A Decade of Excellence: The Game Awards’ Game of the Year Winners
On December 12, 2024, the highly anticipated Game Awards took place, captivating audiences for nearly four hours with a plethora of awards and exciting trailers for upcoming titles. As is tradition, the event culminated in the proclamation of the coveted Game of the year award. If you’ve ever found yourself pondering past winners—like “What about 2016?”—this article will provide a comprehensive overview of all Game of the Year recipients from the last decade.
the inaugural Winner: Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
The journey began in 2014 when BioWare’s expansive fantasy RPG, Dragon Age: Inquisition, claimed victory as the first-ever Game of the Year at The game awards. While it would have been fitting to see Dragon Age: The Veilguard take home this honor a decade later, fate had other plans.
A Landmark Victory for RPGs: The Witcher 3 (2015)
In 2015, CD Projekt Red’s critically acclaimed title The Witcher 3 dominated proceedings by not only winning Game of the Year but also securing three awards out of six nominations. Fast forward nine years to 2024 when CDPR unveiled The Witcher 4, reigniting excitement among fans.
Breaking New Ground with Overwatch (2016)
Blizzard entertainment made history in 2016 when its multiplayer hero shooter Overwatch became both a groundbreaking non-RPG and multiplayer title to win GOTY at The Game Awards. Notably, it would be five years before another multiplayer-only game achieved this feat again.
Celebrating Open Worlds with Breath of the Wild (2017)
In an impressive display in 2017, Nintendo’s beloved open-world adventure Zelda: Breath of the Wild clinched top honors at The Game Awards. This marked not only its triumph but also established it as Nintendo’s sole entry into this prestigious category as we approach 2024—a remarkable achievement considering it originated on Wii U!
Godly Competition in Gaming (2018)
Sony’s ambitious reboot God of War took center stage in 2018 by winning GOTY amidst fierce competition from titles like Red Dead Redemption II. Both games received eight nominations each that year; however, controversy surrounded their outcomes as fans debated which deserved recognition more fervently.
Sekiro Shines Brightly (2019)
Continuing on this trend was FromSoftware’s samurai action-adventure game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which won accolades while Hideo Kojima’s innovative title Death Stranding set a record with ten nominations—a benchmark that wouldn’t stand long!
Unprecedented Recognition for Last Of Us Part II (2020)
In an remarkable turn during its release year—2020—Naughty Dog’s emotional narrative-driven game,The Last Of Us Part II, shattered records by receiving eleven nominations and winning seven awards including GOTY itself! This marked PlayStation’s second consecutive win at these prestigious awards.
Co-op Triumphs with it Takes Two (2021)
A surprising twist occurred in just two years later when EA and Hazelight Studios’ cooperative puzzle-platformer,It Takes two, emerged victorious as another multiplayer-only winner. Anticipation builds around their next project titled Split Fiction set to launch early next year!
Elden Ring Reigns Supreme Again! (2022)
FromSoftware solidified its legacy by becoming one-of-a-kind studio to secure two GOTY wins after claiming victory once more for their monumental release,Elden Ring. Competing against heavyweights like God Of War Ragnarök—which tied previous records—the battle was intense yet ultimately rewarding for Elden Ring enthusiasts everywhere!
Baldur’s Gate III Dominates Social Media Buzz(2023)
Last year’s standout was undoubtedly Larian Studios’ epic role-playing experience,Baldur’s Gate III. With numerous accolades under its belt—including five additional wins—it captured hearts across social media platforms throughout months leading up towards award season despite stiff competition from titles such as Alan Wake II or Spider-Man II!
Looking Ahead to Future Wins
As we reflect upon these remarkable achievements over ten years since inception; anticipation grows surrounding what lies ahead! At this year’s tenth edition hosted brilliantly by Geoff Keighley—the nominees showcased diversity ranging from indie card games like Balatro through DLC expansions alongside turn-based RPGs such Metaphor Refantazio—but ultimately Astro Bot emerged victorious taking home three additional trophies along seven total nods marking PlayStation’s third win overall within these esteemed ceremonies! Will Microsoft finally break through next December? Only time will tell…