The Game Awards 2021 are in the bag, and while most people are no doubt talking about all the new trailers, there were, in fact, actual awards handed out! There was no runaway winner this year, with the big surprise being Hazelight’s genre-hopping co-op game It Takes Two taking home Game of the Year and three trophies. Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 5 also won in three categories and Deathloop, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and Final Fantasy XIV took home two apiece. You can check out the full lineup of The Games Award 2021 winners, below.
Game of the year
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Best game direction
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks
Best narrative
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos Montreal/Square Enix
Best art direction
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks
Best score and music
- Nier Replicant ver 1.22474487139 – Keiichi Okabe
Best audio design
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Best performance
- Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu – Resident Evil Village
Games for impact
- Life Is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine/Square Enix
Best ongoing game
- Final Fantasy XIV – Square Enix
Best independent game
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
Best mobile game
- Genshin Impact – miHoYo
Best community support
- Final Fantasy XIV – Square Enix
Best VR/AR game
- Resident Evil 4 – Armature Studio/Capcom/Oculus Studios
Innovation in Accessibility
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Best Action Game
- Returnal – Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Metroid Dread – MercurySteam/Nintendo
Best Role-Playing Game
- Tales of Arise – Bandai Namco
Best Fighting Game
- Guilty Gear Strive – Arc System Works
Best Family Game
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Best Sports/Racing Game
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Age of Empires IV – Relic Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios
Best Multiplayer Game
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Best Debut Indie Game
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
Most Anticipated Game
- Elden Ring – FromSoftware/Bandai Namco
Players’ Voice
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries/Xbox Game Studios
What are your thoughts on this year’s winners? Did the right games take home trophies? Any particularly egregious snubs?
