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THE GAME AWARDS

The Game Awards 2021: list of nominees and the 6 GOTY contenders

Check the full list of The Game Awards 2021 nominations by category and the six candidates for the Game of the Year 2021 that will be revealed on December 9.

Update:
It Takes Two (left), The Game Awards logo (center) and Metroid Dread (Right)

2021 has been a great year for video games thanks to releases like Metroid Dread, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and the indie titles that have once again shown how original and well-executed ideas can be groundbreaking and spectacular. A great example is It Takes Two from Josef Fares and Inscryption by Daniel Mullins. The Game Awards returns once again in 2021 on December 10 to celebrate video game culture and to award the best titles of the year. Winners are selected by a jury form by more than 100 media publications and influencer outlets.

Follow The Game Awards 2021 (GOTY) live online

The event created and hosted by journalist Geoff Keighley returns with a live in-person ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles where the best video games of the year will be the protagonists. As usual, the event will feature new announcements and trailers for world premieres of upcoming games. In fact, Keighley has promised that "there are four or five" reveals on the scale of Elden Ring. Besides announcements, there will be musical performances and celebrities and the event will be live streamed for free on the internet through social media and gaming platforms to reach fans all around the world.

Last year, The Last of Us Part II was the big winner of the night with 7 awards including the desired Game of The Year (GOTY). This year, Deathloop (9), Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (6), It Takes Two (5), and Psychonauts 2 (5) lead the nominations.

See the full list of nominees for The Game Awards 2021 for the 35 categories and the Game of the Year 2021 contenders below:

Game of the Year (GOTY)

The main category will be a tough competition once again and there are no clear favorites.

There are solid titles like Deathloop. The FPS (developed by Arkane) that create a grappling loop through great storytelling. The story takes place in the form of a puzzle with gunplay, stealth, skills and gadgets that offer players an outstanding experience.

It Takes Two is the confirmation of Josef Fares as a top-tier developer (despite A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons were very notable works), showing how an indie title (despite being under the umbrella of EA) can contest the GOTY. Its witty and hilarious script and well-implemented original gameplay mechanics make the game feel fresh. Additionally, the game is enhanced by the use of a co-op mechanic, which is often forgotten in this industry.

Metroid Dread created by Spanish developer Mercury Steam is a perfect example of how to bring back a Metroid 2D side-scrolling game. It's done so skillfully to remind the game industry why the Metroidvania subgenre got an origin in this franchise.

Double Fine is one of those unique developer studios that deserve this kind of recognition after creating Psychonauts 2. A stylish, recognizable, and brilliantly designed unique game that came out of the mind of the master Tim Schafer. The game feels like playing a classic platform-adventure title but with a quirky style thanks to its psychic-themed world.

Talking about Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart means talking about how Insomniac Games is a studio able to develop rock-solid games. The title, one of the few PS5 exclusives during 2021, is the perfect example of how to continue a well-established franchise, but by polishing and enhancing all its elements. Visually it is one of those games where users can't stop looking at every detail and particle on the screen.

Resident Evil Village completes the podium of contenders to the GOTY 2021. The last installment on the famous zombie franchise was well received despite the fact that the developers decided to change the elements that worked so well in the two most successful recent titles of the series, Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 2 Remake (the horror and the survival horror atmospheres). They put faith in new elements like the inclusion of werewolves and made the shift towards a more action-oriented game. Village still has great features such as the whole design of Castle Dimitrescu.

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

Best Ongoing

  • Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
  • Call of Duty: Warzone (Infinity Ward/Raven/Activision)
  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (SQUARE ENIX)
  • Fortnite (Epic Games)
  • Genshin Impact (MiHoYo)

Best Indie

  • 12 Minutes (Luis Antonio/Annapurna Interactive)
  • Death's Door (Acid Nerve/Devolver Digital)
  • Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
  • Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver Digital)
  • Loop Hero (Four Quarters/Devolver Digital)

Best Debut Indie

  • Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
  • Sable (Shedworks/Raw Fury)
  • The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna)
  • The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller/Dear Villagers)
  • Valheim (Iron Gate/Coffee Stain)

Best Narrative

  • Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
  • It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
  • Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine/SQUARE ENIX)
  • Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal/SQUARE ENIX)
  • Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)

Best Art Direction

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

Best Score and Music

  • Cyberpunk 2077 (Marcin Przybylowicz, Piotr T. Adamczyk, Composers)
  • Deathloop (Tom Salta, Composer)
  • NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 (Keiichi Okabe, Composer)
  • Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Richard Jacques, Composer)
  • The Artful Escape (Johnny Galvatron & Josh Abrahams, Composers)

Best Audio Design

  • Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
  • Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios)
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
  • Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
  • Returnal (Housemarque/SIE)

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 (GoodbyeWorld Games/Skybound Games)
  • Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)
  • Chicory (Greg Lobanow, Alexis dean-Jones, Lena Raine, Madeline Berger, A Shell in the Pit/Finji)
  • Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine/SQUARE ENIX)
  • No Longer Home (Humble Grove, Hana Lee, Cel Davison, Adrienne Lombardo, Eli Rainsberry/Fellow Traveler)

Best Community Support

  • Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
  • Destiny 2 (Bungie)
  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (SQUARE ENIX)
  • Fortnite (Epic Games)
  • No Man's Sky (Hello Games)

Best Mobile Game, Presented by Verizon

  • Fantasian (Mistwalker)
  • Genshin Impact (MiHoYo)
  • League of Legends: Wild Rift (Riot Games)
  • MARVEL Future Revolution (Netmarble)
  • Pokemon Unite (TiMi Studios/The Pokemon Company)

Best VR/AR

  • Hitman 3 (IO Interactive)
  • I Expect You To Die 2 (Schell Games)
  • Lone Echo II (Ready at Dawn/Oculus Studios)
  • Resident Evil 4 (Armature Studio/Capcom/Oculus Studios)
  • Sniper Elite VR (Coatsink/Just Add Water/Rebellion Developments)

Best Action

  • Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock/WB Games)
  • Chivalry II (Torn Banner Studios/Tripwire Interactive)
  • Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
  • Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft)
  • Returnal (Housemarque/SIE)

Best Action/Adventure

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

Best Role Playing

  • Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)
  • Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
  • Scarlet Nexus (Bandai Namco)
  • Shin Megami Tensei V (Atlus/Sega)
  • Tales of Arise (Bandai Namco)

Best Fighting

  • Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles (CyberConnect2/Sega)
  • Guilty Gear -Strive- (Arc System Works)
  • Melty Blood: Type Lumina (French-Bread/Delightworks)
  • Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (Ludosity/Fair Play Labs/GameMill)
  • Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (Sega)

Best Family

  • It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
  • Mario Party Superstars (NDcube/Nintendo)
  • New Pokémon Snap (Bandai Namco/The Pokémon Company/Nintendo)
  • Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Nintendo)
  • WarioWare: Get It Together! (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)

Best Sports/Racing

  • F1 2021 (Codemasters/EA Sports)
  • FIFA 22 (EA Vancouver/EA Sports)
  • Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios)
  • Hot Wheels Unleashed (Milestone)
  • Riders Republic (Ubisoft Annecy/Ubisoft)

Best Sim/Strategy

  • Age of Empires IV (Relic Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
  • Evil Genius 2: World Domination (Rebellion Developments)
  • Humankind (Amplitude Studios/Sega)
  • Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver)
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio/Xbox Game Studios)

Best Multiplayer

  • Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock/WB Games)
  • It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
  • Knockout City (Velan Studios/EA)
  • Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
  • New World (Amazon Games)
  • Valheim (Iron Gate Studio/Coffee Stain)

Most Anticipated, Presented by Prime Gaming

  • Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
  • God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
  • Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)
  • Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
  • Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)

Innovation in Accessibility, Presented by Chevrolet

  • Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft)
  • Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios)
  • Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal/SQUARE ENIX)
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
  • The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Creative Bytes Studios/Falling Squirrel)

Content Creator of the Year

  • Dream
  • Fuslie
  • Gaules
  • Ibai
  • TheGrefg

Best Esports Game, Presented by Grubhub

  • Call of Duty (Activision)
  • CS:GO (Valve)
  • DOTA2 (Valve)
  • League of Legends (Riot Games)
  • Valorant (Riot Games)

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