Games are art. Maybe not all games that release, and maybe not from the beginning of their existence as a medium, but the act of creating a game can undoubtedly be quantified as the creation of a work of art, and just like film, TV, and music, it’s art that deserves to be commended. That’s why The Game Awards runs every year, to highlight the best and brightest in a variety of gaming genres, circles, and sectors. Also to run a bunch of trailers and promos for new stuff, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Here’s the schedule and nominees for The Game Awards 2021, as well as how to watch it.
The Game Awards 2021 Schedule
The Game Awards 2021 will be live streaming this Thursday, December 9, beginning at the following times for different time zones:
- 8:00 PM Eastern
- 5:00 PM Pacific
- 12:30 AM London
- 9:30 AM Tokyo
- 10:00 PM Brazil
- 9:00 AM China
- 1:00 PM Australia
There will be a 30-minute pre-show prior to the actual start time, and the event is planned to run for about three hours. According to Game Awards host Geoff Keighley, roughly half of that run time will be dedicated to announcements for new games, two of which Keighley is pretty sure will turn some heads.
The Game Awards 2021 Countdown
Here is a countdown to the start of The Game Awards 2021:
How to Watch The Game Awards 2021
The Game Awards can be streamed right from the official website, though you can also watch it through the following video, news, and social platforms:
- YouTube
- Twitch
- Steam
- Oculus Venues
- IGN
- Gamespot
- TikTokLive
- Trovo
If you’re feeling bougy, certain Cinemark movie plexes around the country will also be livestreaming the event in their theaters. Check your local listings to see if there’s one near you.
The Game Awards 2021 Nominees and Winners
Now, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of the matter: who’s on deck for an award. The Game Awards will be handing out awards for 30 different categories focusing on games, content creators, and eSports players. The winners are determined by a combination of public votes and internal selection from the event’s committee. The polls are still open, so make sure to go vote before Thursday!
The categories and their nominees are as follows:
Game of the Year
The 2021 game of the year award goes to It Takes Two.
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Best Game Direction
The award for best game direction goes to Deathloop.
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Returnal
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Best Ongoing
The award for the best ongoing game goes to Final Fantasy 14 Online.
- Apex Legends
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Final Fantasy 14 Online
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
Best Narrative
The game award for best narrative goes to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
Best Indie
The winner of the best independent game goes to Kena: Bridge of Spirits.
- 12 Minutes
- Death’s Door
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
Best Mobile Game
The award for the best mobile game goes to Genshin Impact.
- Fantasian
- Genshin Impact
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Marvel Future Revolution
- Pokémon Unite
Best VR/AR
The best VR/AR game goes to Resident Evil 4 VR.
- Hitman 3
- I Expect You to Die 2
- Lone Echo 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Sniper Elite VR
Best Action
The winner of the best action game goes to Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Returnal.
- Back 4 Blood
- Chivalry 2
- Deathloop
- Far Cry 6
- Returnal
Best Action/Adventure
The best action-adventure game award goes to Metroid Dread.
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Best Role Playing
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Monster Hunter Rise
- Scarlet Nexus
- Shin Megami Tensei 5
- Tales of Arise
Best Fighting
The best fighting game award goes to Guilty Gear Strive.
- Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba The Hinokami Chronicles
- Guilty Gear Strive
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
- Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Best Debut Indie
The winner of the best debut independent game goes to Kena: Bridge of Spirits.
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Sable
- The Artful Escape
- The Forgotten City
- Valheim
Best Family
The best family game award goes to It Takes Two.
- It Takes Two
- Mario Party Superstars
- New Pokémon Snap
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- WarioWare: Get It Together!
Best Sports/Racing
The best sports and racing game award goes to Forza Horizon 5.
- F1 2021
- FIFA 22
- Forza Horizon 5
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- Riders Republic
Best Sim/Strategy
The best sim/strategy game award goes to Age of Empires 4.
- Age of Empires 4
- Evil Genius 2: World Domination
- Humankind
- Inscryption
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
Best Multiplayer
The winner of the best multiplayer game of the year goes to It Takes Two.
- Back 4 Blood
- It Takes Two
- Knockout City
- Monster Hunter Rise
- New World
- Valheim
Most Anticipated Game
The most anticipated game award goes to Elden Ring.
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Untitled sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Starfield
Best Art Direction
The game award for the Best Art Direction category goes to Deathloop.
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- The Artful Escape
Best Score and Music
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Deathloop
- NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- The Artful Escape
Best Audio Design
- Deathloop
- Forza Horizon 5
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
- Returnal
Best Performance
Maggie Robertson wins the best performance for her role as Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village.
- Erika Mori as Alex Chen, Life is Strange: True Colors
- Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo, Far Cry 6
- Jason E. Kelley as Colt Vahn, Deathloop
- Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil Village
- Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake, Deathloop
Games for Impact
- Before Your Eyes
- Boyfriend Dungeon
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- No Longer Home
Best Community Support
The award for best community support goes to Final Fantasy 14.
- Apex Legends
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy 14
- Fortnite
- No Man’s Sky
Innovation in Accessibility
The winner of the best innovation in accessibility goes to Forza Horizon 5.
- Far Cry 6
- Forza Horizon 5
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Content Creator of the Year
The winner of content creator of the year goes to Dream.
- Dream
- Fuslie
- Gaules
- Ibai
- TheGrefg
Best Esports Game
The best esports game award goes to League of Legends.
- Call of Duty
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Chris “Simp” Lehr
- Heo “ShowMaker” Su
- Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov
- Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
Best Esports Team
- Atlanta FaZe (Call of Duty)
- DWG KIA (League of Legends)
- Natus Vincere (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
- Sentinels (Valorant)
- Team Spirit (DOTA 2)
Best Esports Coach
- Airat “Silent” Gaziev
- Andrey “ENGH” Sholokhov
- Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi
- James “Crowder” Crowder
- Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
Best Esports Event
- 2021 League of Legends World Championship
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021 (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
- PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020
- The International 2021 (DOTA 2)
- Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters
Player’s Voice
The Player’s Voice award goes to Halo Infinite.
- Forza Horizon 5
- Halo Infinite
- It Takes Two
- Metroid Dread
- Resident Evil Village
Published: Dec 10, 2021 01:11 am