The 2021 Game Awards Winners

Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.

Nominees

• DEATHLOOP by Arkane Studios/Bethesda
• Metroid Dread by Mercury Steam/Nintendo
• Psychonauts 2 by Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games/SIE
• Resident Evil Village by Capcom

Winner

It Takes Two

Developer/Publisher

Hazelight Studios/EA

Online Summary

Embark on the craziest journey of your life in It Takes Two, a genre-bending platform adventure created purely for co-op. Invite a friend to join for free with Friend’s Pass and work together across a huge variety of gleefully disruptive gameplay challenges. Play as the clashing couple Cody and May, two humans turned into dolls by a magic spell. Together, trapped in a fantastical world where the unpredictable hides around every corner, they are reluctantly challenged with saving their fractured relationship.

Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.

Nominees

• It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios/EA
• Returnal by Housemarque/SIE
• Psychonauts 2 by Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games/SIE

Winner

DEATHLOOP

Developer/Publisher

Arkane Studios/Bethesda

Online Summary

In DEATHLOOP, two rival assassins are trapped in a mysterious timeloop on the island of Blackreef, doomed to repeat the same day for eternity. As Colt, the only chance for escape is to end the cycle by assassinating eight key targets before the day resets. Learn from each cycle - try new paths, gather intel, and find new weapons and abilities. Do whatever it takes to break the loop.

For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.

Nominees

• DEATHLOOP by Arkane Studios/Bethesda
• It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios/EA
• Life is Strange: True Colors by Deck Nine/SQUARE ENIX
• Psychonauts 2 by Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios

Winner

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Developer/Publisher

Eidos Montreal/SQUARE ENIX

Online Summary

Fire up a wild ride across the cosmos with a fresh take on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. In this third-person action-adventure game, you are Star-Lord, and thanks to your bold yet questionable leadership, you have persuaded an oddball crew of unlikely heroes to join you. Some jerk (surely not you) has set off a chain of catastrophic events, and only you can hold the unpredictable Guardians together long enough to fight off total interplanetary meltdown. Use Element Blasters, tag-team beat downs, jet boot-powered dropkicks, nothing’s off-limits.

For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.

Nominees

• Kena: Bridge of Spirits by Ember Lab
• Psychonauts 2 by Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games/SIE
• The Artful Escape by Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna

Winner

DEATHLOOP

Developer/Publisher

Arkane Studios/Bethesda

For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.

Nominees

• Marcin Przybylowicz, Piotr T. Adamczyk for Cyberpunk 2077
• Tom Salta for DEATHLOOP
• Richard Jacques for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
• Johnny Galvatron & Josh Abrahams for The Artful Escape

Winner

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139

Composer

Keiichi Okabe

Online Summary

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... is an updated version of NieR Replicant, previously only released in Japan. Discover the one-of-a-kind prequel to the critically-acclaimed masterpiece NieR:Automata. The protagonist is a kind young man living in a remote village. In order to save his sister Yonah, who fell terminally ill to the Black Scrawl, he sets out with Grimoire Weiss, a strange talking tome, to search for the "Sealed verses."

Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.

Nominees

• DEATHLOOP by Arkane Studios/Bethesda
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games/SIE
• Resident Evil Village by Capcom
• Returnal by Housemarque/SIE

Winner

Forza Horizon 5

Developer/Publisher

Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios

Online Summary

Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.

Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.

Nominees

• 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
• Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake, DEATHLOOP

Winner

Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil Village

Biography

Award nominated actress Maggie Robertson took the gaming and voice acting world by storm with her voice and motion capture performance portraying the iconic villain and fan favorite, Lady Dimitrescu. Maggie received her MA in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music & the Dramatic Art (LAMDA), joining the ranks of other notable alumni like Benedict Cumberbatch, Ruth Wilson, and John Lithgow. After graduating, Maggie moved to Los Angeles and has been acting in film, television and games since then.

For a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message.

Nominees

• Before Your Eyes by GoodbyeWorld Games/Skybound Games
• Boyfriend Dungeon by Kitfox Games
• Chicory by Greg Lobanow, Alexis dean-Jones, Lena Raine, Madeline Berger, A Shell in the Pit/Finji
• No Longer Home by Humble Grove, Hana Lee, Cel Davison, Adrienne Lombardo, Eli Rainsberry/Fellow Traveler

Winner

Life is Strange: True Colors

Developer/Publisher

Deck Nine/SQUARE ENIX

Online Summary

Alex Chen has long suppressed her 'curse': the supernatural ability to experience, absorb and manipulate the strong emotions of others, which she sees as blazing, colored auras. When her brother dies in a so-called accident, Alex must embrace her volatile power to find the truth – and uncover the dark secrets buried by a small town.

Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time.

Nominees

• Apex Legends by Respawn/EA
• Call of Duty: Warzone by Infinity Ward/Raven/Activision
• Fortnite by Epic Games
• Genshin Impact by MiHoYo

Winner

Final Fantasy XIV Online

Developer/Publisher

Square Enix

Online Summary

Take part in an epic and ever-changing FINAL FANTASY as you adventure and explore with friends from around the world. Join over 25 million adventurers worldwide on an adventure that will take you to the heavens and beyond!

For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.

Nominees

• 12 Minutes by Luis Antonio/Annapurna Interactive
• Death's Door by Acid Nerve/Devolver Digital
• Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver Digital
• Loop Hero by Four Quarters/Devolver Digital

Winner

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Developer/Publisher

Ember Lab

Online Summary

A story-driven, action adventure combining exploration with fast-paced combat. As Kena, players find and grow a team of charming spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.

For the best game playable on a mobile device.

Nominees

• Fantasian by Mistwalker
• League of Legends: Wild Rift by Riot Games
• Marvel Future Revolution by Netmarble
• Pokemon Unite by TiMi Studios/The Pokemon Company

Winner

Genshin Impact

Developer/Publisher

MiHoYo

Online Summary

Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy. You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.

Recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency and responsiveness, inclusive of social media activity and game updates/patches.

Nominees

• Apex Legends by Respawn/EA
• Destiny 2 by Bungie
• Fortnite by Epic Games
• No Man's Sky by Hello Games

Winner

Final Fantasy XIV Online

Developer/Publisher

Square Enix

Recognizing software and/or hardware that is pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology and content to help games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience.

Nominees

• Far Cry 6 by Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy by Eidos Montreal/SQUARE ENIX
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games/SIE
• The Vale: Shadow of the Crown by Creative Bytes Studios/Falling Squirrel

Winner

Forza Horizon 5

Developer/Publisher

Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios

Recognizing an announced game that has demonstrably illustrated potential to push the gaming medium forward.

Nominees

• God of War Ragnarök by Sony Santa Monica/SIE
• Horizon Forbidden West by Guerrilla Games/SIE
• Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild by Nintendo
• Starfield by Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda

Winner

Elden Ring

Developer/Publisher

FromSoftware/Bandai Namco

Online Summary

Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between.

For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.

Nominees

• Hitman 3 by IO Interactive
• I Expect You To Die 2 by Schell Games
• Lone Echo II by Ready at Dawn/Oculus Studios
• Sniper Elite VR by Coatsink/Just Add Water/Rebellion Developments

Winner

Resident Evil 4

Developer/Publisher

Armature Studio/Capcom/Oculus Studios

Online Summary

In Resident Evil 4, special agent Leon S. Kennedy is sent on a mission to rescue the U.S. President’s daughter, who has been kidnapped. Finding his way to a rural village in Europe, he faces new threats that are a departure from the traditional lumbering zombie enemies of the earlier installments in the series. Leon battles horrific new creatures infested by a new threat called Las Plagas and faces off against an aggressive group of enemies including mind-controlled villagers that are tied to Los Illuminados, the mysterious cult which is behind the abduction.

For the best game in the action genre focused primarily on combat.

Nominees

• Back 4 Blood by Turtle Rock/WB Games
• Chivalry II by Torn Banner Studios/Tripwire Interactive
• DEATHLOOP by Arkane Studios/Bethesda
• Far Cry 6 by Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft

Winner

Returnal

Developer/Publisher

Housemarque/SIE

Online Summary

After crash-landing on this shape-shifting world, Selene must search through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her escape. Isolated and alone, she finds herself fighting tooth and nail for survival. Again and again, she’s defeated – forced to restart her journey every time she dies.

For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.

Nominees

• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy by Eidos Montreal/SQUARE ENIX
• Psychonauts 2 by Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games/SIE
• Resident Evil Village by Capcom

Winner

Metroid Dread

Developer/Publisher

Mercury Steam/Nintendo

Online Summary

Join bounty hunter Samus Aran as she tries to escape a deadly alien world plagued by a mechanical menace.

For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences.

Nominees

• Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt Red
• Monster Hunter Rise by Capcom
• Scarlet Nexus by Bandai Namco
• Shin Megami Tensei V by Atlus/Sega

Winner

Tales of Arise

Developer/Publisher

Bandai Namco

Online Summary

300 years of tyranny. A mysterious mask. Lost pain and memories. Wield the Blazing Sword and join a mysterious, untouchable girl to fight your oppressors. Experience a tale of liberation, featuring characters with next-gen graphical expressiveness!

For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.

Nominees

• Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles by CyberConnect2/Sega
• Melty Blood: Type Lumina by French-Bread/Delightworks
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl by Ludosity/Fair Play Labs/GameMill
• Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown by Sega

Winner

Guilty Gear -Strive-

Developer/Publisher

Arc System Works

Online Summary

Head into the final confrontation with That Man, the person responsible for all the destruction and damage to the world and it's inhabitants. Join Sol Badguy, his rival Ky Kiske, and a total starting roster of 15 unique characters as they face the astonishing conclusion to a story 20 years in the making!

For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform.

Nominees

• Mario Party Superstars by NDcube/Nintendo
• New Pokémon Snap by Bandai Namco/The Pokémon Company/Nintendo
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury by Nintendo
• WarioWare: Get It Together! by Intelligent Systems/Nintendo

Winner

It Takes Two

Developer/Publisher

Hazelight Studios/EA

Best game focused on real time or turn-based simulation or strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform.

Nominees

• Evil Genius 2: World Domination by Rebellion Developments
• Humankind by Amplitude Studios/Sega
• Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver
• Microsoft Flight Simulator by Asobo Studio/Xbox Game Studios

Winner

Age of Empires IV

Developer/Publisher

Relic Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios

Online Summary

One of the most beloved real-time strategy games returns to glory with Age of Empires IV, putting you at the center of epic historical battles that shaped the world. Featuring both familiar and innovative new ways to expand your empire in vast landscapes with stunning 4K visual fidelity, Age of Empires IV brings an evolved real-time strategy game to a new generation.

For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.

Nominees

• F1 2021 by Codemasters/EA Sports
• FIFA 22 by EA Vancouver/EA Sports
• Hot Wheels Unleashed by Milestone
• Riders Republic by Ubisoft Annecy/Ubisoft

Winner

Forza Horizon 5

Developer/Publisher

Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios

For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre or platform.

Nominees

• Back 4 Blood by Turtle Rock/WB Games
• Knockout City by Velan Studios/EA
• Monster Hunter Rise by Capcom
• New World by Amazon Games
• Valheim by Iron Gate Studio/Coffee Stain

Winner

It Takes Two

Developer/Publisher

Hazelight Studios/EA

For the best debut game created by a new independent studio.

Nominees

• Sable by Shedworks/Raw Fury
• The Artful Escape by Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna
• The Forgotten City by Modern Storyteller/Dear Villagers
• Valheim by Iron Gate/Coffee Stain

Winner

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Developer/Publisher

Ember Lab

For a streamer or content creator who has made an important and positive impact on the community in 2021.

Nominees

• Fuslie
• Gaules
• Ibai
• TheGrefg

Winner

Dream

Biography

Dream is an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer who is known primarily for creating Minecraft content. He is well known for his YouTube series Minecraft Manhunt and his speedruns of Minecraft.

For the game that has delivered the best overall esports experience to players (inclusive of tournaments, community support and content updates), irrespective of genre or platform.

Nominees

• Call of Duty by Activision
• CS:GO by Valve
• DOTA2 by Valve
• VALORANT by Riot Games

Winner

League of Legends

Developer/Publisher

Riot Games

Online Summary

League of Legends is a team-based strategy game where two teams of five powerful champions face off to destroy the other's base. Choose from over 140 champions to make epic plays, secure kills, and take down towers as you battle your way to victory.

The esports athlete judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2021, irrespective of game.

Nominees

• Chris "Simp" Lehr
• Heo "ShowMaker" Su
• Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov
• Tyson "TenZ" Ngo

Winner

Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev

Biography

Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev is a Ukrainian professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player who plays for Natus Vincere as the AWPer. He has won 18 HLTV MVP medals, a Major, an Intel Grand Slam trophy, has been crowned as the best player of 2018 and a runner-up for the best player of 2019 and 2020.

Recognizing a specific esports team (not the full organization) judged the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2021.

Nominees

• Atlanta FaZe (COD)
• DWG KIA (LOL)
• Sentinels (VALORANT)
• Team Spirit (DOTA2)

Winner

Natus Vincere (CS:GO)

Online Summary

Natus Vincere is an esports organization based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Founded in 2009, the organization has teams and players competing in various games, such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, FIFA, World of Tanks, Paladins, League of Legends: Wild Rift, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Fortnite, and VALORANT.

The esports coach judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2021.

Nominees

• Airat "Silent" Gaziev
• Andrey "ENGH" Sholokhov
• Andrii "B1ad3" Horodenskyi
• James "Crowder" Crowder

Winner

Kim "kkOma" Jeong-gyun

Biography

Kim Jeong-gyun, known as kkOma, is a South Korean professional League of Legends coach for DWG KIA. As the coach of SK Telecom T1, kkOma was a three-time world champion, two-time Mid-Season Invitational champion, and eight-time LCK champion. He is known for his strict coaching attitude and aptitude for developing talented rookies.

Recognizing an event (across single or multiple days) that delivered a best-of-class experience for participants and the broadcast audience.

Nominees

• 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

Online Summary

The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games and is the culmination of each season. Teams compete for the champion title, the 70-pound Summoner's Cup, and a multi-million-dollar championship prize.

Watch the full stream!