The Game Awards: All nominations, winner predictions and fan favourites

THE Game Awards recently announced all the nominations of games released this year for its 31 award categories.

There were more than a few surprises and snubs, with some big games missing out.

Voting is open now for all categories, so you can give a boost to your favourites from the year.

Here’s the full list of The Game Awards nominees, and who we think will win each category.

Game of the Year

We believe that Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would all be worthy winners of this award.

However, Xenoblade is unlikely to take the crown, and we think Elden Ring has a slight edge over Kratos.

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Stray
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Best Game Direction

With its seemingly endless open world, we believe that Elden Ring had the best direction of the year, and we think the public and the jury will agree.

• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Immortality
• Stray

Best Narrative

We all had our favourite stories from this year, but when it comes to the final vote, God of War Ragnarök will probably take it. 

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Immortality

Best Art Direction

We absolutely adored the look of Stray, but don’t think the masses will agree. For its dark, fantasy world, Elden Ring will probably claim this one.

• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Scorn
• Stray

Best Score and Music

We love the music of both Metal: Hellsinger, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. However, for sheer mass appeal the latter will probably win this one.

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Metal: Hellsinger
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Best Audio Design

We continue on our Elden Ring fanfare, but not only believing it has the best sound design, but also by believing the public and the voting jury think so too.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Gran Turismo 7
• Horizon Forbidden West

Best Performance

There have been a lot of stunning performances this year, but Christopher Judge as Kratos is an all-time classic.

• Ashly Burch – Horizon Forbidden West
• Charlotte McBurney – A Plague’s Tale: Requiem
• Christopher Judge – God of War Ragnarök
• Manon Gage – Immortality
• Sunny Suljik – God of War Ragnarök

Games for Impact

Endling: Extinction is Forever was our favourite of this group, but we think the award will go to As Dusk Falls.

• A Memoir Blue
• As Dusk Falls
• Citizen Sleeper
• Endling: Extinction is Forever
• Hindsight
• I was a Teenage Exocolonist

Best Ongoing

Genshin Impact is a favourite around the office, but we think the prize might go to Apex Legends.

• Apex Legends
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy 14
• Fortnite
• Genshin Impact

Best Indie

Everyone had their own personal favourite indie game this year, but we unanimously believe that Stray will walk away with this one.

• Cult of the Lamb
• Neon White
• Sifu
• Stray
• Tunic

Best Mobile Game

Our main consensus here is that Diablo Immortal is a terrible game. We love Marvel Snap though, and think the judges will too.

• Apex Legends
• Diablo Immortal
• Genshin Impact
• Marvel Snap
• Tower of Fantasy

Best Community Support

If one game is known for its community, it’s Final Fantasy 14, long may it prosper.

• Apex Legends
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy 14
• Fortnite
• No Man’s Sky

Innovation in Accessibility

For all the additions that it added compared to the original, we think The Last of Us Part 1, will win this one.

• As Dusk Falls
• God of War Ragnarök
• Return to Monkey Island
• The Last of Us Part 1
• The Quarry

Best VR

VR is still a luxury for many, but Moss Book 2, and the original, almost make it worth buying.

• After the Fall
• Among Us VR
• Bonelab
• Moss Book 2
• Red Matter 2

Best Action Game

Neon White is one of our favourites this year, but we can’t stop playing Bayonetta 3.

• Bayonetta 3
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Neon White
• Sifu
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Best Action/Adventure

While we are all big fans of the puzzles in Tunic, this is probably an easy win for triple-A God of War Ragnarök.

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Stray
• Tunic

Best Roleplaying

You may have noticed our team is split between its love of Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles, but the former will probably take it.

• Elden Ring
• Live a Live
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus
• Triangle Strategy
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Best Fighting

We think Sifu was the best fighter of the year, but for sheer popularity, Multiversus will likely take this one.

• DNF Duel
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
• The King of Fighters 15
• Multiversus
• Sifu

Best Family

Personally, we swooned over Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but think Splatoon 3 will win the popular vote.

• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
• Nintendo Switch Sports
• Splatoon 3

Best Sim/Strategy

With a long history of amazing strategy games, Total War: Warhammer 3 is both our favourite choice and the likely winner.

• Dune: Spice Wars
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
• Total War: Warhammer 3
• Two Point Campus
• Victoria 3

Best Sports/Racing

In our hearts, OlliOlli World will take this category by storm, but our brains know that it’ll be Gran Turismo 7.

• F1 22
• FIFA 23
• NBA 2K23
• Gran Turismo 7
• OlliOlli World

Best Multiplayer

Few multiplayer games were as enjoyable as Splatoon 3, but we saw more hype surrounding Multiversus.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Multiversus
• Overwatch 2
• Splatoon 3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Content Creator of the Year

Fans are mourning the loss of Nibellion from Twitter, and we think the public will vote for their return.

• Karl Jacobs
• Ludwig
• Nibellion
• Nobru
• QTCinderella

Best Debut Indie

We think all of these games are deserving of the title, but as a Game of the Year contender, the winner has to be Stray.

• Neon White
• Norco
• Stray
• Tunic
• Vampire Survivors

Best Adaptation

We love Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and think fans do too, but Arcane could make stiff competition.

• Arcane: League of Legends
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
• The Cuphead Show!
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Uncharted

Most Anticipated Game

It’s been a long time in the making but there is no way that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom doesn’t walk away with this one.

• Final Fantasy 16
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Resident Evil 4
• Starfield
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Esports Game

For the sheer fun factor, we want Rocket League to win, but League of Legends is a far more likely candidate.

• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• Rocket League
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

Faker is a fan favourite player who everyone gets behind, and the likely winner for this one.

• Chovy
• Faker
• Karrigan
• S1mple
• Yay

Best Esports Team

FaZe Clan has completely taken this year by storm, and we’ll be surprised if they don’t win this.

• Dark Zero Esports
• FaZe Clan
• Gen.G
• LA Thieves
• Loud

Best Esports Coach

B1ad3 has had strong results in a very hard year for his team and we think his win will reflect that.

• B1ad3
• BZKA
• D00mbr0s
• Robban
• Score

Best Esports Event

This year was filled with bombastic events, and none were as big as Evo 2022.

• Evo 2022
• 2022 League of Legends Worlds Championship
• PGL Major Antwerp 2022
• The 2022 Mid-Season Invitational
• Valorant Champions 2022

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.