The Game Awards 2024 nominations are here, showcasing the best games of the year. Leading the pack with seven nominations each are Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, followed closely by Metaphor: ReFantazio with six. This year’s nominations have sparked plenty of discussion, especially surrounding the inclusion of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree in the Game of the Year (GOTY) category.
The inclusion of an expansion like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has stirred debates within the gaming community. According to The Game Awards’ official criteria, expansions, DLCs, remakes, and remasters qualify if their new content is deemed significant in creativity and technical achievement.
Key Highlights from the Nominations
- Top Nominees: Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth led with seven nominations each.
- Indian Recognition: Popular Indian YouTuber Techno Gamerz made history by securing a nomination for Content Creator of the Year.
- Publisher Standout: PlayStation emerged as the most recognized publisher, racking up 16 nominations across various categories.
- Surprise Omission: Dragon Age: The Veilguard received only a single nomination for Innovation in Accessibility, despite high expectations and its predecessor’s success as GOTY in 2014.
The Game Awards 2024: All Nominations
Game of the Year Contenders
As expected, the GOTY lineup features a mix of critical and commercial successes:
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Game Direction
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Narrative
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantanzio
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Silent Hill 2
Best Art Direction
- Astro Bot
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Neva
Best Score and Music
- Astro Bot
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Silent Hill 2
- Stellar Blade
Best Audio Design
- Astro Bot
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Silent Hill 2
Best Performance
- Hannah Telle, Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Briana White, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Humberly González, Star Wars Outlaws
- Luke Roberts, Silent Hill 2
- Melina Juergens, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Innovation in Accessibility
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Diablo IV
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Star Wars Outlaws
Games for Impact
- Closer the Distance
- Indika
- Neva
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Best Ongoing Game
- Destiny 2
- Diablo IV
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
Best Community Support
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Independent Game
- Animal Well
- Balatro
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Neva
- UFO 50
Best Debut Indie Game
- Balatro
- Animal Well
- Manor Lords
- Pacific Drive
- The Plucky Squire
Best Mobile Game
- AFK Journey
- Balatro
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
- Wuthering Waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
Best VR/AR Game
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Asgard’s Wrath 2
- Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Metal: Hellsinger VR
- Metro Awakening
Best Action Game
- Black Myth: Wukong Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Stellar Blade
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Action/Adventure Game
- ASTRO BOT
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Silent Hill 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best RPG
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Fighting Game
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (Arc System Works/Cygames)
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO (Spike Chunsoft/Bandai Namco)
- Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (Capcom)
- MultiVersus (Player First Games/WB Games)
- Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco)
Best Family Game
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Astro Bot
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The Plucky Squire
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Frostpunk 2 (11 Bit Studios)
- Age of Mythology: Retold (World’s Edge/Forgotten Empires/Xbox Game Studios)
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (Capcom)
- Manor Lords (Slavic Magic/Hooded Horse)
- Unicorn Overlord (Vanillaware/Sega/Atlus)
Best Sports/Racing Game
- F1 24
- EA Sports FC 25
- NBA 2K25
- Top Spin 2K25
- WWE 2K24
Best Multiplayer Game
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- Tekken 8
- Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
Best Adaptation
- Arcane
- Fallout
- Knuckles
- Like a Dragon: Yakuza
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Most Anticipated Game
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Content Creator of the Year
- CaseOh
- IlloJuan
- Techno Gamerz
- TypicalGamer
- Usada Pekora
Best Esports Game
- DOTA 2
- Counter-Strike 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- 33 – Neta Shapira
- Aleksib – Aleksi Virolainen
- Chovy – Jeong Ji-hoon
- Faker – Lee Sang-hyeok
- ZyWoO – Mathieu Herbaut
- ZmjjKk – Zheng Yongkang
Best Esports Team
- Bilibili Gaming (League of Legends)
- Gen.G (League of Legends)
- NAVI (Counter-Strike)
- T1 (League of Legends)
- Team Liquid (DOTA 2)
When and Where to Watch The Game Awards 2024?
The Game Awards 2024 ceremony will be held on December 12, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube, TikTok, and the official social media handles of The Game Awards.
Also Read: PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for December 2024 Announced with Additional Bonuses
