This year’s Game of the Year nominees are Deathloop, It Takes Two, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Resident Evil Village. In the Best Performance category, nominees include Giancarlo Esposito of Far Cry 6, Jason E. Kelley and Ozioma Akagha of Deathloop, Erika Mori of Life is Strange: True Colors, and Maggie Robertson of Resident Evil Village. This year, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda is the most nominated publisher with 20 nominations followed by Sony Interactive Entertainment with 11 nominations, and Square Enix and EA with 10 nominations each. With the announcement of nominees, you can now vote. Additionally, you can help determine the “Best eSports Team” category via The Game Awards’ Twitter DMs, as well as vote via The Game Awards Discord server. In 2020, The Game Awards saw 83 million livestreams, up 84% year-over-year. After going all virtual last year, the show will return as a live ceremony at the Microsoft Theater on Thursday, December 9, 2021, and it can be viewed via 40 global video, social, and gaming platforms. More details on additional musical performances, presenters, and the show’s world-premiere slate will be announced in the coming weeks. Spotlighting the leading games, studios, and creatives from 2020-2021, this year’s list of nominees includes 107 different games, individuals, teams, and events. You can look over the entire list below. Nominees are selected by a global jury of more than 100 media publications (including us!) and influencer outlets.
The Game Awards 2021 Nominees
Game of the Year
Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda) It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA) Metroid Dread (Mercury Steam/Nintendo) Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE) Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Best Game Direction
Deathloop It Takes Two Returnal Psychonauts 2 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Best Narrative
Deathloop It Takes Tw Life is Strange: True Colors Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Psychonauts 2
Best Art Direction
The Artful Escape Deathloop Kena: Bridge of Spirits Psychonauts 2 Ratchet & Clanl: Rift Apart
Best Score and Music
The Artful Escape Cyberpunk 2077 Deathloop Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Nier Replicant
Best Audio Design
Deathloop Forza Horizon 5 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Resident Evil Village Returnal
Best Performance
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 Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu - Resident Evil Village Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake - Deathloop
Games for Impact
Before Your Eyes Boyfriend Dungeon Chicory Life is Strange: True Colors No Longer Home
Best Ongoing
Apex Legends Call of Duty: Warzone Final Fantasy 14 Online Fortnite Genshin Impact
Best Indie
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 Pokemon Unite
Best Community Support
Apex Legends Destiny 2 Final Fantasy 14 Online Fortnite No Man’s Sky
Innovation in Accessibility
Far Cry 6 Forza Horizon 5 Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Best AR/VR
Hitman 3 I Expect You To Die 2 Lone Echo 2 Resident Evil 4 Sniper Elite VR
Best Action Game
Back 4 Blood Chivalry 2 Deathloop Far Cry 6 Returnal
Best Action Adventure
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Metroid Dread Psychonauts 2 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Resident Evil Village
Best Roleplaying
Cyberpunk Monster Hunter Rise Scarlet Nexus Shin Megami Tensei 5 Tales of Arise
Best Fighting
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles Guilty Gear Strive Melty Blood - Type Lumina Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Best Family
It Takes Two Mario Party Superstars New Pokemon Snap Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury Warioware: Get it Together
Best Sim/Strategy
Age of Empires 4 Evil Genius 2: World Domination Humankind Inscryption Best Sports/Racing Microsoft Flight Simulator
Best Multiplayer
F1 2021 FIFA 22 Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheel Unleashed Rider Republic
Best Debut Indie
Kena: Bridge of Spirits Sable The Artful Escape The Forgotten City Valheim
Most Anticipated Game
Elden Ring God of War Ragnarok Horizon Forbidden West Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Starfield
Best Content Creator of the Year
Dream Fuslie Gaules Ibai TheGrefg
Best eSports Game
Call of Duty CS:GO DOTA 2 League of Legends Valorant
Best eSports Athlete
Chris “Simp” Lehr Heo “ShowMaker” Su Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
Best eSports Team
Atlanta FaZe (COD) DWG KIA (LOL) Natus Vincere (CS:GO) Sentinels (Valorant) Team Spirit (DOTA2)
Best eSports Coach
Airat “Silent” Gaziev Andrey “ENGH” Sholokhov Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi James “Crowder” Crowder Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
Best eSports Event
2021 League of Legends World Championship PGL Major Stockholm 2021 PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020 The International 2021 Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters
