UPDATE: The Game Awards 2024. Who will be the winner?
As the end of 2024 approaches, the gaming community is thinking about one thing only: The Game Awards. It’s been an eventful year, filled with highly anticipated releases and surprise hits. Which of these games will be rewarded?
GOTY 2024
WINNER: ASTROBOT
The Game Awards is a yearly event that honors excellence in the video game industry. Hosted by producer Geoff Keighley, it has also become a major platform for exclusive game announcements and previews of highly anticipated titles.
This year’s awards have sparked controversies, notably due to the inclusion of DLC and the absence of major titles like Helldivers 2 or Palworld. Want to know more about the nominees? Read our article and browse the complete list of nominees below!
Balatro: (un)expected?
One of the games that might take this year’s Awards by storm is Balatro. The appearance of this title may be surprising, especially as it contends for Game of the Year alongside major releases such as Astrobot, Black Myth: Wukong, or the Elden Ring DLC. Moreover, Balatro was nominated in four other categories.
The game gained a huge following due to its unique concept and stunning visuals. This indie roguelike deck-building game quickly became a bestselling title. Once again indie producers prove that you don’t need huge budgets and big studios to create unforgettable experiences. More than often, a creative idea and originality will be enough.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree: DLCs join the game
Some players were quite surprised to see Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on the list of nominees, including the most important category. Until now, bonus content wasn’t eligible for nominations.
Players debate whether this decision is justified. The DLC is, after all, not a standalone title and requires the base game to play. Another argument is that a DLC builds on the success of the older game, which isn’t fair for titles released this year. Let’s recap: Elden Ring, released in 2022, became an instant bestseller and won GOTY that year.
However, not everyone believes that this change is bad. Permitting seasonal content, remakes, and DLCs might indicate that developers are committed to post-release support, continuing to deliver quality work even months after a project’s launch.
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong, the highly anticipated action-adventure game from Chinese studio Game Science, became an instant bestseller upon its release. With its captivating storyline inspired by the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” the game invites players into a visually stunning world filled with complex landscapes and vibrant environments. The incredible boss design, featuring challenging and unique adversaries, captivated players, immersing them in a beautifully crafted universe where every encounter feels epic and rewarding.
Astrobot showcases PS5 possibilities
Another title that hopped on the GOTY nominees list is PlayStation’s Astrobot, released on September 6. This title proves that old-school mechanics will never get boring. Combined with the DualSense controller technology and the power of PlayStation 5, the developers created a fun and engaging experience. This title was also nominated for Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Score, Best Audio Design, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game categories.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second installment in the Final Fantasy VII Remake project, which is a reimagining of the original Final Fantasy VII game, first released in 1997. This title is considered to be one of the best video games ever created, so there’s no denying that creating a good remake is no small feat.
Developed and published by Square Enix, Rebirth continues the story that began in Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) and is a major part of a multi-part series designed to bring the classic RPG to modern consoles with new technology, expanded storytelling, and additional content.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
ReFantazio, a new RPG crafted by Atlus, the creators of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series—transports players to the United Kingdom of Euchronia. This medieval fantasy world reflects the nuances of our contemporary reality. Just on the release day, the game sold one million copies. With a beautiful artstyle, original story, and gripping gameplay mechanics, it deserves a spot among GOTY nominees.
Other categories
Browse the remaining categories and see which titles were nominated:
Player’s Choice:
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Metapahor: ReFantazio
Best Game Direction
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- WINNER: Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Metapahor: ReFantazio
Best Ongoing Game
- Destiny 2
- Diablo 4
- Final Fantasy 14
- Fortnite
- WINNER: Helldivers 2
Best Art Direction
- Astro Bot
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- WINNER: Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Neva
Best Mobile Game
- AFK Journey
- WINNER: Balatro
- Wuthering Waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
- Pokémon TCG Pocket
Best Narrative
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinte Wealth
- WINNER: Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Silent Hill 2
Best Performance
- Briana White, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Hannah Telle, Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Humberly Gonzalez, Star Wars Outlaws
- Luke Roberts, Silent Hill 2
- WINNER: Melina Juergens, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Best Audio
- Astro Bot
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- WINNER: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Silent Hill 2
Best Adaptation
- Arcane
- WINNER: Fallout
- Knuckles
- Like a Dragon: Yakuza
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Best Multiplayer
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- WINNER: Helldivers 2
- Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- Tekken 8
Best Independent Game
- Animal Well
- WINNER: Balatro
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Neva
- UFO 50
Debut Indie Game
- Animal Well
- WINNER: Balatro
- Manor Lords
- Pacific Drive
- The Plucky Squire
Most Anticipated Game
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- WINNER: Grand Theft Auto 6
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Best Role-Playing Game
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- WINNER: Metaphor: ReFantazio
Games for Impact
- Closer the Distance
- Indika
- WINNER: Neva
- Life Is Strange: Double Exposure
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Content Creator
- WINNER: CaseOh
- Illojuan
- Techno Gamers
- TypicalGamer
- Usada Pekora
Best Action/Adventure
- WINNER: Astro Bot
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Silent Hill 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best Action
- WINNER: Black Myth: Wukong
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
- Stellar Blade
Best Fighting
- Dragon Ball Sparking Zero
- Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising
- Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection
- Multiversus
- WINNER: Tekken 8
Innovation in Accessibility
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Diablo 4
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- WINNER: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Star Wars Outlaws
Best Community Support
- WINNER: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy 14
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Family Game
- WINNER: Astro Bot
- Princess Peach Showtime
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The Plucky Squire
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Age of Mythology Retold
- WINNER: Frostpunk 2
- Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess
- Manor Lords
- Unicorn Overlord
Best Sports/Racing
- F1 24
- WINNER: EA Sports FC25
- NBA 2K25
- Topspin 2K25
- WWE 2K24
Best VR/AR Game
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Asgard’s Wrath 2
- WINNER: Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Metal: Hellsinger VR
- Metro Awakening
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike
- Dota 2
- WINNER: League of Legends
- Mobile Legends Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- 33
- AleksiB
- Chovy
- WINNER: Faker
- Zywoo
- Zmjjkk
Best Esports Team
- Bilibili Gaming, League of Legends
- Gen.G, League of Legends
- Navi, Counterstrike
- WINNER: T1, League of Legends
- Team Liquid, Dota 2
How to vote and where to watch?
You can begin voting right away on the official site. The event begins on December 12, 2024, and will be streamed live across various platforms, including the official website and YouTube.
The best Game Awards 2024 annoucements
Apart from awarding the best games of 2024, this year’s event celebrated many upcoming titles: from big surprised (such as the next Elden Ring DLC annoucements) to long awaited cinematic trailers. Take a look at the best annoucements of Game Awards 2024:
- Slay The Spire 2 gameplay trailer
- The Witcher 4 trailer: the cinematic annoucement of probably one of the most anticipated upcoming games
- Borderlands 4: first gameplay trailer and some story bits
- Turok: Origins
- Okami Sequel
- Dave The Diver In The Jungle
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Mafia: The Old Country
- Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
- Elden Ring: Nightreign: a co-op DLC for the iconic soulslike.
- Thick As Thieves: an immerisve multiplayer from Warren Spector (Thief, Deus Ex)
Subnautica 2: Everything you should know about the game
The deep blue is calling once again, but this time, the waters are completely uncharted—and full of behind-the-scenes corporate drama. If you are one of the millions of survival fans asking if Subnautica 2 is out, we have fantastic news for you. The highly anticipated sequel has officially splashed down! The Subnautica 2 release marks […]
