The 2023 Game Awards have come to a conclusion, but not before they gave us a glimpse into a celebration of gaming history and future directions. The Game Awards acknowledged the amazing games and developers of the previous year, of course, but they were also a platform for major announcements and news about forthcoming games.
All of the major winners from the evening will be included in this piece, including the highly sought-after Game of the Year title, which is even more noteworthy given the enormous success of 2023. Even though there were several games this year that might have all been contenders for Game of the Year in previous years, only one was able to take home the title this time, and that game was Baldur’s Gate 3.
In addition to being named Game of the Year and having its Xbox version shadow dropped, Baldur’s Gate 3 also took home awards for Best RPG, Best Multiplayer, Best Community Support, and Player’s Voice. Best Art Direction, Best Story, and Best Game Direction were the next three awards won by Alan Wake 2.
List of the Award Category and Winners
On December 7, the 10th annual Game Awards were broadcast live on over 30 platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, TikTok Live, and X, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. As usual, there were many surprises throughout the ceremony. Sega said that they are reviving classic titles including Crazy Taxi, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, and Shinobi, and EA Originals announced the upcoming Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. The complete list of winners for The Game Awards 2023 can be seen below. Don’t forget to also check out our compilation of all the greatest revelations from The Game Awards.
Game of the Year award
Identifying a video game that offers the finest possible experience in every creative and technological domain.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 Winner
- Spider-Man 2
- Alan Wake 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Best Game Direction
Given in recognition of exceptional creative vision and inventiveness in game design and directing.
- Alan Wake 2 – Winner
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Best Story
For exceptional game narrative creation and storytelling.
- Alan Wake 2 – WINNER
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Final Fantasy 16
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Best Art Direction
For exceptional artistic design and animation accomplishment, either in terms of creativity or technique.
- Alan Wake 2 – WINNER
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Lies of P
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Music
For exceptional music, which may include a licensed soundtrack, an original song, or a score.
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy 16 – Winner
- Hi-Fi Rush
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Audio Design
Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.
- Alan Wake 2
- Dead Space Remake
- Hi-Fi Rush – Winner
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
Best Performance
Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.
- Ben Starr – Final Fantasy 16
- Cameron Monaghan – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Idris Elba – Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Melanie Liburd – Alan Wake 2
- Neil Newbon – Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Yuri Lowenthal – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Games for Impact
For an intellectually stimulating game that conveys a pro-social message.
- A Space for the Unbound
- Chants of Sennaar
- Goodbye Volcano High
- Tchia – Winner
- Terra Nil
- Venba
Best Ongoing Game
Given to a game in recognition of its exceptional continual content creation that enhances the user experience with each passing day.
- Apex Legends
- Cyberpunk 2077 – Winner
- Final Fantasy 14
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
Best Indie Game
For exceptional technical and artistic accomplishment in a game developed outside of the conventional publishing framework.
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Dredge
- Sea of Stars – Winner
- Viewfinder
Best Debut Indie Game
For the best new independent studio’s first game.
- Cocoon – Winner
- Dredge
- Pizza Tower
- Venba
- Viewfinder
Best Mobile Game
For the greatest mobile game available.
- Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis
- Honkai: Star Rail – Winner
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Monster Hunter Now
- Terra Nil
Best Community Support
Honoring a game for exceptional openness, reactivity, and community engagement, including social media activity and patch releases for the game.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy 16
- No Man’s Sky
Best VR/AR Game
Offers the greatest gaming experience available on any platform, whether in virtual or augmented reality.
- Gran Turismo 7
- Humanity
- Horizon: Call of the Mountain
- Resident Evil Village – Winner
- Synapse
Innovation in Accessibility
Identifying hardware and/or software that is advancing the medium by including features, technology, and content to enable gaming and enjoyment by a larger audience.
- Diablo 4
- Forza Motorsport – Winner
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Street Fighter 6
Best Action Game
For the finest action game with a strong emphasis on battle.
- Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon – Winner
- Dead Island 2
- Ghostrunner 2
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Remnant 2
Best Adventure/Action Game
Combat, exploration, and puzzle solving should all be included in the greatest action/adventure game.
- Alan Wake 2
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Winner
Best RPG
For the greatest game ever created, with extensive character customization, growth, and massively multiplayer action.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Final Fantasy 16
- Lies of P
- Sea of Stars
- Starfield
Best Fighting Game
For the greatest game with a focus on multiplayer action.
- God of Rock
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
- Pocket Bravery
- Street Fighter 6 – Winner
Best Sports/Racing Game
For the top racing games and sports, both conventional and unconventional.
- EA Sports FC 24
- F1 23
- Forza Motorsport – Winner
- Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
- The Crew Motofest
Best SIM/Strategy Game
The best game, regardless of platform, that focuses on turn-based or real-time simulation or strategy gameplay.
- Advanced Wars 1+” Re-Boot Camp
- Cities: Skylines 2
- Company of Heroes 3
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Pikmin 4 – Winner
Best Multiplayer
Regardless of the game’s genre or platform, exceptional online multiplayer gameplay and design, encompass cooperative and massively multiplayer experiences.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Diablo 4
- Party Animals
- Street Fighter 6
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Content Creator of the Year
For a streamer or content producer who, in 2021, has had a significant and constructive influence on the community.
- IronMouse – Winner
- PeopleMakeGames
- Quackity
- Spreen
- SypherPK
Best Esports Athlete
The 2021 esports player, regardless of game, deemed to be the most exceptional in terms of performance and behavior.
- Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok – Winner
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
- Max “Demon1” Mazanov
- Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez
- Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk
- Phillip ”ImperialHal” Dosen
Best Esport Coach
The 2021 Esports coach was deemed the most exceptional in terms of both performance and behavior.
- Christine “potter” Chi – Winner
- Danny “zonic” Sorensen
- Jordan “Gunba” Graham
- Remy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam
- Yoon “Homme” Sung-young
Best Esports Event
Identifying an event (that took place over one or more days) that gave participants and the broadcast audience the best possible experience.
- 2023 League of Legends World Championship – Winner
- Blast.tv Paris Major 2023
- EVO 2023
- The International Dota 2 Championships 2023
- VALORANT Champions 2023
Best Esports Game
For the game, regardless of genre or platform, that has given gamers the best overall esports experience (including competitions, community support, and content updates).
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- PUBG Mobile
- Valorant – Winner
Best Esports Team
Naming a particular esports team that was deemed to have the best performance and behavior in 2021 (not the entire company).
- Evil Geniuses
- Fnatic
- Gaimin Gladiators
- JD Gaming – Winner
- Team Vitality
Most Anticipated Game
Acknowledging a game that has been announced and shown to have the ability to advance the gaming industry.
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – Winner
- Hades 2
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Tekken 8
Best Adaption
Honoring entertainment endeavors influenced by video games, such as TV shows, motion pictures, comic books, and more.
- Castlevania: Nocturne
- Gran Turismo
- The Last of Us – Winner
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Twisted Metal
Player’s Voice
Fans vote for their favorite 2023 game in this category 100% of the time.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Genshin Impact
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
