The cancellation of this year’s South By Southwest feels like a distant memory, but in the weeks since the announcement was made, a few people had started to wonder if the winning envelopes from the 2019-2020 SXSW Gaming Awards would also remain locked away forever. Thankfully, the festival’s organizers recently fired off a press release that revealed all the winners.
Drumroll, please…
From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice won “Video Game of the Year,” and the one-armed ninja also snuck away with a win for “Excellence in Visual Achievement.” Only ZA/UM’s Disco Elysium (the “Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award” and “Excellence in Narrative”) and Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding (“Excellence in Musical Score” and “Excellence in Technical Achievement”) were able to earn more than a single award from this year’s voters.
“Gaming is a key part of the creative ecosystem that brings us together, and now more than ever it provides us with a unique sense of escape and adventure in uncertain times,” said Hugh Forrest, the Chief Programming Officer for South By Southwest. “We were devastated that we weren’t able to celebrate our honorees in person with the cancellation of our event, but glad that we’re still able to share their achievements and creative works with our community.”
A complete list of winners and nominees from the 2019-2020 SXSW Gaming Awards can be found after the break.
Video Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres.
- WINNER: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Control
- Devil May Cry 5
- Disco Elysium
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Mobile Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a unique gaming experience on any handheld device.
- WINNER: Sky: Children of the Light
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- Sayonara Wild Hearts
- Where Cards Fall
- Whispers of a Machine
XR Game of the Year
Awarded to the VR game that exemplifies overall excellence in gameplay and design across any VR platform.
- WINNER: No Man’s Sky Beyond VR
- Blood & Truth
- Pistol Whip
- The Under Presents
- Tori
Tabletop Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre.
- WINNER: Paladins of the West Kingdom
- Parks
- Pax Pamir
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
- Taverns of Tiefenthal
Trending Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that consistently entertained and kept us watching on social platforms with its humor, stories, and more.
- WINNER: Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield
- Apex Legends
- Borderlands 3
- Death Stranding
- Super Mario Maker 2
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award
Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay.
- WINNER: Disco Elysium
- Death Stranding
- Knights and Bikes
- Overland
- Sea of Solitude
Excellence in Narrative
Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.
- WINNER: Disco Elysium
- Control
- Death Stranding
- Outer Wilds
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
Excellence in Design
Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution.
- WINNER: Control
- Astral Chain
- Disco Elysium
- Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Outer Wilds
Excellence in Gameplay
Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics.
- WINNER: Devil May Cry 5
- Astral Chain
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Most Promising New Intellectual Property
Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year.
- WINNER: The Outer Worlds
- Astral Chain
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
- Control
- Katana Zero
Excellence in Multiplayer
Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.
- WINNER: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
- Apex Legends
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
- Mortal Kombat 11
Excellence in Art
Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative artistic style.
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
- Control
- Disco Elysium
- Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Sayonara Wild Hearts
Excellence in Animation
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animations.
- WINNER: Kingdom Hearts III
- Apex Legends
- Death Stranding
- Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Mortal Kombat 11
Excellence in Visual Achievement
Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals.
- WINNER: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Control
- Death Stranding
- The Outer Worlds
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Excellence in Technical Achievement
Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming.
- WINNER: Death Stranding
- Concrete Genie
- Control
- Devil May Cry 5
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Excellence in Musical Score
Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game.
- WINNER: Death Stranding
- Devil May Cry 5
- Disco Elysium
- Outer Wilds
- Sayonara Wild Hearts
Excellence in SFX
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.
- WINNER: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Resident Evil 2
Game Industry Champion of Change
This award recognizes an individual who has brought about positive change and broken down barriers for others across the game industry.
- WINNER: Steven Spohn
Game Industry Journalist of the Year
This award recognizes an individual with the most groundbreaking and influential coverage of the game industry.
- WINNER: Cecilia D’Anastasio