The Game Awards Winners: See Who Won in the Big Categories!

Posted on by Nox

The Game Awards show is finally over and we’ve got our final list of winners! Winners are highlighted in bold. There were a lot of world premiere surprises sprinkled throughout the show, so make sure to check our other articles and see what’s coming to gaming in 2023!

Here’s the winners announced during the pre-show ceremony.

Best Performance

Awarded for an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.

  • Ashly Burch (Horizon Forbidden West)
  • Charlotte McBurney (A Plague Tale: Requiem)
  • Christopher Judge (God of War Ragnarok)
  • Manon Gage (Immortality)
  • Sunny Suljic (God of War Ragnarok)
christopher judge
Christopher Judge hugging yes, Al Pacino, while receiving the Best Performance awards for playing Kratos. May now be recognized more for being Kratos than being in Stargate for more than ten years!

Interlude: Modern Messiah Hozier Sings His God of War Song

hozier and bear mccreary
Bear McCreary on the left.
hozier in mist

Best Debut Indie

For the best debut game created by a new independent studio.

  • Neon White
  • Norco
  • Stray
  • Tunic
  • Vampire Survivors

Stray, the adorable cat simulator, has won best debut indie! If you haven’t played it yet, there’s no excuse not to anymore! Check out our review of it to get a taste of what to expect.

stray
The heroes responsible for raising cat awareness.

Best Adaptation

Recognizing outstanding creative work that faithfully and authentically adapts a video game to another entertainment medium.

  • Arcane: League of Legends
  • Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
  • The Cuphead Show!
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Uncharted
arcane
Alex Yee, co-creator of Arcane, watchable on Netflix.

Best Narrative

For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Immortality
god of war ragnarok narrative winner
Matt Sophos, emotionally accepting the award on behalf of Sony Santa Monica.

Quickfire Round

These awards were presented in quick succession, without awards being handed on camera.

Best Art Direction

For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.

  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Scorn
  • Stray

Best VR/AR Game

For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.

  • After the Fall
  • Among Us VR
  • Bonelab
  • Moss: Book II
  • Red Matter II

Best Sim/Strategy Game

Best game focused on real time or turn-based simulation or strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform.

  • Dune: Spice Wars
  • Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
  • Total War: Warhammer III
  • Two Point Campus
  • Victoria III

Best Community Support

Recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency and responsiveness, inclusive of social media activity and game updates/patches.

  • Apex Legends
  • Destiny 2
  • Final Fantasy XIV
  • Fortnite
  • No Man’s Sky

Games for Impact Award

For a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message.

  • A Memoir Blue
  • As Dusk Falls
  • Citizen Sleeper
  • Endling – Extinction is Forever
  • Hindsight
  • I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
as dusk falls games for impact winner
Caroline Marchal accepting the award for As Dusk Falls.

Quickfire Round 2

Another round of quick awards given out without someone picking them up.

Best Sports / Racing Game

For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.

  • F1 22
  • FIFA 23
  • NBA 2K23
  • Gran Turismo 7
  • Olliolli World

Best Multiplayer Game

For outstanding multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre or platform.

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
  • Multiversus
  • Overwatch 2
  • Splatoon 3
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Best Audio Design

Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Gran Turismo 7
  • Horizon Forbidden West

Content Creator of the Year

For a streamer or content creator who has made an important and positive impact on the community in 2022.

  • Karl Jacobs
  • Ludwig
  • Nibellion
  • Nobru
  • Qtcinderella

Most Anticipated Game, A.K.A. The Game With The Best Marketing

Recognizing an announced game that has demonstrably illustrated potential to push the gaming medium forward.

  • Final Fantasy XVI
  • Hogwarts Legacy
  • Resident Evil 4
  • Starfield
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Action Game

For the best game in the action genre focused primarily on combat.

  • Bayonetta 3
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
  • Neon White
  • Sifu
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
bayonetta
The studio’s in for a surprise when they wake up tomorrow!

Best Score & Music

For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Metal: Hellsinger
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3
bear mccreary
Bear McCreary, who we saw jamming with Hozier earlier, claiming the award for his bopping soundtrack.

Innovation & Accessibility

Recognizing software and/or hardware that is pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology and content to help games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience.

  • As Dusk Falls
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Return to Monkey Island
  • The Last of Us Part I
  • The Quarry
mila pavlin
Mila Pavlin accepting the award for Sony Santa Monica.

Quickfire Round 3

Best Role Playing Game

For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences.

  • Elden Ring
  • Live a Live
  • Pokemon Legends: Arceus
  • Triangle Strategy
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Players Voice Award

Players voted for Genshin Impact to win! This category was made up of 100% fan votes.

Best Independent Game

For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publishing system.

  • Cult of the Lamb
  • Neon White
  • Sifu
  • Stray
  • Tunic

Best Action/Adventure Game

For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Stray
  • Tunic

Best Ongoing Game

Awarded to a game for outstanding development of outgoing content that evolves the player experience over time.

  • Apex Legends
  • Destiny 2
  • Final Fantasy XIV
  • Fortnite
  • Genshin Impact

Best Game Direction

Awarded for outstanding creative vision and in game direction and design.

  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Immortality
  • Stray
Hidetaka Miyasaki (left) receiving the award. The second biggest award of the night, emotions all around.

Game of the Year (The Big One!)

Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Stray
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Congratulations to the entire Elden Ring team! Deserved!

That’s all from The Game Awards this year, folks! Hopefully some of your favorites won, and if not, we’re sorry to hear it! Make sure to check out all our other articles if you haven’t watched the event and wish to be treated to a juicy amount of CGI, or watch them again to pause and relish in every frame!