The Game Awards 2020 streamed online this year on December 10, 2020, due to the pandemic. Receiving 84% more livestreams than last year’s awards, the Game Awards reported a “new global record with more than 83 million livestreams….” The awards show boasted appearances from celebrities such as Keanu Reeves, Christopher Nolan, Gal Gadot, Tom Holland, Brie Larson, The Muppets, Nolan North, Troy Baker, among others. There were also performances from Eddie Vedder and the London Philharmonic with conductor Lorne Balfe. Without further ado, lets breakdown the nominees and winners of Game Awards 2020!
Game Awards 2020 Game of the Year
The coveted “Game of the Year” award went to The Last of Us Part II, beating out Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and Hades.
Game Direction
The winner for “Game Direction” was The Last of Us Part II, beating out Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, and Half-Life Alyx.
Most Anticipated Game
The “Most Anticipated Game” winner is Elden Ring, which beat out Halo Infinite, Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Sequel, Resident Evil Village, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel.
Narrative
The best “Narrative” went to The Last of Us Part II (am I sounding like a broken record yet?), beating out 13 Sentinals: Aegis Rim, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and Hades.
Art Direction
Finally breaking the trend, Ghost of Tsushima took the “Art Direction” award, beating out Final Fantasy VII Remake, Hades, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and The Last of Us Part II.
Score and Music
“Score and Music” was won by Final Fantasy VII Remake, triumphing over Doom Eternal, Hades, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and The Last of Us Part II.
Audio Design
Winning “Audio Design” is The Last of Us Part II, earning this award over Doom Eternal, Half-Life Alyx, Ghost of Tsushima, and Resident Evil 3.
Performance
The best voice acting performance went to Laura Bailey as Abby in The Last of Us Part II. She won for her role over Ashley Johnson as Ellie in The Last of Us Part II, Daisuke Tsuji as Jin in Ghost of Tsushima, Logan Cunningham as Hades in (surprise surprise) Hades, and Nadji Jeterm as Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
Games for Impact winner
The “Games for Impact” category, which the Game Awards site describes as “a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message,” was won by Tell me why. This game beat out If Found…, Kentucky Route Zero, Spiritfarer, and Through the Darkest of Times. Tell Me Why is an interactive narrative that takes place over the course of three playable chapters as the players make choices in the lives of twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan after they are reunited in the search for their mother. Notably, this is the first game from a mainstream studio that gives players a transgender protagonist. In response, game director Florent Guillaume is quoted as saying: “This ‘Games for Impact’ award resonates strongly with the ongoing commitment of all the game’s teams, and DONTNOD in general, in the creation of original stories. This award symbolizes a true recognition of the importance of representativity in video games.”
Ongoing Game
The winner for best “Ongoing Game” is No Man’s Sky, which originally released in 2016. The game beat out Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Fortnite.
Indie Game
The winner of “Indie Game” is Hades, which beat out Carrion, Fall Guys, Spelunky 2, and Spiritfarer.
Mobile Game
Best “Mobile Game” went to Among Us, a game that has skyrocketed in popularity this year during the pandemic, beating out Call of Duty Mobile, Genshin Impact, Legends of Runeterra, and Pokemon Cafe Mix.
Community Support
The “Community Support” award, according to the Game Awards website, recognizes “a game for outstanding community support, transparency and responsiveness, inclusive of social media activity and game updates/patches.” This award went to Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. This game, like Among Us, has been a popular choice for gamers during the pandemic. It beat out Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Fortnite, No Man’s Sky, and Valorant.
VR/AR
The “VR/AR” game category went to Half-Life Alyx, beating out Dreams, Marvel’s Iron Man VR, Star Wars: Squadrons, and The Walking Dead: Saint’s & Sinners.
Innovation in Accessibility
A new category this year, echoing the strides being made in inclusivity from the first annual Video Game Accessibility Awards, this award on the website recognizes “software and/or hardware that is pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology and content to help games be played and enjoy by an even wider audience.” In yet another win, The Last of Us Part II takes this category over Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Grounded, Hyperdot, and Watch Dogs Legion.
Action Game
The best “Action Game” goes to Hades, beating out Doom Eternal, Half-Life: Alyx, Nioh 2, and Streets of Rage 4.
Action/Adventure Game
The best “Action/Adventure Game” goes to The Last of Us Part II, which won over Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
RPG
The best “RPG” video game goes to Final Fantasy VII Remake, winning out over Genshin Impact, Persona 5 Royal, Wasteland 3, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Fighting Game
The best “Fighting Game” category went to Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate over Grandblue Fantasy: Versus, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, OnePunch Man: Hero Nobody Knows, and Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late(CL-R).
Family Game
In best “Family Game,” the winner is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which beat out Crash Bandicoot 5: It’s About Time, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Minecraft Dungeons, and Paper Mario: The Origami King.
SIM/Strategy Game
The best “SIM/Strategy” game award goes to Microsoft Flight Simulator, beating out Crusader Kings III, Desperados III, Gears Tactics, and XCOM: Chimera Squad.
Sports/Racing Game
The best “Sports/Racing Game” was earned by Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 over Dirt 5, F1 2020, FIFA 21, and NBA 2K21.
Multiplayer Game
Lastly, the best “Multiplayer Game” was won by a game from 2016: Among Us! This game beat out Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Warzone, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, and Valorant.
Other Announcements
In addition to the rewards, there were some surprise announcements at the Game Awards 2020. Sephiroth was announced as the latest DLC character for Smash Ultimate. Season 3 of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout was announced, which began on December 15th and features winter-themed games, costumes, emotes, and more. The Among Us is getting multiple updates, including a new map called The Airship, new kill animations, new spawn points, and a Geoff Keighley-inspired mask. Fortnite Season 5 was also discussed, which will be introducing three new fan-favorite characters to the game, Master Chief from Halo as well as Daryl Dixon and Michonne from The Walking Dead. There will also be a Capture the Flag mode on a Halo-inspired map. Many other games were also announced and shown, but that’s a breakdown for another article!
Which games do you think were robbed this year at the awards? Let us know in the comments below.
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