Nominations for the 2023 Game Awards, which honor the year’s most cutting-edge, unique and story-driven narratives in the gaming industry, were announced Monday. Leading the pack is high fantasy role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 and the recently released meta-horror Alan Wake 2, which each had eight nominations including for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction and Best Narrative.
High off the success of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the popularity of its most recent release Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Nintendo is the most nominated publisher this year with 15, followed by Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation with 13 nominations and Xbox (combined with Bethesda and Blizzard) with 10. Epic Games is the most nominated third-party publisher with nine total.
Fans can participate in voting from now through December 6 via The Game Awards’ website and Discord server. Winners will be revealed December 7 at the Peacock Theater (formerly known as Microsoft Theater) in Los Angeles and be streamed live via The Game Awards website and across more than 30 social platforms and video networks.
Here is the full list of nominees:
Game of the YearAlan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Best Game DirectionAlan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)Marvel’s Spider-Man 2(Insomniac Games/SIE)Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Best AdaptationCastlevania: Nocturne (Powerhouse Animation/Netflix)Gran Turismo (PlayStation Productions/Sony Pictures)The Last of Us (PlayStation Productions/HBO)The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Illumination/Nintendo/Universal Pictures)Twisted Metal (PlayStation Productions/Peacock)
Best NarrativeAlan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt Red)Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Best Art DirectionAlan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)Lies of P (Round8 Studio/Neowiz Games)Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Best Score and MusicAlan Wake 2, Composer Petri Alanko (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)Baldur’s Gate 3, Composer Borislav Slavov (Larian Studios)Final Fantasy XVI, Composer Masayoshi Soken (Square Enix)Hi-Fi Rush, Audio Director Shuichi Kobori (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Composed by Nintendo Sound Team (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Best Audio DesignAlan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)Dead Space (Motive Studio/EA)Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
Best PerformanceBen Starr, Final Fantasy XVICameron Monaghan, Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorIdris Elba, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom LibertyMelanie Liburd, Alan Wake 2Neil Newbon, Baldur’s Gate 3Yuri Lowenthal, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Innovation in AccessibilityDiablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment)Forza Motorsport (Turn 10 Studios/Xbox Game Studios)Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)Mortal Kombat 1 (NetherRealm Studios/WB Games)Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
Games for ImpactA Space for the Unbound (Mojiken Studio/Toge Productions/Chorus)Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc/Focus Entertainment)Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP)Tchia (Awaceb/Kepler Interactive)Terra Nil (Free Lives/Devolver Digital/Netflix)Venba (Visai Games)
Best Ongoing GameApex Legends (Respawn Entertainment/EA)Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)Fortnite (Epic Games)Genshin Impact (HoYoverse)
Best Community SupportBaldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)Destiny 2 (Bungie)Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
Best Independent GameCocoon (Geometric Interactive/Annapurna Interactive)Dave the Diver (MINTROCKET)Dredge (Black Salt Games/Team 17)Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio)Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios/Thunderful Publishing)
Best Debut Indie GameCocoon (Geometric Interactive/Annapurna Interactive)Dredge (Black Salt Games/Team 17)Pizza Tower (Tour de Pizza)Venba (Visai Games)Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios/Thunderful Publishing)
Best Mobile GameFinal Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis (Applibot/Square Enix)Honkai: Star Rail (HoYoverse)Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Sunblink Entertainment)Monster Hunter Now (Niantic/Capcom)Terra Nil (Free Lives/Devolver/Netflix)
Best VR/AR GameGran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital/SIE)Humanity (tha LTD/Enhance Games)Horizon Call of the Mountain (Guerrilla Games/Firesprite/SIE)Resident Evil Village VR Mode (Capcom)Synapse (nDreams)
Best Action GameArmored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)Dead Island 2 (Dambuster Studios/Deep Silver)Ghostrunner 2 (One More Level/505 Games)Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)Remnant 2 (Gunfire Games/Gearbox Publishing)
Best Action/Adventure GameAlan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn Entertainment/EA)The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Best RPGBaldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)Lies of P (Round8 Studio/Neowiz Games)Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio)Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
Best Fighting GameGod of Rock (Modus Studios Brazil/Modus Games)Mortal Kombat 1 (NetherRealm Studios/WB Games)Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (Ludosity/Fair Play Labs/GameMill Entertainment)Pocket Bravery (Statera Studio/PQube)Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
Best Family GameDisney Illusion Island (Dlala Studios/Disney)Party Animals (Recreate Games)Pikmin 4 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)Sonic Superstars (Arzest/Sonic Team/Sega)Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Best Sim/Strategy GameAdvance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (WayForward/Nintendo)Cities: Skylines II (Colossal Order/Paradox Interactive)Company of Heroes 3 (Relic Entertainment/Sega)Fire Emblem Engage (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)Pikmin 4 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Best Sports/RacingEA Sports FC 24 (EA Vancouver/EA Romania/EA Sports)F1 23 (Codemasters/EA Sports)Forza Motorsport (Turn 10 Studios/Xbox Game Studios)Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (Milestone)The Crew Motorfest (Ubisoft Ivory Tower/Ubisoft)
Best Multiplayer Presented by DiscordBaldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment)Party Animals (Recreate Games)Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Most Anticipated GameFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)Hades II (Supergiant Games)Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega)Star Wars Outlaws (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco/Arika)
Content Creator of the YearIronMousePeopleMakeGamesQuackitySpreenSypherPK
Best Esports GameCounter-Strike 2 (Valve)Dota 2 (Valve)League of Legends (Riot Games)PUBG Mobile (LightSpeed Studios/Tencent Games)Valorant (Riot Games)
Best Esports AthleteLee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (League of Legends)Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (CS:GO)Max “Demon1” Mazanov (Valorant)Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez (Call of Duty)Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk (League of Legends)Phillip ”ImperialHal” Dosen (Apex Legends)
Best Esports TeamEvil Geniuses (Valorant)Fnatic (Valorant)Gaimin Gladiators (Dota 2)JD Gaming (League of Legends)Team Vitality (Counter-Strike)
Best Esports CoachChristine “potter” Chi (Evil Geniuses – Valorant)Danny “zonic” Sorensen (Team Falcons – Counter-Strike)Jordan “Gunba” Graham (Florida Mayhem – Overwatch)Remy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam (Team Vitality – Counter-Strike)Yoon “Homme” Sung-young (JD Gaming – League of Legends)
Baldur’s Gate 3, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 scored the most nominations. Read More