The Game Awards is the biggest gaming awards show of the year, and it’s just announced the 2021 nominees for each category.
No matter which way you look at it, it’s been an utterly fantastic year for games. The new gen consoles of the Xbox Series X and PS5 have started to hit their stride. With fantastic exclusives like Forza Horizon 5 and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, there’s certainly hot competition for the 2021 game of the year.
The Game Awards is all about celebrating the best games of the year, and host Geoff Keighley has just announced the list of categories and nominations. Here’s they are:
Best Performance
- Erika Mori – Life is Strange: True Colors
- Giancarlo Esposito – Far Cry 6
- Jason Kelley – Deathloop
- Maggie Robertson – Resident Evil Village
- Ozioma Akagha – Deathloop
Best Multiplayer
- Back 4 Blood
- Knockout City
- Monster Hunter Rise
- New World
- It Takes Two
- Valheim
Best Ongoing Game
- Apex Legends
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- Genshin Impact
- Fortnite
Best Art Direction
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- The Artful Escape
Best Score And Music
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Deathloop
- Nier Replicant
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- The Artful Escape
Best Audio Design
- Deathloop
- Forza Horizon 5
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
- Returnal
Innovation In Accessibility
- Far Cry 6
- Forza Horizon 5
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Best Narrative
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
Games For Imapct
- Before Your Eyes
- Boyfriend Dungeon
- Chicory
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- No Longer Home
Best Independant Game
- 12 Minutes
- Death’s Door
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
Best Mobile Game
- Fantasian
- Genshin Impact
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Marvel Future Revolution
- Pokémon Unite
Best Community Support
- Apex Legends
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- Fortnite
- No Man’s Sky
Best Debut Indie Game
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Sable
- The Artful Escape
- The Forgotten City
- Valheim
Best AR/VR Game
- Hitman III
- I Expect You To Die 2
- Lone Echo 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Sniper Elite VR
Content Creator Of The Year
- Dream
- Fuslie
- Gaules
- Ibai
- The Grefg
Best Action Game
- Back 4 Blood
- Chivalry II
- Deathloop
- Far Cry 6
- Returnal
Best Action/ADventure Game
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Metroid Dread
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
- Psychonauts 2
Best Role Playing Game
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Monster Hunter Rise
- Scarlet Nexus
- Shin Megami Tensei V
- Tales of Arise
Most Anticipated Game
- Elden Ring
- God of War: Ragnarok
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
- Starfield
Best Fighting Game
- Demon Slayer
- Guilty Gear Strive
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
- Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Best Family Game
- It Takes Two
- Mario Party Superstars
- New Pokémon Snap
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury
- WarioWare: Get It Together
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Age of Empires IV
- Evil Genius 2: World Domination
- Humankind
- Inscryption
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
Best Sports/Racing Game
- F1 2021
- FIFA 22
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- Forza Horizon 5
- Riders Republic
Best Esports Game
- Call of Duty
- CS:GO
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Collapse
- S1mple
- Showmaker
- Tenz
- Simp
Best Esports Team
- Atlanta Faze – Call of Duty
- Damwon Gaming – League of Legends
- Natus Vincere – CS:GO
- Team Spirit = DOTA 2
- Sentinels – Valorant
Best Esports Coach
- B1AD3
- Crowder
- Engh
- Kkoma
- Silent
Best Esports Event
- The International – DOTA 2
- Worlds 2021 – League of Legends
- Masters – Valorant
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021 – CS:GO
- PUBG Mobile Global Championship
Best Game Direction
- Deathloop
- Psychonauts 2
- It Takes Two
- Returnal
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Game Of The Year
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
The nominees are decided by a list of over 100 media outlets from around the world. However, gamers can also have an influence on the winners in each category. Head to The Game Awards website to have your say.
The awards presentation will be livestreamed on December 9th. Geoff Keighley promises that there’ll be plenty of world premiere announcements on the night too, so it’s definitely worth a watch.
Which game do you think will win the GOTY award at The Game Awards? Let us know across our social channels.
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[Featured Image Credit: The Game Awards]