The Game Awards are far from being the only outlet for seeing the best games of the year get their due, but it is by far the most prestigious. It’s also an outlet for showing off new footage of highly anticipated games, as well as the few world exclusive looks at brand new never before seen future releases.
Hosted by gaming industry vet, Geoff Keighley, as well as performances and appearances by some very well known celebrities and gaming professionals, the Game Awards have pretty much become the gaming equivalent of the Oscars, an award show that grants fairly significant weight when it comes to the marketing of each winner going forward.
This year has sparked some controversy with Death Stranding, a game developed by Hideo Kojima, a personal friend of Keighley, and despite the nominees and winners not being chosen by the man himself, it still has painted a very awkward light on the award show this year.
Regardless of how you feel about the show, its importance, and the credibility of Keighley himself, the massive recognition this show places on gaming cannot be understated.
Now, without any more of my bullshit, here are your winners, highlighted in BOLD.
Enjoy.
Game of The Year
Control (Remedy/505 Games)
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai-Namco/Sora/Nintendo)
Resident Evil 2 (Capcom/Capcom)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision) - Winner
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)
Best Game Direction
Control (Remedy/505 Games)
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE) - Winner
Resident Evil 2 (Capcom/Capcom)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital/Annapurna)
Best Narrative
A Plague Tale: Innocence (Asobo/Focus Home)
Control (Remedy/505)
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Disco Elysium (ZA/UM) - Winner
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)
Best Art Direction
Control (Remedy/505) - Winner
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Gris (Nomada Studio/Devolver)
Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo)
Player's Voice
Death Stranding
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Winner
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Best Performance
Ashly Burch as Parvati Holcomb, The Outer Worlds
Courtney Hope as Jesse Faden, Control
Laura Bailey as Kait Diaz, Gears 5
Mads Mikkelsen as Cliff, Death Stranding - Winner
Matthew Porretta as Dr. Casper Darling, Control
Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, Death Stranding
Best Ongoing Game
Apex Legends (Respawn)
Destiny 2 (Bungie)
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games) - Winner
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Best Score/Music
Cadence of Hyrule (Brace Yourself Games/Nintendo)
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE) - Winner
Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom)
Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
Best Audio Design
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision) - Winner
Control (Remedy/505)
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Gears 5 (The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios)
Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
Games for Impact
Concrete Genie (Pixelopus/SIE)
Gris (Nomada Studio/Devolver) - Winner
Kind Words (Popcannibal)
Life is Strange 2 (Dontnod/Square Enix)
Sea of Solitude (Jo-Mei Games/EA)
Best Independent Game
Baba Is You (Hempuli)
Disco Elysium (ZA/UM) - Winner
Katana ZERO (Askiisoft/Devoler)
Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital/Annapurna)
Untitled Goose Game (House House/Panic)
Best Mobile Game
Call of Duty: Mobile (TiMi Studios/Activision) - Winner
GRINDSTONE (Capybara Games)
Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
Sky: Children of Light (Thatgamecompany)
What the Golf? (Tribland)
Best Community Support
Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
Destiny 2 (Bungie) - Winner
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Best VR/AR Game
Asgard’s Wrath (Sanzaru Games/Oculus Studios)
Blood & Truth (SIE London Studio/SIE)
Beat Saber (Beat Games) - Winner
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
Trover Saves the Universe (Squanch Games)
Best Action Game
Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
Astral Chain (Platinum Games/Nintendo)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom/Capcom) - Winner
Gears 5 (The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios)
Metro Exodus (4A Games/Deep Silver)
Best Action/Adventure Game
Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K)
Control (Remedy/505 Games)
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision) - Winner
Best RPG
Disco Elysium (ZA/UM) - Winner
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Capcom)
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)
Best Fighting Game
Dead or Alive 6 (Team Ninja/Koei Tecmo)
Jump Force (Spike Chunsoft/Bandai Namco)
Mortal Kombat 11 (NetherRealm/WBIE)
Samurai Showdown (SNK/Athlon)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco/Sora/Nintendo) - Winner
Best Family Game
Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games/Nintendo) - Winner
Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Super Mario Maker 2 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco/Sora/Nintendo)
Yoshi’s Crafted World (Good-Feel/Nintendo)
Best Strategy Game
Age of Wonders: Planetfall (Triumph Studios/Paradox)
Anno 1800 (Blue Byte/Ubisoft)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems/Koei Tecmo/Nintendo) - Winner
Total War: Three Kingdoms (Creative Assembly/Sega)
Tropico 6 (Limbic Entertainment/Kalypso Media)
Wargroove (Chucklefish)
Best Sports/Racing Game
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Beenox/Activision) - Winner
DiRT Rally 2.0 (Codemasters)
eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 (PES Productions/Konami)
F1 2019 (Codemasters)
FIFA 20 (EA Sports)
Best Multiplayer Game
Apex Legends (Respawn/EA) - Winner
Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
Tetris 99 (Arika/Nintendo)
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)
Fresh Indie Game Developer
ZA/UM (Disco Elysium) - Winner
Nomada Studio (Gris)
DeadToast Entertainment (My Friend Pedro)
Mobius Digital (Outer Wilds)
Mega Crit (Slay the Spire)
House House (Untitled Goose Game)
Community Award
Courage (Jack Dunlop)
Dr. Lupo (Benjamin Lupo)
Ewok (Soleil Wheeler)
Grefg (David Martínez)
Shroud (Michael Grzesiek) - Winner
Best Esports Game
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)
DOTA2 (Valve)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
League of Legends (Riot Games) - Winner
Overwatch (Blizzard)
Best Esports Player
Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf (Immortals, Fortnite) - Winner
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (SK Telecom, League of Legends)
Luka “Perkz” Perkovic (G2 Esports, League of Legends)
Oleksandr “S1mple” Kostyliev (Natus Vincere, CSGO)
Jay “Sinatraa” Won (SF Shock, Overwatch)
Best Esports Team
Astralis (CS:GO)
G2 Esports (LOL) - Winner
OG (DOTA2)
San Francisco Shock (OWL)
Team Liquid (CS:GO)
Best Esports Event
2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals
EVO 2019
Fortnite World Cup
IEM Katowice 2019
League of Legends World Championship 2019 - Winner
The International 2019
Best Esports Coach
Eric “adreN” Hoag (Team Liquid, CS:GO)
Nu-ri “Cain” Jang (Team Liquid, LOL)
Fabian “GrabbZ” Lohmann (G2 Esports, LOL)
Kim “Kkoma” Jeong-gyun (SK Telecom T1, LOL)
Titouan “Sockshka” Merloz (OG, DOTA2)
Danny “Zonic” Sørensen (Astralis, CSGO) - Winner
Best Esports Host
Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere - Winner
Alex “Machine” Richardson
Paul “Redeye” Chaloner
Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
Duan “Candice” Yu-Shuang
Overall, it was a solid showing for the Game Awards, it’s just a shame that many of the awards were given out without any fanfare or any real clear moments, often mentioned over the roar of the crowd cheering on the winners.