The Game Awards Collection

When is The Game Awards 2022?

The event honoring the best games of 2022 will be held at the Microsoft Theater (Los Angeles) on December 8, 2022. The show will be streamed online, so players from all over the world can watch it live.

The Game Awards is an annual event honoring the best video games of the year and a spiritual successor of the Spike Video Game Awards. The show was created in 2014 by Canadian games journalist Geoff Keighley. The ceremony features world-renowned celebrities, performers, and gaming industry executives who celebrate the best video games and most influential people in the gaming industry. It's an important day for video game creators and players because many developers and publishers wait for the Game Awards ceremony to announce their upcoming releases and reveal new trailers.

Best games of 2022

The Game Awards 2022 has 31 categories. The winners are determined by the jury and the players. Consequently, everyone can participate in popular voting and help their favorite game win. Each category is important; however, the Game of the Year title is considered the most prestigious. This time the following titles compete for this Sacred Graal of video gaming. 

A Plague Tale: Requiem – It's a sequel to the critically acclaimed A Plague Tale: Innocence. Asobo Studio was able to replicate their success, so the new journey of Amicia and Hugo is as mesmerizing and compelling as the first one. And, of course, there are rats. Hundreds of thousands of rats, to be more precise.

Elden Ring – The outstanding fruit of collaboration between the FromSoftware studio and the author of "Game of Thrones," George R.R. Martin. Some questioned whether a souls-like game in an open world was a good idea, but Elden Ring put all doubts to rest. The first open-world action RPG developed by the creators of the Dark Souls series won players' and critics' hearts on the spot.

God of War Ragnarök – In January, God of War was finally released on PC. 10 months later, players were given a chance to embark with Kratos and Atreus on their new journey. God of War Ragnarök was nominated in 10 categories besides Game of the Year. It's another proof that Santa Monica Studio has a secret recipe for cooking a blockbuster game.

Horizon Forbidden West – It's another sequel among the contenders for the Game of the Year title. Aloy returned in style! Her second adventure was another triumph for Guerrilla Games and undoubtedly one of the best PlayStation 5 exclusives. With its vibrant visuals and captivating story, it's no surprise that Horizon Forbidden West made its way to the nominations for Game of the Year.

Stray - It's a highly captivating game developed by BlueTwelve Studio. The game puts players in the paws of a robotic cat and challenges them to explore an unknown city filled with mysteries, secrets, and hidden pathways. With its expressive visuals and soulful soundtrack, Stray immerses players in a melancholy adventure.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – This action role-playing game was developed by Monolith Soft. The game takes place in a vast world filled with unique creatures called Titans and powerful weapons known as Blades. With its expansive open world and complex battle system, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an RPG on an epic scale that rewards exploration and experimentation. Not to mention that it's arguably the best Nintendo Switch game released in 2022.

Other categories that are considered the most respected are:

• Best Game Direction (nominees: Elden Ring, God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, Immortality, Stray),
• Best Narrative (nominees: A Plague Tale: Requiem, Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, Immortality),
• Best Art Direction (nominees: Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, Scorn, Stray),
• Best Score and Music (nominees: A Plague Tale: Requiem, Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök, Metal: Hellsinger, Xenoblade Chronicles 3),
• Best Independent Game (nominees: Cult of the Lamb, Neon White, Sifu, Stray, Tunic).

We're very curious about which of them will emerge victorious in the race for The Game Awards 2022 titles.

The surprising winner

Some may think that all the indie and smaller releases have no chance against the AAA behemoths, whose development and marketing devour millions of dollars. Nothing could be further from the truth. For instance, in 2021, the Game of the Year crown was won by a textbook underdog: It Takes Two. This lovely adventure game from small Hazelight Studios beat such blockbusters as Deathloop, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Resident Evil Village.

Choose your new game

In our collection, you'll also find great titles nominated for The Game Awards in 2022 and past years, including NBA 2K23, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, Red Dead Redemption 2, Sifu, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and many, many more.