The Game Awards 2024!
The Game Awards celebrated their 10th Anniversary show on December 12th with a night packed full of previews, live performances, first looks, special guests, and noticeably fewer Ads! The consensus is that Geoff heard the comments from the community and made some real and noticeable improvements to the flow and content within the show, in contrast to last year. Winners got longer than 6 seconds for their speeches and ad quantity was much more reasonable. It’s not every day that someone in the industry takes comments to heart like this, and it means a lot that Geoff is still listening. Overall, it was a spectacular show with many notable moments. I did my best to recap the show below, but it is difficult to recap 3.5 hours of important content, so let me know if I’ve missed anything!
Major Award Winners
Game of the Year: Astro Bot emerged as the top title, standing out among nominees such as Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Best Game Direction: Astro Bot also secured this award, highlighting its exceptional creative vision and innovation.
Best Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio was recognized for its compelling storytelling, surpassing titles like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
Best Art Direction: Metaphor: ReFantazio received this accolade for its outstanding visual design.
Best Sim/ Strategy: Frostpunk 2 was recognized for its gritty and intense sequel that had many years of hard work in the making.
Best Score and Music: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth captivated audiences with its exceptional soundtrack, earning it the award in this category.
Best Audio Design: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II was honored for its immersive audio experience.
Best Performance: Melina Juergens was recognized for her portrayal of Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
Best Independent Game: Balatro stood out in the indie scene, showcasing creativity and innovation.
Best Ongoing Game: Helldivers 2 was celebrated for its sustained excellence and community engagement.
Best Mobile Game: Balatro also won this award, highlighting its success across platforms.
Notable Announcements and Trailers
Shadow Labyrinth: Starting off strong with some dark, creepy visuals, this reveal trailer confused me a bit with the Pac-Man elements. Is this part of some lore I haven’t heard of? Where are the ghosts? I think it could still turn out cool, but I would like to see a bit more obvious homage to the original game if they’re using the IP anyway.
Tales of The Shire: This one has a release date reveal of March 25th, 2025. Instead of the broody and dark LOTR vibes, this one seems to be focused on the cheery, cottagecore elements.
Elden Ring: Nightreign: FromSoftware announced a co-op multiplayer spinoff, expanding the Elden Ring universe with a release planned for 2025. If you’d like to read more about this, check out Morzey’s take on it!
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for PC: Square Enix announced the PC release of the anticipated title, scheduled for January 2025.
Midnight Murder Club: Armed with nothing but flashlights and a weapon, what could go wrong?! This one looks like a great time with friends. There’s a crossplay beta going on now if you want to try it out!
Outer Worlds 2: Featuring a little tongue-in-cheek humor to acknowledge the shortcomings of the first game, Obsidian promises the sequel to Outer Worlds will have everything the first was missing.
Split Fiction: Hazelight Studios, known for It Takes Two, revealed their new game, continuing their tradition of innovative co-op experiences. It looks as jubilant and inventive as their first game, I only hope I can get past the emotional damage of the elephant scene before this next one comes out.
Rematch: Sloclap, the studio behind Sifu, are bringing you something entirely different! I played soccer growing up, so I’ll admit I’m pretty excited about this one. The art style looks beautiful, even if the breathing sounds is pretty distracting. Maybe there’s a chance that doesn’t make it into the game?
The Witcher 4: CD Projekt Red revealed the next installment in the series, featuring a rugged and older Ciri as the new protagonist, with an impressive six-minute trailer.
Virtua Fighter 6: Sega announced the return of the iconic fighting series, exciting fans of the genre.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword: Set in the early Edo period, this new installment is slated for a 2026 release, reviving the classic series.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet: Naughty Dog unveiled this sci-fi epic set in a distant future, marking a new direction for the studio. Robots, cool energy sword weapons, vaporwave elements, and space!? Sign me up!
Okami Sequel: Capcom confirmed a sequel to the beloved classic, with Hideki Kamiya returning to the project.
Borderlands 4: Gearbox Software introduced the next entry in the franchise, featuring a new villain, The Timekeeper, and a 2025 release window.
Project Robot: Again, give me robots or mechs and I’m happy. This announcement trailer leaves us with more questions than answers, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye on this one.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds: Sega introduced a new racing game featuring the iconic blue hedgehog, aiming to deliver high-speed action.
The Hunt: Showdown: Post Malone's Murder Circus: Gamers have the chance to play as Post Malone himself as he takes down clowns in this in-game event going until February 10, 2024.
Steelhunters: The maps look beautiful, the voice acting is sublime, and the gameplay looks promising! Join the playtest to test it out for yourself.
The Long Dark 2: This sequel has a gorgeous art style. The trailer was pretty short, but enough to reel me in!
Mafia: The Old Country: 2K gave us a longer trailer look at their next Mafia game in 1900s Sicily, exploring the origins of organized crime, with a summer 2025 launch. There’s still no gameplay, but the trailers continue to intrigue.
Turok: Origins: Saber Interactive is bringing back the dinosaur-hunting series, reimagined for modern audiences.
Helldivers 2: A massive update was launched with a trailer introduced by the same actor from the opening credits all decked out in the Helldiver’s uniform.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound: Developed by The Game Kitchen, this new entry promises intense action and is set for a summer 2025 release.
Tekken 8 Fighter Crossover: A new fighter from Final Fantasy 16 is joining the roster, adding excitement to the fighting game community.
Slay the Spire 2: The sequel to the beloved deck-building roguelike was officially announced. It promises deeper strategic gameplay, and a wealth of new cards, characters, and mechanics while maintaining the essence that made the first game a phenomenon
Warframe 1999: A trailer announced the new Warframe update featuring a time-traveling rescue mission.
Moments to Mention
Amir Satvat: In a bold and unexpected move, Geoff addressed the layoffs the gaming industry has seen in the last year or so. He made a special effort to highlight the incredible efforts of Amir Satvat, who has dedicated an incredible amount of his time to connecting laid-off industry professionals with open jobs. He has connected nearly 3,000 professionals to jobs within the industry and continues to do so while maintaining full-time employment. For his hard work and dedication, he earned the first “Game Changers” award.
Pedro Eustache deserves a shout-out for once again being an incredible live performer. He plays the heck out of that flute and always makes me smile when the camera pans over to him -something that has become a bit of an unspoken tradition throughout the years.
Swen Vinke gave a poignant speech before announcing the GOTY award. He started things off with a joke about cashing in previous credits from last year, a quick joke that we can probably agree he deserved. He then introduced the winner by adding that they followed a formula that produces great games without compromising integrity. The formula, he says, is to make a game that the developers themselves want to play, and make it something that hasn’t been done before. When a studio truly cares about and respects developers and players and only adds things that benefit game design by saying goodbye to politics and shareholders, that is when magic happens.
Musical Performances
Music was a key highlight of the evening, featuring breathtaking live performances:
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra: The orchestra delivered a stunning rendition of iconic tracks, setting the mood for the unveiling of the game’s PC release date.
Surprise Collaboration: Imagine Dragons and Hans Zimmer teamed up for an exclusive performance of a track from Elden Ring: Nightreign, receiving a standing ovation.
Arcane: League of Legends: Twenty One Pilots, D4VD, and Royal & The Serpent Perform music from this groundbreaking show.
Community Spotlight
The Game Awards celebrated the gaming community by spotlighting content creators, esports athletes, and community-driven initiatives:
Content Creator of the Year: Valkyrae took home the award for her positive impact on the gaming community through charity streams and advocacy for mental health awareness.
Esports Honors:
Best Esports Athlete: Faker (League of Legends)
Best Esports Team: Dallas Fuel (Overwatch 2)
Best Esports Game: Valorant
Players' Voice Award: Voted entirely by fans, Baldur’s Gate 3 was celebrated for its immersive storytelling and commitment to player choice.
Closing Thoughts
The Game Awards 2024 exemplified the vibrancy and creativity of the gaming industry, blending recognition of past achievements with excitement for future possibilities. From emotional tributes to groundbreaking reveals, the event captured the essence of why gaming continues to be a powerful medium despite the turmoil the industry has been experiencing in the past few years. As the curtain fell, the industry and fans alike looked forward to a promising 2025, inspired by the innovation, passion, and artistry showcased during this unforgettable celebration.
What was your favorite moment from the show?
