Like the last several years before it, 2024 has been a year chock-full of exciting game releases and innovative new hits. Now that it’s drawing to a close, it’s time to commemorate all of those great new titles with The Game Awards 2024. Geoff Keighley once again hosted the annual awards show in Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, and this year’s iteration is particularly celebratory since it was the event’s 10th anniversary.
The gala kicked off on Thursday, December 12 at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 a.m. GMT. Once the show began, the winners of all 30 awards were announced over the course of the next three hours, with trailers, game reveals, and world premieres that showed off what’s next in gaming interspersed between these announcements. The team here at Windows Central watched and reported on the event as it unfolded, and you’ll find live coverage of every winner and reveal right here (award winners are highlighted in bold below).
Hello everyone, and welcome to our live coverage of The Game Awards 2024! The show may still be a day away, but there’s already quite a few things to talk about ahead of its scheduled start time. There have been several teases of what to expect from the presentation from The Game Awards and its partners, all of which I’ll be covering here shortly.
There’s quite a bit of stiff competition in this year’s nominations, and there’s some noteworthy controversy too; many are frustrated with the inclusion of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree in the running, for example, because it’s ultimately still a DLC expansion even if it is the size of a standalone game. As usual, there are also lots of fans who feel their favorite game got snubbed from Game of the Year nominations or other categories (that’s me with Helldivers 2, 100%).
Still, I’m hoping that it’ll be a great event, even if I still have a sour taste in my mouth from how The Game Awards 2023 let down developers and viewers alike by being more about advertisements and trailers than actually celebrating that year’s best and brightest titles. Fingers crossed! — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
Watch The Game Awards 2024 as it happened over here:
The Game Awards 2024 began on December 12, with the show being streamed live at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 a.m. GMT. You can use the embedded YouTube livestream link above to watch the full three-hour presentation.
The Game Awards 2024 nominees
Game of the Year
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Players’ Voice
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Genshin Impact
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Wuthering Waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
Best Game Direction
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Narrative
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Silent Hill 2
Best Art Direction
- Astro Bot
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Neva
Best Score and Music
- Astro Bot
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Silent Hill 2
- Stellar Blade
Best Audio Design
- Astro Bot
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Silent Hill 2
Best Performance
- Briana White as Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Hannah Telle as Max Caulfield in Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Humberly González as Kay in Star Wars Outlaws
- Luke Roberts as James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2
- Melina Juergens as Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Innovation in Accessibility
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Star Wars Outlaws
Games for Impact
- Closer the Distance
- Indika
- Neva
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
Best Ongoing
- Destiny 2
- Diablo 4
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Independent Game
- Animal Well
- Balatro
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Neva
- UFO 50
Best Debut Indie Game
- Animal Well
- Balatro
- Manor Lords
- Pacific Drive
- The Plucky Squire
Best Mobile Game
- AFK Journey
- Balatro
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
- Wuthering Waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
Best VR/AR
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Asgard’s Wrath 2
- Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Metal: Hellsinger VR
- Metro Awakening
Best Action Game
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Stellar Blade
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Action/Adventure
- Astro Bot
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Silent Hill 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best RPG
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Fighting
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
- Multiversus
- Tekken 8
Best Family
- Astro Bot
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The Plucky Squire
Best Sim/Strategy
- Age of Mythology: Retold
- Frostpunk 2
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Manor Lords
- Unicorn Overlord
Best Sports/Racing
- F1 24
- EA Sports FC 24
- NBA 2K25
- Top Spin 2K25
- WWE 2K24
Best Multiplayer
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- Tekken 8
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Adaptation
- Arcane
- Fallout
- Knuckles
- Like a Dragon
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Grand Theft Auto 6
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Most Anticipated Game
Content Creator of the Year
- CaseOh
- IlluJuan
- Techo Gamerz
- TypicalGamer
- Usada Pekora
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike 2
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Neta Shapira
- Aleksi Virolainen
- Jeong Ji-hoon
- Lee Sang-hyeok
- Mathieu Herbaut
- Zheng Yongkang
Best Esports Team
- Bilibili Gaming
- Gen.G
- Navi
- T1
- Team Liquid
Latest The Game Awards 2024 announcements
Where you can watch The Game Awards 2024
The YouTube stream we embedded above is one way to watch this year’s The Game Awards show, but it’s not the only one. The presentation is being broadcast on a variety of different platforms once it begins on December 12 at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 a.m. GMT, including the following:
If you end up having trouble with the stream on one platform, try using one of the others instead and hopefully it’ll work better for you. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
What to expect from The Game Awards 2024
The vast majority of what’s being shown at The Game Awards 2024 will remain a mystery until the show itself kicks off, but that doesn’t mean we’re going into it completely blind. In fact, the opposite is true, as many developers as well as Geoff Keighley himself have publicly teased several of the games, reveals, trailers, and performances that will appear during the event. These include the following:
In addition to these, note that several celebrities and developers will be presenting awards throughout the evening, including Bethesda’s Todd Howard, actress Isabela Merced from HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2, Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, prolific game voice actor Laura Bailey, Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake, and none other than Hideo Kojima himself.
If we learn anything else about the show before it starts, I’ll be sure to post about it here. With that said, I don’t expect we will, as it’s bound to have plenty of surprises that the showrunners don’t want to spoil. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
“Oh boy, @geoffkeighley cooked”
what im expecting, without hard spoilers:- not a ton from xbox first party studios, pending xbox’s own dev direct in q1. – lots of epic multiplat reveals.- other fun stuff.December 9, 2024
That’s a direct quote from none other than Windows Central’s very own executive editor and Xbox aficionado Jez Corden. Jez posted that to X (Twitter) a few days ago, clearly having heard about some of what’s coming in this year’s The Game Awards. He went on to say “without hard spoilers” that he’s expecting to see impressive multiplatform announcements and “other fun stuff,” though believes that Microsoft and Xbox won’t have much to show since it has its own Developer_Direct presentation coming in Q1 2025.
Sounds like we’re in for a good show this year. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
Here are my The Game Awards 2024 picks
With the actual The Game Awards show now under 24 hours away, I thought it would be fun to share what my personal picks for all of this year’s 30 award categories are based on what got nominated and what I’ve gotten around to playing and watching. Here’s my list:
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Players’ Voice: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Best Game Direction: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Best Narrative: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Best Art Direction: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Best Score and Music: Silent Hill 2
- Best Audio Design: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Best Performance: Melina Juergens as Senua
- Innovation in Accessibility: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Games for Impact: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Best Ongoing: Final Fantasy XIV
- Best Community Support: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Best Independent Game: Animal Well
- Best Debut Indie Game: Animal Well
- Best Mobile Game: Balatro
- Best VR/AR: Metro Awakening
- Best Action Game: Helldivers 2
- Best Action/Adventure: Silent Hill 2
- Best RPG: Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Best Fighting: Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
- Best Family: Astro Bot
- Best Sim/Strategy: Manor Lords
- Best Sports/Racing: EA Sports FC 24
- Best Multiplayer: Helldivers 2
- Best Adaptation: Fallout
- Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto 6
- Content Creator of the Year: CaseOh
- Best Esports Game: Counter-Strike 2
- Best Esports Athlete: N/A
- Best Esports Team: N/A
I begrudgingly voted for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for many of these categories, as while I absolutely love the expansion and think it’s largely better than the nominees it’s up against, I don’t think DLCs should be included in The Game Awards unless they’re in their own separate category. If it was up to me, Helldivers 2 would be in (and win) the Game of the Year running, and Players’ Voice wouldn’t have three gacha games nominated (players were encouraged to vote for them with promises of free currency in these games by their developers, which is pretty lame). Alas, it is not up to me, so here I sit. Salty.
Still, it’s nice to see the presentation and performances in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 get the recognition they deserve, and I’m hoping Animal Well wins both indie awards since it’s pretty mind-blowing a solo developer made such a deep and create Metroidvania. Shoutout to Manor Lords in Best Sim/Strategy, too; it’s another excellent solo-developed project.
Also, I really need to set a day or two aside to watch Arcane Season 2. Fallout probably wouldn’t be my pick for Best Adaptation if I’d done so already, based on what I’ve heard. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
If Balatro doesn’t win GOTY, we riot
Before the nominations were announced, I said that we riot if Balatro wasn’t nominated for Game of the Year. Now it has been nominated, we riot if it doesn’t win Game of the Year. Balatro isn’t my most played game of 2024, but it’s far and away my pick to claim that coveted prize.
I could talk for hours about it, but I won’t. The shortened version is that Balatro embodies everything about what makes a great game. At its core, it’s pure fun. It doesn’t hide behind complicated narratives, flashy graphics, or endless battle passes. It’s just a really good, addictive, well-executed game that I can honestly say anyone I’ve turned to playing it has totally got why I, and so many others, love it so much. — Richard Devine, Managing Editor
It’s finally time to see some Borderlands 4
For Borderlands fans, The Game Awards is Christmas arriving early. We already know Borderlands 4 exists and is scheduled to drop in 2025, but beyond that, not a whole lot. The Game Awards is going to be the first big look at the “most ambitious Borderlands yet” and it’s the thing I’m most excited for.
Sure, I want Balatro to win GOTY, but I love Borderlands. The franchise that really kicked off the whole looter shooter genre with a bang, and without it, some of my favorite titles may never have come to be. Plus, Borderlands fits so well with my own ridiculous sense of humor, I have no doubts I’m going to enjoy what I see tonight. Bring it on! — Richard Devine, Managing Editor
Meanwhile, here’s my votes for the Game Awards 2024
Hey there! Like the rest of the crew, I’m prepping to cover the winter gaming showca-er, the Game Awards 2024, and I’m excited to see what’s in store. As we get closer, I figured I’d also share what my picks were from across all the nominations. Bear in mind, I’m following the rules of what got nominated, so no voting for Frostpunk 2 for Game of the Year, even if it should be a contender.
Game of the Year: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Best Game Direction: Astro Bot
Best Narrative: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Best Art Direction: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Best Score and Music: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Best Audio Design: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Best Performance: Melina Juergens as Senua
Innovation in Accessibility: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Games for Impact: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Best Ongoing: Diablo 4
Best Community Support: Helldivers 2
Best Independent Game: Balatro
Best Debut Indie Game: Balatro
Best Mobile Game: Balatro
Best VR/AR: Asgard’s Wrath 2
Best Action Game: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Action/Adventure: Astro Bot
Best RPG: Dragon’s Dogma 2
Best Fighting: Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
Best Family: Astro Bot
Best Sim/Strategy: Age of Mythology: Retold
Best Sports/Racing: EA Sports FC 25
Best Multiplayer: Helldivers 2
Best Adaptation: Arcane
Most Anticipated Game: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Again, I emphasize that this is only me choosing based off what was available in each category. My real most anticipated game undoubtedly goes to DOOM: The Dark Ages, as I absolutely cannot wait to see what Bethesda and id Software have cooked up with this Medieval-themed prequel focused on the origin of the Slayer’s war on demons. — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor
Tossing my TGA picks into the ring
Since it seems to be all the rage here in the Windows Central live hub for all The Game Awards 2024 news and announcements you need, I’ve decided to also submit my picks for each category. In my humble (and correct) opinion, here are the winners.
- Game of the Year — Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Players’ Voice — Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Best Game Direction — Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Best Narrative — Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Best Art Direction — Neva
- Best Score and Music — Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Best Audio Design — Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Best Performance — Melina Juergens as Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Innovation in Accessibility — Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Games for Impact — Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Best Ongoing — Diablo IV
- Best Community Support — Baldur’s Gate 3
- Best Independent Game — Neva
- Best Debut Indie Game — The Plucky Squire
- Best Mobile Game — Balatro
- Best Action Game — Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Best Action/Adventure — Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Best RPG — Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Best Family — The Plucky Squire
- Best Sim/Strategy — Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
- Best Multiplayer — Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Most Anticipated Game — Grand Theft Auto 6
- Best Esports Game — VALORANT
I omitted the categories I honestly couldn’t care less about, and for the most part stuck with games that I’ve actually played. If you couldn’t tell already, my personal game of the year is absolutely Metaphor: ReFantazio, which I reviewed for Windows Central. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a stunning RPG with an intricate, emotional, and powerful narrative in an incredibly beautiful world. When it comes to RPG gameplay, narrative and game direction, and music.
Metaphor: ReFantazio would’ve run away with art direction, too, but I had to give that to Neva, which I also reviewed and chose as the best indie game of the year. Of course, I also had to give plenty of love to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, another game I reviewed for Windows Central and one of the most impressive accomplishments in art and narrative design in video games. In particular, Hellblade 2’s impactful messaging, unbelievable audio design, and the emotionally devastating performance from Melina Juergens.
Finally, justice for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown! Yes, I reviewed that, too. The Lost Crown is still one of my top games of the year, and it deserves at least one award at TGA. — Zachary Boddy, Staff Writer
Good morning, everyone! As I type this out, The Game Awards 2024 is now only seven hours away, so it won’t be long before we find out which of the nominees in each category are going home with one (or more) of those iconic TGA trophies. We’ll also get to see all the new trailers and reveals that developers around the industry have in store for players. Stay tuned with us throughout the day for live coverage before, during, and after the show as we report on and react to all the exciting news. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
The Sifu devs will be at TGA 2024 with a surprise
Mere hours before the start of TGA 2024, Sloclap — the studio behind last year’s excellent kung fu beat ’em up action game Sifu — has confirmed that it will have a presence at the show. It’s also telling its fans to “expect to be surprised,” which likely means we’ll either get a new game announcement or perhaps a Sifu DLC reveal. Either one sounds great to me, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Sloclap has in store for players. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 DESERVES to win Best Multiplayer
I’ve been a Call of Duty player for a long time. I’m significantly older than the top players of today, but I’ve been floating around since the beginning. I took a few years off, though, because the Modern Warfare titles didn’t grab me, and I didn’t enjoy Vanguard in my limited time with it at all.
The latest, Black Ops 6, is up for Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards and I wholeheartedly believe it deserves to win. Not just because it would be a nice catch for the now Microsoft-owned franchise!
Ignoring the anticheat woes and the usual community frustrations that you’ll always get with a game of this type, Black Ops 6 is a return to form for Call of Duty. The multiplayer is fast and fun, and Omnimovement has made more difference to this than I think a lot would give it credit for. I’m over 230 hours deep already, mostly in multiplayer, which speaks volumes for someone that’s avoided almost all PvP games for a few years! Helldivers 2 is also worthy, but I really think Black Ops 6 deserves recognition. — Richard Devine, Managing Editor
*Sad John Williams theme plays*
While plenty of amazing games and talented teams are being recognized during the awards, there’s one game that won’t be present, and that’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This excellent adventure title from MachineGames and Bethesda Softworks launched just a few days ago, well after the cutoff point for when a game needs to launch in order to be recognized and voted on.
I do understand this, really. You have to have a cutoff point with lead time in order to allow the jury to reasonably vote, but it’s such a shame that Indy won’t be eligible this year, because I firmly believe he’d be a frontrunner for many.
After all, this is my game of the year, and I wrote in my review of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle that “From the manner in which every line is delivered and scene is shot to the smirk on Indy’s face when solving a puzzle, it’s clear that everyone at MachineGames just gets what makes Indiana Jones so special. This is a game that can sit next to the original trilogy with pride.” — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor
STALKER 2 got absolutely robbed this year
Samuel is absolutely right that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle deserved to be up in The Games Awards’ lineup, but it did miss the cutoff date by several weeks. One game that didn’t, though, was GSC Game World’s highly anticipated survival shooter STALKER 2.
The cutoff was originally scheduled for November 22, but it got pushed up with no stated reasoning from The Game Awards; this axed the eligibility of November 20’s STALKER 2 at the eleventh hour, which is pretty royally unfair if you ask me. It really should have been up there, as I’d argue it’s unquestionably one of this year’s best games and an inspiring success story from a beleaguered Ukrainian developer that persisted in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Its initial reviews and overall Metacritic scores took a sizable hit from some gnarly performance issues at launch, but GSC quickly patched the game up effectively and have majorly improved the Xbox and Windows PC exclusive. That’s allowed its incredibly immersive atmosphere, immensely rewarding open-world exploration, and tense moment-to-moment combat gameplay shine brightly; 84% of its 68,279 user reviews on Steam are positive.
In my own review of STALKER 2, I wrote that the shooter “stands tall as one of the most captivating open-world shooters I’ve ever played, with palpable atmosphere and deeply rewarding exploration that kept me glued to my seat along with addictively intense and dynamic action that kept me on the edge of it.”
I’d definitely put it (along with Helldivers 2) in Game of the Year in place of Black Myth: Wukong or the Elden Ring DLC if it was eligible, and it should definitely be in the running for Best Action Game and/or Best Action/Adventure, too. The fact it wasn’t available as an option to vote for is a real shame. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
I will not allow the Vampire Survivors erasure from this years awards to go ignored
Storming into the live blog to rant about my own injustice in this year’s Game Awards, well not mine, Poncle’s. From late 2023 and throughout 2024, Vampire Survivors has received a number of either free or ridiculously cheap updates adding an insane amount of content to the game, from the Among Us and Contra crossovers, to the Darkasso update adding a slew of ridiculously powered new Arcanas. Finishing the year with a boom, we got the Ode to Castlevania DLC in October, which for the tiny price of $3.99 added the biggest map yet, 20 new characters and 40 new weapons. Or did it? No, Poncle hid even MORE content past the end credits, and without spoiling it for those who haven’t played yet, you are in for your money’s worth.
I’ve put *checks notes* 58 hours into the DLC alone on Steam, and when the Game Awards made such a song and dance about DLC being eligible for awards, I really thought Vampire Survivors would get some well deserved recognition. Alas, it hasn’t even been acknowledged in the ongoing game. A travesty.
Balatro making it into the Game of the Year category is the only thing keeping me from full incandescent rage, that and good old BAFTA Games have longlisted Vampire Survivors in it’s own awards, so fingers crossed Poncle will get the recognition they so deserve elsewhere. — Jennifer Young, Gaming Contributor
Balatro just dropped huge free new update making it even more obvious it should win Game of the Year
Balatro is absolutely clearing everying else in the Game of the Year category right now. Don’t tell me I’m biased! Earlier this week, Cyberpunk 2077 paid homage to the game with a Balatro-inspired mission as a nod to Jimbo. Now, just over an hour ago, Balatro decided to keep the momentum going with a huge surprise—dropping the brand-new Friends of Jimbo 3 Pack 3 DLC on all platforms.
This DLC features crossovers with deep breath Divinity: Original Sin 2, Shovel Knight, Potion Craft, Enter The Gungeon, Cult of the Lamb, Don’t Starve, 1000xRESIST, and Warframe. The announcement came via an incredible trailer starring none other than Ben Starr, who plays our favorite Joker to perfection. Starr, who was nominated at last year’s Game Awards for his role in Final Fantasy 16, delivers a great performance in the trailer, which totally will not give me nightmares.
With Balatro now celebrating 3.5 million copies sold, it’s no wonder it’s cementing its spot as one of the year’s best games. Honestly, it’s my personal Game of the Year winner—and with this level of content and creativity, it’s a title that’s more than well-deserved. — Jennifer Young, Gaming Contributor
Geoff Keighley speaks on 10 years of The Game Awards
This year’s The Game Awards celebration is fairly unique, as it happens to be the 10th anniversary of the event that showrunner Geoff Keighley first established in 2014. Therefore, while it’s commemorating all the amazing games that have released in 2024, it’s also something of a ceremony for The Game Awards’ success in the last decade as well.
Geoff Keighley, executive producer Kimmie Kim, director Richard Preuss, and production designer LeRoy Bennett have all spoken about this year’s show in a new Variety interview, with the team discussing The Game Awards’ rise in popularity and production quality over time, its similarities and differences compared to other shows like the Oscars and VMAs, and its focus on celebrating recent games while simultaneously giving fans a sneak peek at the future.
Notably, Keighley commented in the interview that some of what players will see goes beyond what’s coming next year. “This audience really does want to see the future, so we’ll be focused not just on what’s happening in 2025 in gaming, but I think you’ll see some things that are even further out at the show,” he said.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable read, and one worth checking out while we’re waiting for the show to start. Only about three and a half hours to go! — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
Check out this hilarious The Game Awards 2024 bingo card
PRESENTED BY AGGRO CRAB:THE GAME AWARDS BINGO CARD 2024play along with us or just watch the chaos‼️ pic.twitter.com/tkfq2m9geADecember 12, 2024
It’s impossible to know exactly what we’ll see at The Game Awards, but trying to predict its schedule and then seeing if we’re right is always a fun way to enjoy the show. That’s the idea with bingo cards, and this one from Aggro Crab — the developer behind this year’s excellent underwater Soulslike Another Crab’s Treasure — is absolutely hilarious.
It’s chock full of funny references to controversial elements of this year’s show (like the presence of Elden Ring’s DLC) as well as jokes about its hosts, presenters, and past events (like Snoop Dogg and marijuana, the discussion about developer clothing last year, and Josef Fares’ on-stage antics). I need to see Geoff Keighley bring an actual alligator on-stage to present something for Grand Theft Auto VI (set in a satirical version of Florida), but I’m going to be peeved if I have to cross off that “PLEASE WRAP IT UP” square.
By the way, Another Crab’s Treasure itself is a delightful indie, and if you play games on Xbox or PC, you can check it out with Xbox Game Pass. If you like Soulslikes, I strongly recommend it. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
Jez’s ‘The Game Awards’ 2024 predictions: what to expect
Hey gang, it’s that time again. Geoff Keighley is out in force this year for The Game Awards, and the excitement is reaching fever pitch.
There are rumors of all shapes and sizes flying around, and I’ve already posted some expectations on socials, but I want to add here what Xbox and Windows PC gamers can expect from Microsoft and its partners at this year’s show.
NO SPOILERS, though.
From what I’m hearing, there will be at least a couple blockbuster announcements (initially shared by Jason Schrier on KindaFunny). One is a PlayStation exclusive fans should be very excited to see. However, at least one of the other major announcements should indeed represent a full multiplatform release across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. It should spark a ton of excitement if true — although I’m not sure whether to expect this particular game to launch in the near term.
As for Xbox itself, I expect the vast majority, if not every announcement relevant to Xbox to be a multiplatform affair. But there could be at least a couple of fun announcements, at least one could expand the already packed 2025 Xbox first-party slate.
For my full The Game Awards predictions list, head over here. — Jez Corden, Executive Editor
SAG-AFTRA is still on strike
While we’re all looking forward to the different announcements and awards, including seeing who wins Best Performance, it’s extremely important to remember that SAG-AFTRA is still on strike. The union is seeking agreements to prevent abuse of AI, a hot topic across the game and tech industries.
These actors are a huge reason why some of the biggest games can succeed, so if you’ve ever appreciated a performance like Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu or Troy Baker as Indiana Jones, you should be aware of what the concerns are as the strike continues. — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor
Save big on TGA 2024 nominees and other gaming gear
There are a lot of games nominated for awards this year, with a ton of genre variety throughout the full list. Even the most dedicated gamers likely haven’t played all of them as a result — I haven’t gotten around to playing half of the Game of the Year nominees, myself — but if you’re looking to catch up on what you missed, you’ll want to take advantage of these excellent limited-time deals.
Amazon, Microsof (Xbox), and Sony (PS5) are all offering special discounts on The Game Awards 2024 nominees on their respective storefronts, along with price cuts on quality gaming accessories like mice, keyboards, headsets, controllers, and more. The PlayStation sale is the best one since that sale runs until December 16 (Microsoft’s ends after the show), but they’re all great, and they allow you to save 75% or more on many of this year’s best games. Check them out! — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
The Game Awards 2024 is now under one hour away from broadcasting live, so now’s the time to get some grub or stretch for a while before settling in for the show. I’m going to eat a quick bite myself, but I’ll be back soon to provide you with live coverage of the ceremony. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
T-minus 5 minutes away from the start of The Game Awards! Enjoy the show if you’re watching live, and thanks for sticking with us as we report on all the cool stuff we’re about to see. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is coming in summer 2025
The Game Awards 2024 has kicked off with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, a new platformer in the legendary series headed your way in summer 2025.
The cozy vibes from One Move Away are immaculate
Hope you like packing (and unpacking). A cozy game about moving called One Move Away is coming in 2025, and it looks very relaxing to play!
Dave the Diver has an “In the Jungle” DLC on the way
Last year’s incredibly popular indie title Dave the Diver has an “In the Jungle” expansion coming in late 2025, so be ready for that if you’re a fan!
Thick as Thieves reminds me of Dishonored, and it’s coming to consoles and Xbox
One of the most interesting games shown so far was Thick as Thieves, a stealth action game that looks heavily inspired by Dishonored. It’s coming to Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox, and PS5.
Shadow Labyrinth comes to all platforms next year
This new 2D action platformer looks pretty fun, and there’s good news: it’s coming to all major platforms in 2025! That means Xbox, PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
Tales of the Shire gets an official 2025 release date
Another adorable cozy game that fans of Lords of the Rings will love is Tales of the Shire. It’s headed to Xbox, PC, PS5, and Switch on March 25, 2025, and seems to be a farming/life simulator.
Core Keeper devs announce Kyora, which looks like the ultimate Terraria sequel
Pugstorm, the team behind the critically acclaimed open-world survival crafting game Core Keeper, have announced Kyora — a new title that looks a whole lot like a spiritual successor to Terraria. You can wishlist it on Steam now.
The team behind Sifu decided to make a soccer game
Sloclap, the team behind the high-octane action fighting game Sifu, decided they wanted to make a soccer game. And so, we have Rematch. Online soccer action! It’s coming to Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation in summer 2025.
Solasta 2 is appealing to my love of Baldur’s Gate 3, and it’s entering Early Access soon
Solasta 2 is a new tactical turn-based RPG that looks a whole lot like a Baldur’s Gate-style tabletop game, and it’s hitting Early Access on Steam in 2025. A free demo is coming soon, too!
Slay the Spire 2 got a brand new trailer at TGA 2024
Slay the Spire’s sequel has been highly anticipated for quite a while now, and we finally got a detailed new trailer at The Game Awards show. It’s coming at some point next year in Early Access.
Wow, Harrison Ford at The Game Awards! That’s quite a surprise. I suppose it’s fitting, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle proving to be a big hit! It was cool to see him next Troy Baker.
Holy moly, The Witcher 4 just got announced!
What a surprise! CD PROJEKT RED has blown everyone away by revealing The Witcher 4, the long-awaited sequel to one of the best RPGs of all time, with an extended cinematic trailer. We won’t be playing as Geralt this time, though; instead, you’ll take control of none other than Ciri herself.
WTF? Elden Ring is getting a new “Nightreign” co-op game!
Oh, nobody expected this! FromSoftware is making Elden Ring: Nightreign, a new co-op adventure game set in the developer’s grand fantasy world. It’s coming to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation next year!
The Shadow of the Colossus devs tease their new game
Team Ico, the developer behind Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian, made an appearance at The Game Awards 2024 with a trailer for a mysterious new game. We didn’t get a name, but unsurprisingly, it’s got huge scale — gigantic robots, specifically. Get hyped!
Surprise! The Outer Worlds 2 is coming next year
The Outer Worlds 2, the sequel to Obsidian Entertainment’s popular 2019 sci-fi RPG, is coming to Xbox, PC, and PS5 in 2025! At The Game Awards, it got an amusing new trailer that confirmed its release date. We’ve known it’s coming for quite a while, but this was the first time we actually got a look at it.
Josef Fares and Hazelight announce Split Fiction for March!
It Takes Two developer Hazelight Studios had a big showing at The Game Awards, announcing its next co-op game Split Fiction. Uniquely, the game’s levels feature a blend of both sci-fi and fantasy environments, so it should offer quite an interesting gameplay experience to enjoy with a friend. Oh, and it’s scheduled to come out March 6!
10 years later, The Long Dark is getting a sequel
The popular 2014 winter survival game The Long Dark is one of the most atmospheric I’ve ever played, so I was excited to see that a sequel called The Long Dark 2: Blackfrost got announced during the show. It’s expected to enter Early Access in 2026!
Borderlands 4 got an explosive new trailer…and a release date
The Borderlands 4 trailer we knew was coming today got shown, and it looks like it’ll offer all the explosive action longtime fans crave. It’s coming to Xbox, Steam, and PlayStation in 2025, which was a nice surprise to learn about!
Mecha BREAK flies onto the scene in spring 2025
Those who have been following the mech action title Mecha BREAK will be happy to know it’s officially scheduled to drop next year in spring, and will be available on Xbox and PC. Interestingly, it will have an advanced AI NPC that can answer pretty much any question you ask it.
Yakuza dev RGG Studio reveals Project Century
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the team behind the beloved Yakuza franchise, announced what looks to be a new action game called Project Century. The dev also briefly went over what looks to be something new for the Virtua Fighter series. Few specific details were given, though!
THE ILLUMINATE JUST CAME TO HELLDIVERS 2
CALLING ALL HELLDIVERS! Helldivers 2 had a HUGE showing at The Game Awards, with a new Omens of Tyranny update going LIVE shortly after a trailer that showed off the arrival of the Illuminate faction, urban city maps, the long-awaited APC vehicle, and more! I know what I’m playing the second I’m done covering this show!
Palworld’s Feybreak update is coming later this month
A short trailer was shown for Palworld’s upcoming Feybreak update during the show, with a December 23 release date revealed. On that day, you’ll be able to play on Xbox, PC, and PS5.
Fans of Onimusha, a classic Capcom action/adventure franchise, will be happy to hear that we’re getting a brand new entry called Way of the Sword in 2026. The cinematic trailer shown didn’t include gameplay, but it sure did have plenty of bloody samurai action. It’s coming to Xbox, PS5, and Windows PC.
Kyle Crane returns in Dying Light: The Beast coming next year
Techland’s parkour-heavy survival action franchise Dying Light is getting its next entry with Dying Light: The Beast, and today we learned it’s scheduled to release on Xbox, PS5, and Windows PC in summer 2025. The news came alongside a sweet new trailer with plenty of zombie-slaying action.
Game of Thrones is getting a brand new game next year
Well hey, would you look at that! A Game of Thrones action/adventure game that’s coming in 2025, complete with characters from the popular HBO TV show and plenty of medieval-fantasy action. It’s platforms haven’t been revealed yet, though!
The Last of Us Part 2’s remaster is coming to PC in April
Did The Last of Us Part 2 need a remaster? No. Would one make a ton of money? Definitely. Therefore, Sony and Naughty Dog remastered it this year, and are now bringing it to PC next year on April 3, 2025.
Mafia: The Old Country got its slick reveal trailer, and a release date too
The new Mafia game, The Old Country, got teased well before The Game Awards itself, and now we finally got to see its debut trailer during it. It’s coming in summer 2025, so it’s coming soon!
Aaron Paul and Laura Bailey star in a new game!
Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul and world-famous video game voice actress Laura Bailey star in a new story adventure game called Dispatch that’s coming in 2025. Its stylized art direction looks great, and I’m looking forward to checking it out next year.
Wow, an Okami sequel!
That’s another one we definitely didn’t see coming! Okami, Capcom’s beloved single player action/adventure game from 2006, is finally getting a sequel. It got announced during an amazing The Game Awards Orchestra performance, and is entering production shortly.
Naughty Dog announces Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Another huge surprise! Naughty Dog showed up with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a new PS5 game that’s apparently been in development for four years now. Here’s a quote from the trailer’s description: “Set thousands of years in the future, Intergalactic puts players into the role of Jordan A. Mun, a dangerous bounty hunter who ends up stranded on Sempiria – a distant planet whose communication with the outside universe went dark hundreds of years ago. Jordan will have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in over 600 years to leave its orbit.”
And the Game of the Year is … Astro Bot!
And Astro Bot takes home the prestigious Game of the Year win! Congratulations to Team ASOBI on its victory, and to all the other games that were nominated. I was definitely expecting Black Myth: Wukong or Metaphor: ReFantazio to win, so this was quite a surprise!
The Game Awards 2024 highlights and what you missed
The Game Awards 2024 is now officially over, but man, what a show it was — an absolutely colossal three and a half hour ceremony with a crazy amount of new trailers and reveals, including many announcements that blew us away! Below, I’ve rounded up our in-depth coverage of all the highlights for you to read through if you missed the event…
…and also the trailers that slipped through my rapidly typing fingers due to the event’s rapid pace:
Thanks for sticking with me for the show! I’ll write up more of my full thoughts shortly, but overall, I thought this was easily one of the best The Game Awards shows ever…even if it was extremely long. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
… And that’s a wrap! What an amazing show.
Coming off of last year’s extremely disappointing The Game Awards show that was rife with speeches rushed by “PLEASE WRAP IT UP” signs, tons of annoying advertisements, and zero attempts to raise awareness about the gaming industry’s ongoing layoff issues at all, I wasn’t exactly feeling optimistic about the 2024 iteration of the event. Yet while it still had a few too many ads for my liking, I have to say that I’m still extremely impressed by what Geoff Keighley and company put together this time around.
Not only were there a series of truly wild announcements — the reveal of the dedicated co-op game Elden Ring: Nightreign blew my mind, other huge titles like The Witcher 4 looked fantastic too, and oh my god, that Helldivers 2 Illuminate update shadow drop — but we also got some fantastic musical performances, plenty of great speeches from developers speaking from the heart, and an entire segment dedicated to discussing the layoffs.
Put simply, that was one of the best The Game Awards shows Geoff Keighley and his teams have put on yet, and it might even be the best one. I suppose that’s only fitting for the event’s 10th anniversary!
Whether you watched The Game Awards alongside myself and my co-workers live or you used this live blog to keep tabs on all the big announcements and award results, thank you for joining me tonight. Myself and the rest of the Windows Central Gaming team will continue writing up our thoughts, reactions, and maybe even a few spicy hot takes tonight and tomorrow, though, so stay tuned for additional commentary. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor
The Game Awards 2024 have concluded, and I’m honestly pleasantly surprised as a whole. Geoff Keighley seems to have taken feedback from previous years, resulting in a show that’s more self-aware, more willing to poke fun at itself, more transparent, and more open to addressing the current events of the video games industry. There were a lot of great game announcements and performances, too, and most of the game award categories felt uncharacteristically reasonable.
I was in high spirits (apart from my crushing exhaustion, my gods what a long show) up until the end, when the Game of the Year was announced. In my eyes, only one game truly earned the title in 2024, as the game with the most unyielding narrative impact, memorable art design, worldbuilding, and music, and enrapturing mixed-genre RPG gameplay. Of course, I’m speaking about Metaphor: ReFantazio, which has stood uncontested as my personal GotY since I reviewed it.
Don’t get me wrong, Astro Bot is a phenomenal 3D platformer with practically zero flaws, and I’m happy The Game Awards took time to recognize Astro Bot in a variety of categories. Smaller, less ambitious games like Astro Bot are often overlooked entirely, so I loved seeing it awarded alongside other brilliant games this year like Neva and Balatro. Despite its excellence, though, I don’t believe Astro Bot was the best choice for Game of the Year.
While perfectly polished, accessible to players of all ages, and a highlight of PlayStation’s first-party output this year (we won’t talk about Concord), Astro Bot feels like the safe play for The Game Awards. In contrast, Metaphor: ReFantazio is bold, obviously making zero attempt to appeal to mainstream audiences and instead focusing on delivering the absolute best gameplay, story, world and character building, and art design possible. It succeeds, to the point where I almost began a New Game+ immediately after rolling the credits on my 85-hour playthrough. I almost never feel like that with games, I often begin burning out around the 40-hour mark.
Still, while I may disagree… Congratulations to Astro Bot on winning Game of the Year, Best Game Direction (Metaphor: ReFantazio also should’ve won that, cough cough), Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game. Of course, congratulations to Atlus and Metaphor: ReFantazio on winning Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, and Best RPG. You should’ve swept with Best Score and Music, too. — Zachary Boddy, Staff Writer
A marked improvement over the 2023 show
Nothing is ever perfect, but I’ll say that this year’s show was significantly better than what we saw in 2023. Developers were actually given a bit of time to accept their awards without being hurried along, and even if it wasn’t too sharply pointed, we did get some commentary about the awful layoffs that have ravaged the industry over the last two years. Well done to Keighley and crew for accepting at least some of the feedback levied since last year. — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor
