The nominees for the 2021 Annual Game Developers Choice Awards were announced today. They include huge hitters like The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, and more.
The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Half-Life: Alyx were all nominated for Game of the Year. The Last of Us Part 2, Hades, and Ghost of Tsushima, are all tied for the most nominations this year, with six each.
The GDCAs will be available to stream on July 21 at 4:30 PM PST for any Game Developers Conference 2021 pass-holders. GDC, now in its 35th year, is all-digital for a second year in a row from July 19 – 23. The 2020 Game Developers Conference was one of last year’s first games industry events to be canceled due to concerns regarding COVID-19, with most companies pulling their participation.
Any game released in 2020, regardless of platform or medium, was eligible for nomination this year, which is why you’ll see Kentucky Route Zero (which started in early 2013) nominated for 2020’s best narrative. Nominees and winners are chosen by the International Choice Awards Network, a group of game developers from various parts of the industry.
Read on for nominees for other categories.
BEST AUDIO
Hades (Supergiant Games)
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Doom Eternal (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Square Enix)
Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
BEST DEBUT
Phasmophobia (Kinetic Games)
Umurangi Generation (Origame Digital / Playism, Origame Digital)
Carrion (Phobia Game Studio / Devolver Digital)
Mortal Shell (Cold Symmetry / Playstack)
Raji: An Ancient Epic (Nodding Heads Games / Super!Com)
BEST DESIGN
Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Hades (Supergiant Games)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo EPD/ Nintendo)
Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)
INNOVATION AWARD
Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios)
Dreams (Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (Mediatonic / Devolver Digital)
Hades (Supergiant Games)
BEST MOBILE GAME
The Pathless (Giant Squid / Annapurna Interactive)
Genshin Impact (miHoYo)
Legends of Runeterra (Riot Games)
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (ustwo / PID Publishing)
If Found… (Dreamfeel / Annapurna Interactive)
BEST NARRATIVE
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (Cardboard Computer / Annapurna Interactive)
Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Square Enix)
Hades (Supergiant Games)
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
BEST TECHNOLOGY
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)
Dreams (Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios)
BEST VISUAL ART
Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Hades (Supergiant Games)
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios / iam8bit)
Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
BEST VR/AR GAME
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (Skydance Interactive)
Paper Beast (Pixel Reef)
Dreams (Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)
Star Wars: Squadrons (Motive Studios / Electronic Arts)
GAME OF THE YEAR
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo EPD/ Nintendo)
The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)
Hades (Supergiant Games)
Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and boy does he miss GDC. Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/ghost-of-tsushima-hades-and-the-last-of-us-part-2-lead-game-developers-choice-nominations
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