Game Awards 2023: Who's winning?

Circle your calendars for December 7 and catch live broadcast of Game Awards 2023 from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles

Ava Brooks - Nov 20, 2023

The image shows the game awards cover photo. — X/@thegameawards

The buzz is all about The Game Awards 2023, and boy, are the nominations creating a stir! Baldur's Gate 3 and the brand-new Alan Wake II are leading the charge with a whopping eight nods each, both eyeing that coveted Game of the Year spot. But hold on tight — Geoff Keighley, the show's host and organiser, is sticking to his rule of just six contenders for the big award, making the competition even more intense.

"There have been so many great games in 2023. I wish we could get past the rhetoric that a game not nominated in a category is unworthy or bad. It simply didn't make the cutoff in a highly competitive year," Keighley expressed in a tweet.

Game Award nominees 2023

Joining the GOTY race are heavy hitters like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Resident Evil 4 remake, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Zelda and Resident Evil made a splash in the gaming scene earlier this year, with Zelda enthusiasts crafting fantastic creations in Hyrule and RE4 players diving into intriguing mods on PC.

Switching gears, HBO's The Last of Us series was an obvious pick for the Best Adaptation category. It nailed the post-apocalyptic world's essence, striking a chord with both die-hard gamers and newcomers alike. The mega-successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie also enters the ring, alongside shows like Twisted Metal on Peacock, Netflix's Castlevania: Nocturne, and the Gran Turismo movie featuring David Harbour.

The Game Awards will be a star-studded event, with actors gracing the stage after the recent strike. I'm personally rooting for Neil Newbon's portrayal of Astarion the Vampire Spawn in Baldur's Gate 3, alongside other nominees like Cameron Monaghan for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Ben Starr for Final Fantasy XVI, and Idris Elba for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

Cyberpunk 2077's nod for Best Ongoing Game raised eyebrows, considering Phantom Liberty was more of an expansion than an ongoing live-service game. With over 100 games vying for various categories, Nintendo emerged as the front-runner with 15 nominations.

The Game Awards night promises its trademark excitement — reveals, trailers, live music, and Lorne Balfe's orchestra bringing a magical touch. Circle your calendars for December 7 and catch the live broadcast from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Stream it across platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and Kick. Remember, voting is open until the big day on the official TGA website.