The 2016 Game Awards were filled with surprises, but I’m sure no one was shocked when Blizzard’s Overwatch walked away with the most statuettes last month, including the coveted “Game of the Year” prize. The popular online shooter also won the “Best Multiplayer” and “Best Game Direction” awards, as well as the fan-voted award for “Best eSports Game.”
Developers from Naughty Dog and id Software also had a good night as both studios collected two wins apiece. The familial tale at the center of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End won “Best Narrative,” while Nolan North won “Best Performance” for his final turn as Nathan Drake. Meanwhile, Doom blasted its way into the spotlight with wins in the “Best Music/Sound Design” and the “Best Action Game” categories.
Playdead’s Inside (“Best Art Direction” and “Best Independent Game”) and Pokemon Go (“Best Mobile/Handheld Game” and “Best Family Game”) also earned multiple awards at the 2016 Game Awards.
Congratulations to all the winners, and you can find a full list of all the winners and nominees after the break.
Jury-Voted Categories
Game of the Year
For a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Doom
- Inside
- Titanfall 2
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Best Game Direction
Recognizing a game studio for outstanding creative vision, game direction, and design.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Battlefield 1
- Doom
- Titanfall 2
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Best Narrative
For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
- WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Firewatch (Campo Santo)
- Inside
- Mafia III (Hangar 13/2K Games)
- Oxenfree (Night School Studio)
Best Art Direction
For outstanding creative and technical achievement in artistic design and animation.
- WINNER: Inside
- Abzu (Giant Squid/505)
- Firewatch (Campo Santo)
- Overwatch
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Best Music/Sound Design
For outstanding audio, inclusive of score, original song, licensed soundtrack, and sound design.
- WINNER: Doom (id/Bethesda)
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Inside
- Rez Infinite (Enhance Games)
- Thumper (Drool)
Best Performance
Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.
- WINNER: Nolan North (As Nathan Drake) – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Alex Hernandez (As Lincoln Clay) – Mafia III
- Cissy Jones (As Delilah) – Firewatch
- Emily Rose (As Elena) – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Rich Summer (As Henry) – Firewatch
- Troy Baker (As Sam Drake) – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Games For Impact
Honoring exemplary games that take on real-world issues and advocate for social change.
- WINNER: That Dragon Cancer (Numinous Games)
- 1979 Revolution (iNK Stories)
- Block’hood (Plethora Project/Devolver Digital)
- Orwell (Osmotic Studios/Surprise Attack)
- Sea Hero Quest (Glitchers)
Best Independent Game
For outstanding achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
- WINNER: Inside
- Firewatch (Campo Santo)
- Hyper Light Drifter (Heart Machine)
- Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe/Chucklefish Games)
- The Witness (Thelka)
Best Mobile/Handheld Game
For the best game playable on mobile phones and dedicated gaming handhelds.
- WINNER: Pokemon Go (Niantic)
- Clash Royale (Supercell)
- Fire Emblem Fates (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
- Monster Hunter Generations (Capcom)
- Severed (DrinkBox Studios)
Best VR Game
For the best game experience playable in virtual reality.
- WINNER: Rez Infinite (Enhance Games)
- Batman: Arkham VR (Rocksteady Studios/WBIE)
- Eve: Valkyrie (CCP Games)
- Job Simulator (Owlchemy Labs)
- Thumper (Drool)
Best Action Game
For the best game experience focused around first or third person combat.
- WINNER: Doom (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Gears of War 4 (The Coalition/Microsoft Studios)
- Overwatch
- Titanfall 2 (Respawn/EA)
Best Action/Adventure Game
For the best game experience that combines combat with traversal and puzzle solving.
- WINNER: Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
- Hitman (IO Interactive/Square Enix)
- Hyper Light Drifter (Heart Machine)
- Ratchet & Clank (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Best RPG
The best game designed for rich player character customization and progression, both offline and online, including massively multiplayer.
- WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Blood and Wine (CD Projekt RED)
- Dark Souls III (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Eidos Montreal/Square Enix)
- World of Warcraft: Legion (Blizzard)
- Xenoblade Chronicles X (Monolith Soft/Nintendo)
Best Fighting Game
For a game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.
- WINNER: Street Fighter V (Capcom)
- Killer Instinct Season 3 (Iron Galaxy Studios/Microsoft Studios)
- King of Fighters XIV (SNK/Atlus USA)
- Pokken Tournament (Bandai Namco Studios/The Pokemon Company)
Best Strategy Game
Best game focused on real time or turn-based strategy.
- WINNER: Civilization VI (Firaxis Games/2K Games)
- Fire Emblem Fates (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
- The Banner Saga 2 (Stoic Studio/Versus Evil)
- Total War: Warhammer (Creative Assembly/Sega)
- XCOM 2 (Firaxis Games/2K Games)
Best Family Game
Best game for family play, including toys-to-life, rhythm/music/dance, and other genres.
- WINNER: Pokemon Go (Niantic)
- Dragon Quest Builders (Square Enix)
- Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TT Fusion/WBIE)
- Ratchet & Clank (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Skylanders: Imaginators (Toy for Bob/Activision)
Best Sports/Racing
For traditional and non-traditional sports and racing games.
- WINNER: Forza Horizon 3 (Playground Games/Microsoft Studios)
- FIFA 17 (EA Canada/EA Sports)
- MLB The Show 16 (SCE San Diego Studio/SIE)
- NBA 2K17 (Visual Concepts/2K Sports)
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 (PES Productions/Konami)
Best Multiplayer
For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Gears of War 4 (The Coalition/Microsoft Studios)
- Overcooked (Ghost Town Games/Team 17)
- Titanfall 2 (Respawn/EA)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Fan-Voted Categories
Most Anticipated Game
An upcoming game that has shown significant ambition and promise in moving the gaming medium forward.
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- God of War
- Horizon: Zero Dawn
- Mass Effect: Andromeda
- Red Dead Redemption 2
Best eSports Game
The eSports game that has shown creative and technical excellence in 2016 with the best gameplay, community support, and content updates.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Street Fighter V
Best eSports Player (Presented By Omen By HP)
The eSports player judged to be the most outstanding performer in 2016, irrespective of game.
- WINNER: Marcelo “Coldzera” David – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Lee “Faker” Sang-Hyeok – League of Legends
- Hyun “ByuN” Woo – Starcraft II
- Lee “Infiltration” Seon-Woo – Street Fighter V
- Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma – Super Smash Bros.
Best eSports Team
The eSports team or organization judged to be the most outstanding for performance in 2016, irrespective of game.
- WINNER: Cloud 9
- ROX Tigers
- SK Gaming
- SK Telecom T1
- Wings Gaming
Best Fan Creation (NO WINNER ANNOUNCED)
For fan-created content, such as mods, fan films, and other player content.
- Brutal Doom 64
- Enderal: The Shards of Order
- Pokemon Uranium (REMOVED FROM CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE SHOW)
- Project A2MR (REMOVED FROM CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE SHOW)
Trending Gamer (Presented By Intel)
For a notable influencer, online streamer, or media personality in 2016.
- WINNER: Boogie2988
- AngryJoeShow
- Danny O’Dwyer
- JackSepticEye
- Lirik