The Game Awards and better known as the TGA is a very special annual event for the entire gaming community where the best video games are awarded in their respective categories, which can range from: Best Action Game, Simulation, RPG, Brawler or Indie. However, the most prized category and the one that every gamer has their eyes on is ‘Game of The Year’ or ‘GOTY’. In a year 2024 with irregular but mostly excellent releases, the Game of the Year nominations were more than deserved, although they sparked controversy by including a nominee that no one expected.
The Game Awards 2024: Best Esports Game
Esports continues to be a trend not only among gamers but also among the non-gaming community. However, Esports is shaping up as a contender for the future of esports, this category nominates games that are used for tournaments at any level or to create content that is popular and does not discriminate between game genre or platform. Among the nominees for Best Esports Game 2024 are:
Counter Strike 2 // Valve
DOTA 2 // Valve
League Of Legends // Riot Games
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang // Moonton
Valorant // Riot Games
Ganador de 2023: Valorant // Riot Games
The Game Awards 2024: Most Anticipated Game
This category awards the most anticipated game of the following year, in this case the nominees for the most anticipated game of 2025 are:
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach // Kojima Productions & SIE
Ghost Of Yôtei // Sucker Punch & SIE
Grand Theft Auto VI // Rockstar Games
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond // Retro Studios & Nintendo
Monster Hunter Wilds // Capcom
Ganador 2023:Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth // Square Enix
The Game Awards 2024: Best Multiplayer
Multiplayer is one of the modes that gamers enjoy the most to share epic moments either with family or with players from other communities, the nominated multiplayer games are:
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 // Treyarch & Raven & Xbox Game Studios
Helldivers 2 // Arrowhead Game Studios & SIE
Super Mario Party: Jamboree // Nintendo Cube & Nintendo
Tekken 8 // Bandai Namco
Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2 // Saber Interactive & Focus Entertainment
Ganador 2023: Super Mario Bross Wonder // Nintendo EPD $ Nintendo
The Game Awards 2024: Best Sports/Racing Game
This category is exclusively for games dedicated to sports and motorsports that have not ceased to be highly popular in the gamer community, the nominees this time are:
F1 24 // Codemaster & EA Sports
EA Sports 25 // EA Vancouver & EA Roumania & EA Sports
NBA 2K 25 // Visual Concepts & 2K
Top Spin 2K 25 // Hangar 13 & 2K
22WE 2K24 // Visual Concepts & 2K
Ganador 2023: Forza Motorsport // Turn 10 Studios & Xbox Game Studios
The Game Awards 2024: Best Strategy / Simulation Game
Simulation and strategy are dedicated to a sector that likes games that focus on development, exploration and the search for new alternatives and resources to increase the chances of winning. Among the nominees are:
Age Of Mytology: Retold // World’s End & Forgotten Empire & Xbox Game Studios
Frostpunk 2 // 11 Bit Studios
Kunitsu – Gami: Path Of The Godess // Capcom
Manor Lords: Salavic Magic & Hooded Horse
Unicorn Overlord: Vanillaware & Atlus & Sega
Ganador 2023: Pikmin 4 // Nintendo EPD & Nintendo
The Game Awards 2024: Best Family Game
This category rewards the game that is available for the whole family, generally including the best A-rated games. Among the nominees are:
Astro Bot // Asobi & SIE
Princess Peach: Showtime! // Great – Feel & Nintendo
Super Mario Party: Jamboree // Nintendo Cube & Nintendo
The Legend Of Zelda: Echo Of Wisdom // Grezzo & Nintendo
The Plucky Squire // All Posible Futures & Devolver
Ganador 2023: Super Mario Bross Wonder // Nintendo EPD $ Nintendo
The Game Awards 2024: Best Fighting Game
Fighting games are usually the ones with the best animations because they don’t have so much complexity except for some of this year’s nominees which are:
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO // Spike Chunsoft & Bandai Namco
Grandblue Fantasy Versus: Rising // Arc System Works & Cygames
Marcel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics // Capcom
Multiversus // Player First Games & WB Games
Tekken 8 // Bandai Namco
Ganador 2023: Street Fighter 6 // Capcom
The Game Awards 2024: Best RPG
This category rewards RPGs with the most extensive character customisation and extensive story development including multiplayer mechanics if awarded, the candidates for RPG of the year are:
Dragon’s Dogma 2 // Capcom
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree // FromSoftware & Bandai Namco
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth // Ryu Ga Gotaku & Sega
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth // Square Enix
Metaphor: REFantazio //Studio Zero & Atlus & Sega
Ganador 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3 // Larian Studios
The Game Awards 2024: Best Action/Adventure Game
More than just action, this genre recognises games that focus on combat, puzzle solving, and immersive storytelling.
Astro Bot // Asobi & SIE
Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown // Ubisoft Montpellier & Ubisoft
Silent Hill 2 // Bloobler Team & Konami
Star Wars Outlaws // Massive Entertainment & Ubisoft
The Legend Of Zelda: Echo Of Wisdom // Grezzo & Nintendo
Ganador de 2023: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo EPD & Nintendo
The Game Awards 2024: Best Action Game
The action category rewards the game with the best mechanics for a video game that focuses primarily on combat, the nominees are:
Black Myth: Wukong // Game Science
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 // Treyarch & Raven & Xbox Game Studios
Helldivers 2: Arrowhead Game Studios // SIE
Stellar Blade // Shift UP & SIE
Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2 // Saber Interactive & Focus Entertainment
Ganador de 2023: Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon // FromSoftware & Bandai Namco Entertainment
The Game Awards 2024: Best smartphone game
This category rewards the best game available on smartphones (iOS and Android) and the nominees are:
AFK Journey // FARLIGHT & Lilith Games
Balatro // LocalThunk & Playstack
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket // Creatures INC & TPCI
Wuthering Waves // Kuro Games
Zenless Zone Zero // Hoyoverse
Ganador de 2023: Honkai: Star Rail // miHoYo & HoYoverse
The Game Awards 2024: Games in the pipeline
Awarded to the game that has constant updates, maintaining an active public interest and improving the gaming experience every day, the nominees include:
Destiny 2 Bungie & SIE
Diablo IV: Blizzard & Xbox Game Studios
Final Fantasy XIV: Square Enix
Fortnite: Epic Games
Helldivers 2: Arrowhead Game Studios // SIE
Ganador de 2023: Cyberpunk 2077 // CD Projekt Red & CD Projekt
The Game Awards 2024: Impact Games
This category includes games that are thought-provoking and have a pro-social meaning and the nominees include:
Closer The Distance Osmotic Studios & Skybound Games
Indika Odd Meter & 11 Bit Studios
Neva: // Nomada Studio & Devolver
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure // Deck Nine & Square Enix
Suenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 // Ninja Theory & Xbox Game Studios
Tales Of Kenzera: Zau // Surgent Studios & EA
Ganador de 2023: Tchia // Awaceb & Kepler Interactive
The Game Awards 2024: Innovation and Accessibility
Innovation and accessibility rewards games with software specially designed to reach even wider audiences, among the nominees are:
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 // Treyarch & Raven & Xbox Game Studios
Diablo IV // Blizzard & Xbox Game Studios
Dragon Age: The Veilguard // Bioware & EA
Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown: Ubisoft Montpellier & Ubisoft
Star Wars Outlaws: Massive Entertainment & Ubisoft
Ganador de 2023: Forza Motorsport // Turn 10 Studios & Xbox Game Studios
The Game Awards 2024: Best sound design
This category rewards the best in-game audio effects, which include:
Astro Bot // Asobi & SIE
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 // Treyarch & Raven & Xbox Game Studios
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth // Square Enix
Suenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 // Ninja Theory & Xbox Game Studios
Silent Hill 2 // Bloobler Team & Konami
Ganador de 2023: Hi-Fi Rush // Tango Gameworks &Bethesda Softworks
The Game Awards 2024: Soundtrack and Music
The category rewards best in-game music, original song and licensed soundtracks, among the nominees are:
Astro Bot // Asobi & SIE
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth // Square Enix
Metaphor: REFantazio //Studio Zero & Atlus & Sega
Silent Hill 2 // Bloobler Team & Konami
Stellar Blade // Shift UP & SIE
Silent Hill 2 // Bloobler Team & Konami
Ganador de 2023: Final Fantasy XVI // Masayoshi Soken
The Game Awards 2024: Best Art Direction
This category rewards technical creativity, artistic design and the best in-game animation, the nominees in this category are:
Astro Bot // Asobi & SIE
Black Myth: Wukong // Game Science
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree // FromSoftware & Bandai Namco
Metaphor: REFantazio //Studio Zero & Atlus & Sega
Neva: // Nomada Studio & Devolver
Ganador de 2023: Alan Wake 2 // Remedy Entertainment & Epic Games Publishing
The Game Awards 2024: Best Narrative
This category rewards the best storytelling, story and character development in a video game. Among the nominees are:
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth // Square Enix
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth // Ryu Ga Gotaku & Sega
Metaphor: REFantazio //Studio Zero & Atlus & Sega
Suenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 // Ninja Theory & Xbox Game Studios
Silent Hill 2 // Bloobler Team & Konami
Ganador de 2023: Alan Wake 2 // Remedy Entertainment & Epic Games Publishing
The Game Awards 2024: Best Directing
This category recognises video games with outstanding creative vision, innovation, in-game design, and direction, and there were no major surprises among the nominees:
Astro Bot // Asobi & SIE
Balatro // LocalThunk & Playstack
Black Myth: Wukong // Game Science
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree // FromSoftware & Bandai Namco
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth // Square Enix
Metaphor: REFantazio //Studio Zero & Atlus & Sega
Ganador de 2023: Alan Wake 2 // Remedy Entertainment & Epic Games Publishing
The Game Awards 2024: Game of the Year
This was undoubtedly the category that has been causing the most noise for several hours now, after an announcement made on its official X/Twitter network The Game Awards. In short, it welcomed DLC’s, Remakes and Remastereds in the ‘Game of the Year’ category, which caused a lot of disagreement from users and influencers who disagree with the fact that one of these 3 titles doesn’t have the same work and complexity of a game from scratch.
Comments predicted that this was just to include the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and that it could easily take the category and others suggested that a new and exclusive category be created for these DLCs, Remakes and Remastered. This would not take away a place from another competent game in this category, however, and even if the controversy continues for days, the Elden Ring DLC is already among the GOTY nominees for The Game Awards 2024 along with:
Astro Bot // Asobi & SIE
Balatro // LocalThunk & Playstack
Black Myth: Wukong // Game Science
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth // Square Enix
Metaphor: REFantazio //Studio Zero & Atlus & Sega
Ganador de 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3 // Larian Studios
Voting is now open on the official TGA website and you can choose your favourite game to win its respective category, we invite you to click on this link to vote. The results will be announced live on 12 December at a live gala event at the Peackock Theather in Los Angeles, California, which will be broadcast on The Game Awards 2024’s official social media channels.
© 2024, The Game Awards