Baldur's Gate 3 Reigns Supreme at 2024 BAFTAs, Nabs 5 Awards & Best Game

The 2024 BAFTA Game Awards: A Night of Epic Wins and Surprising Upsets

The 20th British Academy Games Awards, held in London, was a night to remember for the gaming community. 

Amidst a challenging year for the industry, marked by layoffs and studio closures, the BAFTA Games Awards provided a much-needed platform to recognize the creative brilliance of developers worldwide.

Baldur's Gate 3: The Undisputed Champion

Larian Studios' critically acclaimed RPG, Baldur's Gate 3, emerged as the undisputed champion, winning a staggering five awards, including 

1. Best Game
2. EE Players' Choice Award
3. Narrative
4. Music
5. Best Performer in a Supporting Role

The team behind Baldur's Gate 3 take to the stage as they celebrate their win for Best Game🏆 #BAFTAGamesAwards pic.twitter.com/eYH9bdCtjZ

— BAFTA Games (@BAFTAGames) April 11, 2024

This adds another accomplishment to Baldur’s Gate 3 as it takes home all five major Game of the Year Awards from the industry.

• Golden Joystick Awards in November
• The Game Awards in December
• The D.I.C.E. Awards in February
• The Game Developer Choice Awards in March

Which Juggernauts Missed the Mark?

Of course, any awards show sees its share of shocking snubs. 

Despite receiving near-universal acclaim, heavy-hitters like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 walked away with relatively few wins. 

The same went for the latest entries in iconic franchises like Final Fantasy XVI and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Honoring Diversity and Inclusion

The BAFTA Games Awards also served as a platform to celebrate diversity and inclusion within the gaming industry. 

Venba, an autobiographical cooking game about an immigrant family's experience in Canada, won the Debut Game award, with its developer using the spotlight to call for an end to the ongoing crisis in Palestine.

Massive congratulations to @venbaGame on their BAFTA win, thank you for starting the ceremony off with a call for an immediate and complete ceasefire in Gaza ✊🤍

The room exploding with applause in support says it all! pic.twitter.com/xHfvpZB7Hn

— Rafif Kalantan 🍉 رفيف كلنتن 🔜 WASD (@_rafifk) April 12, 2024

Moreover, the Special Award was presented to SpecialEffect, a charity dedicated to making gaming accessible for physically disabled individuals, highlighting the industry's commitment to inclusivity.

As a disabled gamer and a member of this industry, I can't even begin to explain how much @SpecialEffect means to me.

Nobody deserves the #BAFTAGamesAwards Special Award more than they do.

Games are life saving. I cannot stress that enough. https://t.co/rmy1u5DKlV

— Jarvs♿🎮🏳️‍🌈 (@Jarvdusa) April 11, 2024

Here are all BAFTA Game Awards categories, nominees, and winners 

ANIMATION

Winner: Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda)

Nominees:

• Alan Wake 2 (Remedy/Epic)
• Hogwarts Legacy (Avalanche/Warner Bros)
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac/Sony)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn/EA)
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)

ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

Winner: Alan Wake 2 (Remedy/Epic)

Nominees:

• Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
• Cocoon (Geometric/Annapurna)
• Diablo IV (Blizzard)
• Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
• Hi-Fi Rush (Tango/Bethesda)

AUDIO ACHIEVEMENT

Winner: Alan Wake 2 (Remedy/Epic)

Nominees:

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Sledgehammer/Activision)
• Hi-Fi Rush (Tango/Bethesda)
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac/Sony)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn/EA)

BEST GAME

Winner: Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)

Nominees:

• Alan Wake 2 (Remedy/Epic)
• Dave The Diver (MINTROCKET)
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac/Sony)
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)

BRITISH GAME

Winner: Viewfinder (Sad Owl/Thunderful)

Nominees:

• Cassette Beasts (Bytten/Raw Fury)
• Dead Island 2 (Dambuster/Plaion)
• Disney Illusion Island (Dlala/Disney)
• Football Manager 2024 (Sports Interactive/Sega)
• Warhammer Age of Sigmar (Frontier)

DEBUT GAME

Winner: Venba (Visai Games)

Nominees:

• Cocoon (Geometric/Annapurna)
• Dave The Diver (MINTROCKET)
• Dredge (Black Salt/Team17)
• Stray Gods (Summerfall/Humble)
• Viewfinder (Sad Owl/Thunderful)

EVOLVING GAME

Winner: Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)

Nominees:

• Final Fantasy XIV Online (Square Enix)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground/Xbox)
• Genshin Impact (HoYoverse)
• No Man's Sky (Hello Games)

FAMILY

Winner: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)

Nominees:

• Cocoon (Geometric/Annapurna)
• Dave The Diver (MINTROCKET)
• Disney Illusion Island (Dlala/Disney)
• Hi-Fi Rush (Tango/Bethesda)
• Hogwarts Legacy (Avalanche/Warner Bros)

GAME BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT

Winner: Tchia (Awaceb/Kepler)

Nominees:

• Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc/Focus)
• Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP)
• Terra Nil (Free Lives/Devolver)
• Thirsty Suitors (Outerloop/Annapurna)
• Venba (Visai Games)

GAME DESIGN

Winner: Dave The Diver (MINTROCKET)

Nominees:

• Cocoon (Geometric/Annapurna)
• Dredge (Black Salt/Team17)
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac/Sony)
• Viewfinder (Sad Owl/Thunderful)

MULTIPLAYER

Winner: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)

Nominees:

• Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Sledgehammer/Activision)
• Diablo IV (Blizzard)
• Forza Motorsport (Turn 10/Xbox)
• Party Animals (Recreate/Source)

MUSIC

Winner: Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)

Nominees:

• Alan Wake 2 (Remedy/Epic)
• Assassin's Creed Mirage (Ubisoft)
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac/Sony)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn/EA)

NARRATIVE

Winner: Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)

Nominees:

• Alan Wake 2 (Remedy/Epic)
• Dredge (Black Salt/Team17)
• Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn/EA)

NEW INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Winner: Viewfinder (Sad Owl/Thunderful)

Nominees:

• Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc/Focus)
• Dave The Diver (MINTROCKET)
• Dredge (Black Salt/Team17)
• Hi-Fi Rush (Tango/Bethesda)
• Jusant (Don't Nod)

PERFORMER IN A LEADING ROLE

Winner: Nadji Jeter as Miles Morales (Marvel's Spider-Man 2)

Nominees:

• Amelia Tyler as Narrator (Baldur's Gate 3)
• Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Neil Newbon as Astarion (Baldur's Gate 3)
• Samantha Béart as Karlach (Baldur's Gate 3)
• Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker (Marvel's Spider-Man 2)

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Winner: Andrew Wincott as Raphael (Baldur's Gate 3)

Nominees:

• Debra Wilson as Cere Junda (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Ralph Ineson as Cidolfus in Final Fantasy XVI
• Sam Lake as Alex Casey (Alan Wake 2)
• Tony Todd as Venom (Marvel's Spider-Man 2)
• Tracy Wiles as Jaheira (Baldur's Gate 3)

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Winner: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)

Nominees:

• Alan Wake 2 (Remedy/Epic)
• Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
• Horizon Call of the Mountain (Guerrilla/Firesprite/Sony)
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac/Sony)
• Starfield (Bethesda)

EE PLAYERS' CHOICE AWARD

Winner: Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)

Nominees:

• Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
• Lethal Company (Zeekerss)
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac/Sony)

About BAFTA Games Awards:

The BAFTA Games Awards are an annual awards ceremony hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize and celebrate excellence in video games.

The first BAFTA Video Games Awards took place in 2004, making 2024 the 20th year they have been held.

The awards aim to honor the very best games of the year across a variety of categories like best game, artistic achievement, animation, narrative, music, performance, and more.

Games from all platforms and genres are eligible, including big-budget AAA titles as well as independent games.

In addition to competitive categories voted on by BAFTA members, there are some audience-voted awards like the EE Players' Choice Award.

The awards ceremony is attended by major game developers, publishers, voice actors, and other gaming industry luminaries from around the world.

The prestigious BAFTA mask statuette is awarded to the winners in each category.

Recent Best Game winners include Elden Ring (2022), Returnal (2021), Hades (2020), and God of War (2019).

The wonderful @JulieElvenMusic, Aaron Grimes and Daniel Oats perform a cover of Late Goodbye by @PoetsOfTheFall from Max Payne 2 ✨#BAFTAGamesAwards pic.twitter.com/LWcx5nVD7J

— BAFTA Games (@BAFTAGames) April 12, 2024