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Here Are The Nominees For The Game Awards 2021

by Marcus Stewart on Nov 16, 2021 at 01:00 PM

The Game Awards (hosted by Geoff Keighley) airs on December 9 live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. We already know the in-person event will showcase a significant number of new and upcoming titles, but celebrating 2021’s most outstanding games remains the heart of the show. Today, we learned the nominees for each category, which you can vote on right now at the Game Awards official website.

The nominees are: 

Game of the Year

  • Deathloop
  • It Takes Two
  • Metroid Dread
  • Psychonauts 2
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  • Resident Evil Village

Best Game Direction

  • Deathloop
  • It Takes Two
  • Returnal
  • Psychonauts 2
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Best Narrative

  • Deathloop
  • It Takes Two
  • Life is Strange: True Colors
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Psychonauts 2

Best Performance

  • Erika Mori (Alex Chen/Life is Strange: True Colors)
  • Giancarlo Esposito (Antón Castillo/Far Cry 6)
  • Jason Kelly (Colt Vahn/Deathloop)
  • Maggie Robertson (Alcina Dimitrescu/Resident Evil Village)
  • Ozioma Akagha (Julianna Blake/Deathloop)

Best Multiplayer

  • Back 4 Blood
  • Knockout City
  • It Takes Two
  • Monster Hunter Rise
  • New World
  • Valheim
Deathloop

Best Ongoing Game

  • Apex Legends
  • Call of Duty: Warzone
  • Final Fantasy XIV
  • Genshin Impact
  • Fortnite

Best Art Direction

  • Deathloop
  • Kena: Bridge of Spirits
  • Psychonauts 2
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  • The Artful Escape

Best Score & Music

  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Deathloop
  • Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • The Artful Escape

Best Audio Design

  • Deathloop
  • Forza Horizon 5
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  • Resident Evil Village
  • Returnal

Innovation in Accessibility

  • Far Cry 6
  • Forza Horizon 5
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  • The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Games for Impact

  • Before Your Eyes
  • Boyfriend Dungeon
  • Chicory: A Colorful Tale
  • Life is Strange: True Colors
  • No Longer Home

Best Independent Game

  • Death’s Door
  • Kena: Bridge of Spirits
  • Inscryption
  • Loop Hero
  • Twelve Minutes

Best Mobile Game

  • Fantasian
  • Genshin Impact
  • League of Legends: Wild Rift
  • Marvel Future Revolution
  • Pokémon Unite

Best Community Support

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

Best Debut Indie Game

  • Kena: Bridge of Spirts
  • Sable
  • The Artful Escape
  • The Forgotten City
  • Valheim
Psychonauts 2

Best AR/VR Game

  • Hitman III
  • I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar
  • Lone Echo II
  • Resident Evil 4 VR
  • Sniper Elite VR

Content Creator of the Year

  • Dream
  • Fuslie
  • Gaules
  • Ibai
  • The Grefg

Best Action Game

  • Back 4 Blood
  • Chivalry II
  • Deathloop
  • Far Cry 6
  • Returnal

Best Action/Adventure Game

  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Metroid Dread
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  • Resident Evil Village
  • Psychonauts 2

Best Role-Playing Game

  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Monster Hunter Rise
  • Scarlet Nexus
  • Shin Megami Tensei V
  • Tales of Arise
Tales of Arise

Most Anticipated Game

  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • The Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Starfield

Best Fighting Game

  • Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles
  • Guilty Gear -Strive-
  • Melty Blood: Type Lumina
  • Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
  • Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown

Best Family Game

  • It Takes Two
  • Mario Party Superstars
  • New Pokémon Snap
  • Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
  • Warioware: Get It Together!

Best Sim/Strategy Game

  • Age of Empires IV
  • Evil Genius 2: World Domination
  • Humankind
  • Inscryption
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator

Best Sports/Racing Game

  • F1 2021
  • FIFA 2022
  • Hot Wheels Unleashed
  • Forza Horizon 5
  • Riders Republic
Inscryption

Best eSports Game

  • Call of Duty
  • CS:GO
  • Dota 2
  • League of Legends
  • Valorant

Best eSports Athlete

  • Collapse
  • S1mple
  • Showmaker
  • Tenz
  • Simp

Best eSports Team

  • Atlanta Faze (Call of Duty)
  • DWG KIA (League of Legends)
  • Natus Vincere (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
  • Sentinels (Valorant)
  • Team Spirit (Dota 2)

Best eSports Coach

  • Airat “Silent” Gaziev
  • Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov
  • Andreii “B1AD3” Horodenskyi
  • James “Crowder” Crowder
  • Kim “KKoma” Jeong-Gyun

Best eSports Event

  • 2021 League of Legends World Championships
  • The International 2021
  • PGL Major Stockholm 2021
  • PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020
  • Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters

For more on The Game Awards, you can read the full list of winners from last year's show here. For a look at our own opinions on the year's best and brightest, be sure to also check out Game Informer's evolving list of the top-scoring games of 2021

Products In This Article

Deathloopcover

Deathloop

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release Date:
September 14, 2021 (PlayStation 5, PC), 
September 20, 2022 (Xbox Series X/S)
It Takes Twocover

It Takes Two

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
March 26, 2021 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), 
November 4, 2022 (Switch)
Metroid Dreadcover

Metroid Dread

Platform:
Switch
Release Date:
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apartcover

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PC
Release Date:
June 11, 2021 (PlayStation 5), 
July 26, 2023 (PC)
Resident Evil Villagecover

Resident Evil Village

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation VR2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Mac, iOS
Release Date:
May 7, 2021 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), 
October 28, 2022 (Switch, Mac), 
February 22, 2023 (PlayStation VR2), 
October 30, 2023 (iOS)
Returnalcover

Returnal

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PC
Release Date:
April 30, 2021 (PlayStation 5), 
February 15, 2023 (PC)
Psychonauts 2cover

Psychonauts 2

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxycover

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
Life is Strange: True Colorscover

Life is Strange: True Colors

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia, PC
Release Date:
September 10, 2021 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC), 
December 7, 2021 (Switch)
Back 4 Bloodcover

Back 4 Blood

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
Knockout Citycover

Knockout City

Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
The Forgotten Citycover

The Forgotten City

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
July 28, 2021 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), 
September 23, 2021 (Switch)
Before Your Eyescover

Before Your Eyes

Platform:
PlayStation VR2, PC, Mac, iOS, Android
Release Date:
April 8, 2021 (PC), 
September 28, 2021 (Mac), 
July 26, 2022 (iOS, Android), 
March 10, 2023 (PlayStation VR2)
Chicory: A Colorful Talecover

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Mac
Release Date:
June 10, 2021 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac), 
December 15, 2021 (Switch), 
May 30, 2023 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)
The Artful Escapecover

The Artful Escape

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
September 9, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC), 
January 25, 2022 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch)
Death's Doorcover

Death's Door

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Release Date:
July 20, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC), 
November 23, 2021 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch), 
TBA (iOS, Android)
Cyberpunk 2077cover

Cyberpunk 2077

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Release Date:
December 10, 2020 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC), 
February 15, 2022 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)
Far Cry 6cover

Far Cry 6

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC, Mac
Release Date:
Forza Horizon 5cover

Forza Horizon 5

Platform:
Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
The Vale: Shadow of the Crowncover

The Vale: Shadow of the Crown

Platform:
Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
Kena: Bridge of Spiritscover

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date:
Inscryptioncover

Inscryption

Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC
Release Date:
October 19, 2021 (PC), 
August 30, 2022 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4), 
December 1, 2022 (Switch)
Twelve Minutescover

Twelve Minutes

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Release Date:
August 19, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC), 
December 7, 2021 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch), 
TBA (iOS, Android)
Loop Herocover

Loop Hero

Platform:
Switch, PC
Release Date:
March 4, 2021 (PC), 
December 9, 2021 (Switch)
Boyfriend Dungeoncover

Boyfriend Dungeon

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
August 11, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC), 
February 14, 2023 (PlayStation 5)
Sablecover

Sable

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
September 23, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC), 
November 29, 2022 (PlayStation 5)
Hitman 3cover

Hitman 3

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia, PC
Release Date:
Chivalry 2cover

Chivalry 2

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
Resident Evil 4 VRcover

Resident Evil 4 VR

Platform:
Quest
Release Date:
Scarlet Nexuscover

Scarlet Nexus

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
Tales of Arisecover

Tales of Arise

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date:
Shin Megami Tensei Vcover

Shin Megami Tensei V

Platform:
Switch
Release Date:
Monster Hunter Risecover

Monster Hunter Rise

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date:
March 26, 2021 (Switch), 
January 12, 2022 (PC), 
January 20, 2023 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)