The Game Awards 2021 announces nominees
The Game Awards 2021 has announced the nominees for this year’s show which will be streaming live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, USA on Dec. 9 with an in-person audience.
Awards founder and host Geoff Keighley announced the nominees today, with Arkane Studios’ first-person action game Deathloop leading the charge with nine nominations, including Game of the Year.
Following closely on Deathloop’s heels was Insomniac Games‘ Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart with six nominations.
According to Keighley, The Game Awards’ 8th annual show will also include world premieres and the return of The Game Awards Orchestra performing live on the Microsoft Theater stage.
More will be revealed in the coming weeks leading up to the show. For now, here are the nominees recognized for their “outstanding creative and technical achievements” in 2021:
Best Game Direction
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Returnal
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Best Narrative
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- 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 & Clank: Rift Apart
Best Score and Music
- The Artful Escape
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Deathloop
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
- Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139
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 Kelley (as Colt Vahn), Deathloop
- Maggie Robertson (as Lady Dimitrescu), Resident Evil Village
- Ozioama Akagha (as Julianna Blake), Deathloop
Games for Impact
- Before Your Eyes
- Boyfriend Dungeon
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- No Longer Home
Best Ongoing Game
- Apex Legends
- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
- Call of Duty: Warzone
Best Indie Game
- 12 Minutes
- Death's Door
- Inscryption
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Loop Hero
Best Mobile Game
- Fantasian
- Genshin Impact
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Marvel Future Revolution
- Pokémon Unite
Best Community Support
- Apex Legends
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy XIV 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 VR/AR Game
- Hitman 3
- I Expect You to Die 2
- Lone Echo II
- Resident Evil 4
- Sniper Elite VR
Best Action Game
- Back 4 Blood
- Chivalry II
- Deathloop
- Far Cry 6
- Returnal
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
- Metroid Dread
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Psychonauts 2
- Resident Evil Village
Best Role Playing Game (RPG)
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Monster Hunter Rise
- Scarlet Nexus
- Shin Megami Tensei V
- Tales of Arise
Best Fighting Game
- 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 Game
- It Takes Two
- Mario Party Superstars
- New Pokémon Snap
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
- WarioWare: Get It Together!
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Age of Empires IV
- Evil Genius 2: World Domination
- Humankind
- Inscryption
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
Best Sports/Racing Game
- F1 2021
- FIFA 22
- Forza Horizon 5
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- Riders Republic
Best Multiplayer Game
- Back 4 Blood
- Knockout City
- It Takes Two
- Monster Hunter Rise
- New World
- Valheim
Content Creator of the Year
- Dream
- Fuslie
- Gaules
- Ibai
- Grefg
Best Debut Indie Game
- The Artful Escape
- The Forgotten City
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Sable
- Valheim
Best Esports Athlete
- Chris "Simp" Lehr
- Heo "ShowMaker" Su
- Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov
- Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev
- Tyson "TenZ" Ngo
Best Esports Team
- Atlanta FaZe
- DWG KIA
- Natus Vincere
- Sentinels
- Team Spirit
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
- The International 2021
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021
- PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020
- Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters
Best Esports Game
- Call of Duty
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Valorant
Most Anticipated Game
- Elden Ring
- God of War: Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- The Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Starfield
Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village