By Sagar V. Mankar 
Astro Bot emerged as the undisputed champion of the 11th annual Game Awards, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The adorable platformer from Team Asobi not only claimed the most coveted prize of Game of the Year but also dominated multiple categories, including Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game.
While Astro Bot stood out as the night’s biggest winner, other games also left their mark. Best Narrative and Best Art Direction went to Metaphor: ReFantazio, a visually stunning RPG. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth snagged Best Score and Music, and Black Myth: Wukong won Best Action Game. Balatro earned dual honors as both Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game.
In the esports realm, League of Legends won Best Esports Game, while its legendary player Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) was crowned Best Esports Athlete added another accolade to his list after Esports Awards, League Awards.
Complete Winner List
Game of the Year
- Winner: Astro Bot
- Nominees:
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Game Direction
- Winner: Astro Bot
- Nominees:
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Narrative
- Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Nominees:
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Silent Hill 2
Best Art Direction
- Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Nominees:
- Astro Bot
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Neva
Best Score and Music
- Winner: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Nominees:
- Astro Bot
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Silent Hill 2
- Stellar Blade
Best Audio Design
- Winner: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Nominees:
- Astro Bot
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Silent Hill 2
Best Performance
- Winner: Melina Juergens (Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2)
- Nominees:
- Briana White (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth)
- Hannah Telle (Life is Strange: Double Exposure)
- Humberly González (Star Wars Outlaws)
- Luke Roberts (Silent Hill 2)
Innovation in Accessibility
- Winner: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Nominees:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Diablo IV
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Star Wars Outlaws
Games for Impact
- Winner: Neva
- Nominees:
- Closer the Distance
- Indika
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Best Ongoing Game
- Winner: Helldivers 2
- Nominees:
- Destiny 2
- Diablo IV
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
Best Community Support
- Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Nominees:
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Independent Game
- Winner: Balatro
- Nominees:
- Animal Well
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Neva
- UFO 50
Best Debut Indie Game
- Winner: Balatro
- Nominees:
- Animal Well
- Manor Lords
- Pacific Drive
- The Plucky Squire
Best Mobile Game
- Winner: Balatro
- Nominees:
- AFK Journey
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
- Wuthering Waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
Best VR/AR Game
- Winner: Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Nominees:
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Asgard’s Wrath 2
- Metal: Hellsinger VR
- Metro Awakening
Best Action Game
- Winner: Black Myth: Wukong
- Nominees:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Stellar Blade
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Winner: Astro Bot
- Nominees:
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Silent Hill 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best RPG
- Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Nominees:
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Best Fighting Game
- Winner: Tekken 8
- Nominees:
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
- MultiVersus
Best Family Game
- Winner: Astro Bot
- Nominees:
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The Plucky Squire
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Winner: Frostpunk 2
- Nominees:
- Age of Mythology: Retold
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Manor Lords
- Unicorn Overlord
Best Sports/Racing Game
- Winner: EA Sports FC 25
- Nominees:
- F1 24
- NBA 2K25
- Top Spin 2K25
- WWE 2K24
Best Multiplayer Game
- Winner: Helldivers 2
- Nominees:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- Tekken 8
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Adaptation
- Winner: Fallout
- Nominees:
- Arcane
- Knuckles
- Like a Dragon: Yakuza
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Most Anticipated Game
- Winner: Grand Theft Auto VI
- Nominees:
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Content Creator of the Year
- Winner: CaseOh
- Nominees:
- IlloJuan
- Techno Gamerz
- TypicalGamer
- Usada Pekora
Esports Categories
Best Esports Game
- Winner: League of Legends
- Nominees:
- Counter-Strike 2
- DOTA 2
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Winner: Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok)
- Nominees:
- 33 (Neta Shapira)
- Aleksib (Aleksi Virolainen)
- Chovy (Jeong Ji-hoon)
- ZyWoO (Mathieu Herbaut)
- ZmjjKk (Zheng Yongkang)
Best Esports Team
- Winner: T1 (League of Legends)
- Nominees:
- Bilibili Gaming (League of Legends)
- Gen.G (League of Legends)
- NAVI (Counter-Strike)
- Team Liquid (DOTA 2)
Announcements, Performances, and Star Power
The Game Awards 2024 also dazzled with announcements and entertainment. Harrison Ford, Troy Baker, and Todd Howard graced the stage, while performances by Snoop Dogg, Twenty One Pilots, and Royal & the Serpent kept the audience energized. The Game Awards Orchestra, led by Lorne Balfe, delivered breathtaking renditions of themes from the year’s nominees.
What do you think about the winners? If you have any more suggestions, write them down in the comments.