Today, the nominees for The Game Awards 2021 have been revealed. Deathloop, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, It Takes Two, and Psychonauts 2 leading nominations. There are a total of 107 different games, individuals, teams, and events spotlighting the leading games, studios, and creatives from 2020-2021. Deathloop, It Takes Two, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, and Resident Evil Village are the six titles up for Game of the Year.
Following last year’s fully virtual, record-setting show, The Game Awards 2021 will return as live, in-person ceremony at the Microsoft Theatre on Thursday, December 9, 2021, including the return of The Game Awards Orchestra, conducted by Lorne Valfe. It will be distributed as a global 4K UHD livestream across more than 40 global video, social, and gaming platforms. More details on additional musical performances, presenters, and the show’s biggest-ever world premiere slate will be announced in the coming weeks.
The newly combined Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda is the most nominated publisher with 20 nominations across its combined portfolio of games. Sony Interactive Entertainment is second with 11 nominations. Square Enix and Electronic Arts follow third with 10 nominations each.
The full list of The Game Awards 2021 nominees are:
Best Performance
- Erika Mori as Alex Chen (Life is Strange: True Colors
- Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo (Far Cry 6)
- Jason Kelley as Colt Vahn (Deathloop)
- Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village)
- Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake (Deathloop)
Best Multiplayer
- Back 4 Blood
- Knockout City
- Monster Hunter Rise
- New World
- It Takes Two
- Valheim
Best Ongoing Game
- Apex Legends
- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
- Call of Duty: Warzone
Best Art Direction
- The Artful Escape
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Best Score & Music
- The Artful Escape
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Deathloop
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Nier Replicant Ver.122474487139
Best Audio Design
- Deathloop
- Forza Horizon 5
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
- Returnal
Innovation in Accessibility
- Far Cry 6
- Forza Horizon 5
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Best Narrative
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
Games for Impact
- Before Your Eyes
- Boyfriend Dungeon
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- No Longer Home
Best Indie
- 12 Minutes
- Death’s Door
- Inscryption
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Loop Hero
Best Mobile Game
- Fantasian
- Genshin Impact
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Marvel Future Revolution
- Pokemon Unite
Best Community Support
- Apex Legends
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- Fortnite
- No Man’s Sky
Best Debut Indie
- The Artful Escape
- The Forgotten City
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Sable
- Valheim
Best VR/AR
- Hitman 3
- I Expect You to Die 2
- Lone Echo II
- Resident Evil 4
- Sniper Elite VR
Content Creator of the Year
- Dream
- Fuslie
- Gaules
- Ibai
- Grefg
Best Action
- Back 4 Blood
- Chivalry II
- Deathloop
- Far Cry 6
- Returnal
Best Action/Adventure
- 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 V
- Tales of Arise
Most Anticipated
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
- The Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Starfield
Best Fighting
- 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 Family
- It Takes Two
- Mario Party Superstars
- New Pokemon Snap
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- Warioware: Get it Together!
Best Sim/Strategy
- Age of Empires IV
- Evil Genius 2: World Domination
- Humankind
- Inscryption
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
Best Sports/Racing
- F1 2021
- FIFA 22
- Forza Horizon 5
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- Riders Republic
Best Esports Game
- 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 “Simple” 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
- Airant “Silent” Gaziev
- Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov
- Andrii “B1AD3” Horodenskyi
- James “Crowder” Crowder
- Kim “Kkoma” Jeong-Gyun
Best Esports Event
- 2021 League of Legends World Championship
- The International 2021
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021
- PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020
- Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters
Best Game Direction
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Returnal
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village