The nominations for the annual DICE (Design Innovate Communicate Entertain) Awards have been announced, and while some familiar names top the list, they aren’t necessarily in the order we’re accustomed to. Thus far, the nominations for most video game awards have been led by Elden Ring followed by God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West, but the DICE Awards are doing things the other way around – God of War Ragnarok has snagged 12 noms, followed by 8 for Horizon Forbidden West, and 7 for Elden Ring. A number of other titles, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Tunic, Immortality, and Vampire Survivors have managed to grab 4 nominations.
The DICE Awards, which are organized by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, are different than some other gaming awards, as they reflect what the gaming industry, rather than critics or fans, think the best games of the year are. Perhaps the many nods for God of War Ragnarok shouldn’t be a surprise, as the last game in the series cleaned up at the 2019 DICE Awards. You can check out the full list of DICE Award nominations, below.
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Marvel Snap
- Tunic
- Vampire Survivors
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Immortality
- Tunic
Game of the Year
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Stray
- Vampire Survivors
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Moss: Book II
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Stray
- The Callisto Protocol
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll – Alejandro Vargas
- God of War Ragnarök – Atreus
- God of War Ragnarök – Kratos
- Horizon Forbidden West – Aloy
- Return to Monkey Island – Guybrush Threepwood
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Metal: Hellsinger
- Moss: Book II
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll
- God of War Ragnarök
- Gotham Knights
- Somerville
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
- Immortality
- Norco
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Teardown
Action Game of the Year
- Bayonetta 3
- Grounded
- Neon White
- Sifu
- Vampire Survivors
Adventure Game of the Year
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Norco
- Stray
- Tunic
Family Game of the Year
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Kirby’s Dream Buffet
- Lost in Play
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
- Trombone Champ
Fighting Game of the Year
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
- MultiVersus
- Rumbleverse
- SpiderHeck
- The King of Fighters XV
Racing Game of the Year
- F1 22
- Gran Turismo 7
- Need for Speed Unbound
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Citizen Sleeper
- Elden Ring
- Weird West
- World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Sports Game of the Year
- FIFA 23
- Mario Strikers: Battle League
- MLB The Show 22
- NBA 2k23
- OlliOlli World
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Dwarf Fortress
- Ixion
- Marvel’s Midnight Suns
- Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
- Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Among Us VR
- Cosmonious High
- Moss: Book II
- Red Matter 2
- The Last Clockwinder
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Cosmonious High
- Moss: Book II
- Red Matter 2
- Tentacular
- The Last Clockwinder
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Immortality
- Neon White
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- Tunic
- Vampire Survivors
Online Game of the Year
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll
- FIFA 23
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Marvel Snap
- Rumbleverse
The DICE Awards will be livestreamed on February 23 with Kinda Funny founder Greg Miller and IGN’s Stella Chung acting as hosts. What do you think of this year’s nominations? Any surprises or snubs?
