Last nights The Game Awards marked the tenth anniversary of the awards show, created by Geoff Keighley in 2014. While the show is usually known for its reveals of upcoming games in the industry, it’s worth remembering that the aim of the show is to highlight and celebrate the year in gaming, with thirty awards given away this year. Here’s a comprehensive list of everything that won.
The Awards
Best Fighting Game – Tekken 8 beat out Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Marvel VS Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and Multiversus.
Best VR/AR Game – Batman: Arkham Shadow took home the game award over Arizona Sunshine Remake, Asgard’s Wrath 2, Metal: Hellsinger VR and Metro Awakening.
Best Esports Game – League of Legends.
Best Esports Athlete – League of Legends player Faker.
Best Esports Team – T1, the League of Legends team that Faker is a part of.
Content Creator of the Year – Twitch streamer Caseoh
Games for Impact – Closer the Distance, Indika, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Tales of Kenzera: Zau were all acknowledged for a pro-social message, with the game award going to Neva.
Innovation in Accessibility – Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown won the award for its wealth of accessibility features. Other nominees with great accessibility were Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Diablo IV, Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Star Wars Outlaws.
Best Debut Indie Game – Animal Well, Manor Lords, Pacific Drive and The Plucky Squire were all outstanding games by a first time developer, with Balatro taking home the award.
Image Credit: LocalThunk
Best Independent Game – Balatro took the award again, with Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Neva and UFO 50 also being nominated.
Best Mobile Game – AFK Journey, Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, Wuthering Waves and Zenless Zone Zero were nominated, with the mobile port of Balatro receiving the award.
Best Family Game – Astro Bot won the award with Princess Peach: Showtime, Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and The Plucky Squire also being nominated.
Best Performance – Briana White (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth), Hannah Telle (Life is Strange: Double Exposure), Humberly González (Star Wars Outlaws), Luke Roberts (Silent Hill 2) and Melina Juergens (Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II) were nominated, with Melina Juergens winning the award for her role as Senua.
Best Action Game – Black Myth: Wukong beat out Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Helldivers 2, Stellar Blade and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Black Myth: Wukong was also voted winner of the players voice award.
Most Anticipated Game – Grand Theft Auto VI
Best Multiplayer Game – This year, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Tekken 8 and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 all offered fantastic multiplayer experiences, with Helldivers 2 taking the game award.
Best Community Support – Baldur’s Gate 3 took home the game award for consistent free updates that further fleshed out the massive RPG.
Image Credit: Atlus
Best Art Direction – Nominees Astro Bot, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree and Neva were celebrated for outstanding artistic design, with Metaphor: ReFantazio taking the award.
Best Game Direction – Metaphor: ReFantazio, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Black Myth: Wukong and Balatro were nominated, with Astro Bot winning the award.
Best Action / Adventure Game – Astro Bot won the award over Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Silent Hill 2, Star Wars Outlaws and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
Best RPG – Dragons Dogma 2, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth competed for the throne, with Metaphor: ReFantazio taking the crown.
Best Sports / Racing Game – Nominated were F1 24, NBA 2K25, Top Spin 2K25 and WWE 2K24. The game award went to EA Sports FC 25.
Best Sim / Strategy Game – Frostpunk 2 received the award. The other nominees were Age of Mythology: Retold, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Manor Lords and Unicorn Overlord.
Best Ongoing Game – Destiny 2, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XIV and Fortnite were all praised for continued support, with Helldivers 2 taking home the game award.
Best Adaptation – Fallout was voted as the best video-game tv adaptation, with Arcane, Knuckles, Like a Dragon: Yakuza and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft being nominated as well.
Best Score and Music – Stellar Blade, Silent Hill 2, Metaphor:ReFantazio and Astro Bot received nominations, with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth taking the award.
Best Audio Design – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 won the game award. Also nominated were Astro Bot, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Silent Hill 2.
Best Narrative – Nominees included Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Like a Dragon:Infinite Wealth, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Silent Hill 2. The narrative award went to Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Game of the Year
Image Credit: Sony
As the night came to a close, it was time to present the Game of the Year award. As is tradition, Swen Vincke, director of last years’ game of the year Baldurs Gate 3 presented the award. The nominees were Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Metaphor:ReFantazio.
Astro Bot won the game of the year award, joining the exclusive club with previous years winners such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and It Takes Two.
While looking back at all the greatest games of the year, the show also unveiled new looks at many upcoming titles for 2025 and beyond. As the show wrapped up, host Geoff Keighley says he looks forward to keeping The Game Awards going, looking forward to the 20th anniversary.
Featured Image Credit: The Game Awards
Third year Journalism student passionate about video-games.
