quarters / Devolver Digital)
Winner: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
BEST DEBUT INDIE
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
- Sable (Shedworks / Raw Fury)
- The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna)
- The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller / Dear Villagers)
- Valheim (Iron Gate / Coffee Stain)
Winner: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
BEST NARRATIVE
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
- Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
Winner: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix)
BEST ART DIRECTION
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda)
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna)
Winner: Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda)
BEST SCORE AND MUSIC
- Cyberpunk 2077 (Marcin Przybylowicz, Piotr T. Adamczyk, Composers)
- Deathloop (Tom Salta, Composer)
- NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 (Keiichi Okabe, Composer)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Richard Jacques, Composer)
- The Artful Escape (Johnny Galvatron & Josh Abrahams, Composers)
Winner: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 (Keiichi Okabe, Composer)
BEST AUDIO DESIGN
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
- Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Winner: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
BEST PERFORMANCE
- Erika Mori as Alex Chen (Life is Strange: True Colors)
- Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo (Far Cry 6)
- Jason E. Kelley as Colt Vahn (Deathloop)
- Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village)
- Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake (Deathloop)
Winner: Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village)
GAMES FOR IMPACT
- Before Your Eyes (GoodbyeWorld Games / Skybound Games)
- Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)
- Chicory (Greg Lobanow, Alexis dean-Jones, Lena Raine, Madeline Berger, A Shell in the Pit / Finji)
- Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
- No Longer Home (Humble Grove, Hana Lee, Cel Davison, Adrienne Lombardo, Eli Rainsberry / Fellow Traveler)
Winner: Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORT
- Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
- Destiny 2 (Bungie)
- FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (SQUARE ENIX)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
Winner: Final Fantasy XIV Online (Square Enix)
BEST MOBILE GAME – PRESENTED BY VERIZON
- Fantasian (Mistwalker)
- Genshin Impact (MiHoYo)
- League of Legends: Wild Rift (Riot Games)
- MARVEL Future Revolution (Netmarble)
- Pokémon Unite (TiMi Studios / The Pokémon Company)
Winner: Genshin Impact (MiHoYo)
BEST VR / AR GAME
- Hitman 3 (IO Interactive)
- I Expect You To Die 2 (Schell Games)
- Lone Echo II (Ready at Dawn / Oculus Studios)
- Resident Evil 4 (Armature Studio/Capcom/Oculus Studios)
- Sniper Elite VR (Coatsink / Just Add Water / Rebellion Developments)
Winner: Resident Evil 4 VR (Armature Studio/Capcom/Oculus Studios)
BEST ACTION GAME
- Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock / WB Games)
- Chivalry II (Torn Banner Studios / Tripwire Interactive)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda)
- Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft)
- Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Winner: Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
BEST ACTION / ADVENTURE GAME
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix)
- Metroid Dread (Mercury Steam / Nintendo)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Winner: Metroid Dread (Mercury Steam / Nintendo)
BEST ROLE-PLAYING GAME
- Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)
- Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
- Scarlet Nexus (Bandai Namco)
- Shin Megami Tensei V (Atlus / Sega)
- Tales of Arise (Bandai Namco)
Winner: Tales of Arise (Bandai Namco)
BEST FIGHTING GAME
- Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles (CyberConnect2 / Sega)
- Guilty Gear -Strive- (Arc System Works)
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina (French-Bread / Delightworks)
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (Ludosity / Fair Play Labs / GameMill)
- Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (Sega)
Winner: Guilty Gear -Strive- (Arc System Works)
BEST FAMILY GAME
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
- Mario Party Superstars (NDcube / Nintendo)
- New Pokémon Snap (Bandai Namco / The Pokémon Company / Nintendo)
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Nintendo)
- WarioWare: Get It Together! (Intelligent Systems / Nintendo)
Winner: It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
BEST SPORTS / RACING GAME
- F1 2021 (Codemasters / EA Sports)
- FIFA 22 (EA Vancouver / EA Sports)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Hot Wheels Unleashed (Milestone)
- Riders Republic (Ubisoft Annecy / Ubisoft)
Winner: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
BEST SIM / STRATEGY GAME
- Age of Empires IV (Relic Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios)
- Evil Genius 2: World Domination (Rebellion Developments)
- Humankind (Amplitude Studios / Sega)
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver)
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios)
Winner: Age of Empires IV (Relic Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios)
BEST MULTIPLAYER GAME
- Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock / WB Games)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
- Knockout City (Velan Studios / EA)
- Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
- New World (Amazon Games)
- Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain)
Winner: It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / EA)
MOST ANTICIPATED GAME – PRESENTED BY PRIME GAMING
- Elden Ring (FromSoftware / Bandai Namco)
- God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
- Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda)
Winner: Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
INNOVATION IN ACCESSIBILITY – PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET
- Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Creative Bytes Studios / Falling Squirrel)
Winner: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR
- Dream
- Fuslie
- Gaules
- Ibai
- TheGrefg
Winner: Dream
BEST ESPORTS GAME – PRESENTED BY GRUBHUB
- Call of Duty (Activision)
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)
- DOTA 2 (Valve)
- League of Legends (Riot Games)
- Valorant (Riot Games)
Winner: League of Legends (Riot Games)
BEST ESPORTS ATHLETE
- Chris “Simp” Lehr
- Heo “ShowMaker” Su
- Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov
- Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
Winner: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
BEST ESPORTS TEAM
- Atlanta FaZe (Call of Duty)
- DWG KIA (League of Legends)
- Natus Vincere (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
- Sentinels (Valorant)
- Team Spirit (DOTA 2)
Winner: Natus Vincere (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
BEST ESPORTS COACH
- Airat “Silent” Gaziev
- Andrey “ENGH” Sholokhov
- Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi
- James “Crowder” Crowder
- Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
Winner: Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
BEST ESPORTS EVENT
- 2021 League of Legends World Championship
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021
- PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020
- The International 2021
- Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters
Winner: 2021 League of Legends World Championship
