After another phenomenal awards ceremony, filled with live performances, and many announcements and premieres, including the first gameplay of Mass Effect Andromeda, new gameplay footage and details of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we finally have the game award winners for 2016.
Overall Inside and Doom were big winners at the event, with Inside taking best Indie Game and Art Direction, while Doom took best Music/Sound and Action. But, it was Overwatch and Blizzard, who would be the biggest winners, with Blizzard taking out best Game Direction, and Overwatch winning the Multiplayer and eSports awards, as well as the tremendous and biggest award, Game of the Year.
Check out the winners below and if you want to know who was nominated for all the categories, check out all the nominated games here.
Game Of The Year
Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
In one of the tightest races in the Game Awards short history, Overwatch came out on top against some incredible games including Doom, Inside, Titanfall 2 and Uncharted 4. Despite the huge lineup of nominees, it was hard not to see Overwatch winning the highest accolade in the industry, as it has been the most talked about, most played and most enjoyed game in 2016. Accumulating one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in games in such short time since its release, Overwatch is truly a deserving winner. Congratulations to Blizzard!
Best Game Direction
Blizzard (Overwatch)
Following CD Projekt RED winning both the best game direction and game of the year in 2015 for The Witcher 3, Blizzard have done the same and taken out best game direction for their game of year, Overwatch.
Best Narrative
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – (Naughty Dog/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Uncharted had to win at least one of the eight awards it was nominated for, and an exceptional winner at that, which we and a majority of the industry, loved to bits. A fantastic way to finish off the Uncharted series, with a special shout out to Amy Hennig from Neil Druckmann for here contributions to the series, during the acceptance speech.
Best Art Direction
Inside (PlayDead)
The highly anticipated follow up to Limbo blew us away, and took away best Art Direction, for one of the most interesting, strange and exceptional experiences in 2016.
Best Music/Sound Design
Doom (id Software/Bethesda)
It was always going to be hard to beat Doom in this category, as one of the biggest praises from reviewers was the sound design and incredible music. And one of the best performances on stage at the awards was with the composer of Doom and a band performing a number from the soundtrack. And, as the kids would say, it was lit!
Best Performance
Nolan North as Nathan Drake, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
A field filled with actors from Uncharted and Firewatch, the legend of voice acting in the video game industry Nolan North, won best performance. After a decade in the industry, Nolan has already done a tremendous amount for the Uncharted series and the industry, and is very deserving of his fantastic performance in one of the games of the year.
Games For Impact Award
That Dragon, Cancer (Numinous Games)
Although we would have loved for Orwell to have won, which was co developed and published by Melbourne based publishing label Surprise Attack Games, That Dragon, Cancer, is one of the most emotional, sad and impactful games, not only of 2016, but of all time. It thoroughly deserved the award and the acceptance speech was as emotional as it gets.
Best Independent Game
Inside (PlayDead)
Along with winning best Art Direction, the incredible Danish developed Inside also took out best Indie in another category filled with incredible nominees.
Best Mobile/Handheld Game
Pokémon Go (Niantic)
After taking the world by storm it was hard not to see Pokémon Go as a front runner in the mobile/handheld category, which was one of the first winners announced at the 2016 Game Awards. With this success, Nintendo are sure to keep pushing their brand to the mobile market and perhaps keep taking this award not just from 3DS games, but for mobile games.
Best VR Game
REZ Infinite (Enhance Games)
For the best game experience playable in virtual reality and winner of the award for the first time, REZ Infinite!
Best Action Game
Doom (id Software/Bethesda)
Featuring some of the most fun and satisfying gameplay of 2016, which we was a highlight for us, Doom is the proud winner of Best Action Game of 2016.
Best Action/Adventure Game
Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
One of the most diverse and broad categories of the awards, featuring Hitman, Hyper Light Drifter, Ratchet and Clank and Uncharted 4. But it was the sequel to one of the best new IPs of 2012, Dishonored 2, which would take the prestigious award, which we saw as a perfect follow up.
Best Role Playing Game
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine (CD Projekt RED)
Beating out Dark Souls 3 and Deus Ex, The Witcher 3 can’t stop winning awards, even over a year after it came out. Albeit for its DLC, Blood and Wine.
Best Fighting Games
Street Fighter V (Capcom)
Despite facing some controversy after releasing this year without key features such as a story mode (which would be later added), Street Fighter V took out best Fighter.
Best Family Game
Pokémon GO (Niantic)
Niantic’s version of Pokémon took the world by storm, with kids and adults alike out and about catching Pokémon together in what was given the best Family Game of 2016.
Best Strategy Game
Civilisation VI (Firaxis Games/2K)
Firaxis beat out its own game XCOM 2, to take out the best Strategy game of 2016 with Civilisation VI. A strategy game which my friends haven’t stopped talking about since it was announced, and now can’t stop playing.
Best Sports/Racing Game
Forza Horizon 3 (Playground Games/Microsoft Studios)
In a field full of franchises with yearly updates, some of which we loved, others not so much, it was hard not to see Forza Horizon 3 winning, after garnering praise from across the industry and us for one of the best open world racing games ever made.
Best Multiplayer Game
Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
Overwatch, the multiplayer giant of this year, even outshining the historic Battlefield and Call of Duty series, took this one out without a hitch. (Shout out to Overcooked though for one of the best local co-op experiences of 2016!)
Fan Choices
Best eSports Payer
Coldzera – Marcelo David (SK Gaming, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
Presented by sporting legend Michael Phelps, Coldzera of CounterStrike fame won out in a big field.
Best eSports team
Cloud9 with teams in League of Legends, Counter Strike, Call of Duty and many many more games, took out the best eSports team of the year.
Best eSports Game
Overwatch (Blizzard)
Despite facing off against the giants of eSports League of Legends, Dota 2 and Counter Strike, Blizzard were able to beat them all to be crowned not only the best multiplayer game of the year, but best eSports too!
Trending Gamer
For best streamer/influencer/media member in the video game industry, the award went to Boogie, and as Peter Moore of EA said himself who presented the awaed, there isn’t anyone else more deserving of this award in the world.
Best Fan Creation
For best fan-created content, such as MODs, fan films, and other player content the winner was….. huh, they didn’t announce a winner. This follows AM2R and Pokémon URANIUM being removed from the category a few days ago…..
Most Anticipated Game
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
And finally, recognising an upcoming game that has shown significant ambition and promise in moving the gaming medium forward, the winner was the ridiculously hyped and anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
