The Game Awards 2024 announced its list of nominees on November 18, giving viewers a look at which games will be vying for Game of the Year and more at the show. Unsurprisingly, nominees once again tend toward major blockbuster games, with just a handful of titles dominating most categories. This year, Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth are tied for most nominations at seven, with Metaphor: ReFantazio’s six nominations putting it slightly behind.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is also a big presence on the list with four nominations. Its inclusion in the Game of the Year category has caused a bit of controversy, as players are divided on whether the expansion to a game released two years ago should be eligible for the top award. The Game Awards attempted to get ahead of the conversation this weekend, clarifying in an FAQ that DLC is eligible for the category. Black Myth: Wukong is a controversial nominee for other reasons, following bombshell reports on alleged sexism at the game’s studio, Game Science.
Among the Game of the Year nominees, only one indie game, the breakout hit Balatro, made the list. Balatro is also nominated in the Best Independent Game category, where perhaps the most notable absence is 1000xResist, which has garnered widespread acclaim from critics.
With the nominees announced, the jury will begin voting on final selections, to be revealed during The Game Awards live broadcast on December 12. Viewers can also vote for their picks on The Game Awards website, which will factor into winners’ final scores.
Game of the Year
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Game Direction
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Narrative
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Silent Hill 2
Best Art Direction
- Astro Bot
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Neva
Best Score and Music
- Astro Bot
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Silent Hill 2
- Stellar Blade
Best Audio Design
- Astro Bot
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Silent Hill 2
Best Performance
- Briana White, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Hannah Telle, Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Humberly González, Star Wars Outlaws
- Luke Roberts, Silent Hill 2
- Melina Juergens, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Innovation in Accessibility
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Diablo IV
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Star Wars Outlaws
Games for Impact
- Closer the Distance
- Indika
- Neva
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Best Ongoing Game
- Destiny 2
- Diablo IV
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
Best Community Support
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Independent Game
- Animal Well
- Balatro
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Neva
- UFO 50
Best Debut Indie Game
- Animal Well
- Balatro
- Manor Lords
- Pacific Drive
- The Plucky Squire
Best Mobile Game
- AFK Journey
- Balatro
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
- Wuthering Waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
Best VR/AR Game
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Asgard’s Wrath 2
- Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Metal: Hellsinger VR
- Metro Awakening
Best Action Game
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Stellar Blade
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Astro Bot
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Silent Hill 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best RPG
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Fighting Game
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
- MultiVersus
- Tekken 8
Best Family Game
- Astro Bot
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The Plucky Squire
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Age of Mythology: Retold
- Frostpunk 2
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Manor Lords
- Unicorn Overlord
Best Sports/Racing Game
- F1 24
- EA Sports FC 25
- NBA 2K25
- Top Spin 2K25
- WWE 2K24
Best Multiplayer Game
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- Tekken 8
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Adaptation
- Arcane
- Fallout
- Knuckles
- Like a Dragon: Yakuza
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Most Anticipated Game
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Content Creator of the Year
- CaseOh
- IlloJuan
- Techno Gamerz
- TypicalGamer
- Usada Pekora
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike 2
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- 33 - Neta Shapira
- Aleksib - Aleksi Virolainen
- Chovy - Jeong Ji-hoon
- Faker - Lee Sang-hyeok
- ZyWoO - Mathieu Herbaut
- ZmjjKk - Zheng Yongkang
Best Esports Team
- Bilibili Gaming
- Gen.G
- NAVI
- T1
- Team Liquid
Nominees for the Players’ Voice category will be announced on December 2.
