You might remember Larian CEO and Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke giving a short speech while accepting the Game of the Year Award for BG3. Now he's taken a second pass online,? ??and delivered a moving statement on behalf of everyone behind the game.

This year at The Game Awards speeches were pretty time-crunched, and when Vincke initially spoke after Baldur's Gate 3 won Game of the Yeah, he was staring at a massive, blinking countdown. Standi??ng in a suit of armor, he still managed to deliver some important "thank you"s , but if the speech felt rushed, it was. In a lengthy thread, Vincke expanded on some of his main points from The Game Awards and touched on some of the major issues affecting the industry right now.

The new speech begins with a light acknow?ledgement of what w?ent wrong with the original version. “While 30 seconds is a bit short," Vincke wrote, "there’s nothing like the game awards and it’s an incredible achievement.�nbsp;

Vincke went on to say that the armor he wore the ceremony was he way of celebrating how much the Baldur’s Gate 3 community has supported the game and Larian itself. He pointed out that over 2,000 people helped make the game a reality before giving a special shout out to some typically unsung teams. “Team QA, team localisation, team customer support, team operations, team publishing, team play testers, and every other developer at Larian, BG3 wouldn’t exist without you and you all deserve to be very proud of this.�/p>

Like he did during his speech at the award ceremony?, Vincke dedicated the award to friends and family members who passed away during the game’s development, specifically lead cinematic animator Jim Southworth.

While thanking Wizards of the Coast and the Dungeons & Dragons team for letting Larian chart their own course in that world, Vincke also acknowledged another sad loss: the 1,100 people laid off at Hasbro. “I’m really sorry to hear so many of you were let go. It’s a sad thing to realize that of the people who were in the original meeting room, there’s almost nobody left.�/p>

Vincke ended his speech with a look at the video game industry as a whole. He made a moving recognition that games are art, ???and the people who develop games do so out of deep passion.

“The??y don’t care that much about the money made beyond it being the fuel they need to create new and better games. It’s worth reminding everyone that fuel is but a means, not a goal. Whereto and how we journey are what matter and what we remember.�Hopefully that’s a reminder people hold onto. 

Oh, and almost as an afterthought, Vincke got to actually announce that Baldur’s Gate 3 is on Xbox at the end of this speech. 

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 director shares full Game Awards speech, and it’s moving appeared first on Destructoid.

GRYPHLINE has revealed that the next chapter in the Arknights series will soon make its console debut. A PlayStation 5 version of Arknights: Endfield has been announced, alongside an upcoming technical test for the PC version?? o?f the game.

Arknights: Endfield is an RPG that aims to deliver a blend Arknight's signature strategy with real-time combat. In a new trailer shown during The Game Awards, we can see the combat system in action alongside our first glance at the game's boss battles. As of writing, GRYPHLINE has not announced a date for the PS5, PC, or mobile versions of the game. However, players can sign up now for the PC technical test that will begin on January 11.

The PC technical test will have an English user interface and both M??andarin and Japanese voiceover option??s. The test puts you in the role of the Endministrator of Endfield Industries, who is rumored to show up whenever a crisis hits the company or the wider world of Talos-II. You'll get a chance to explore that world while leading a crew of nine playable characters, exploring the Endfield Industries tech tree, and dipping your toes in the battle system. 

The factory system �which lets you place factory buildings strategically and gain an edge in battle with items manufactured through? your automated production line ??�will also be in play during the test period. Through this system you'll be able to directly impact Talos-II by modifying the terrain and surrounding environments.

Sign-ups will be live until Decemb??er 23 at 7:59 p.m. PT. 

The post Arknig??hts: Endfield reveals PS5 plans, PC technica??l test sign-ups appeared first on Destructoid.

The Game Awards 2023 have come to a cl??ose, and it was another night filled with trophies and tra?ilers. Even before the show started, there was a sheer glut of game reveals to watch.

With all the news, r?eveals, speeches, and more, it can be hard to keep up with it all. So we've put together a list of every major reveal from The Game Awards 2023, so you can catch back up on the news you missed or remember that neat-looking game you forgot the name of.

Here's all the headlines from the night.

Everything shown during The Game Awards 2023 pre-show

• Josef Fares and Hazelight's origins return in a new form, as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is getting a remake developed by Avantgarden. Expect to struggle balancing dual-stick efforts with all the tears flowing on February 28, 2024.
• Daniel Mullins, the dev behind Inscryption, revealed the next project for the studio: Pony Island 2: Panda Circus. Suffice to say, I can't wait for this one. It looks just as mechanically eerie as the original Pony Island that put me onto this studio.

• Color Gray Games, hot off The Case of the Golden Idol, has another mystery around the golden statue in The Rise of the Golden Idol. Quite a few surprises to kick this show off, and it's welcome!
• We've got one more surprise in a new game from Finji and Sweet Baby: a third-person action/adventure game with some ghostly vibes called Usual June. That's set for 2025.
• The Odd Gentlemen have an accessible music journey in Harmonium: The Musical. There's some really neat ideas here, from the great tunes to use of sign language throughout.
• From the makers of Dead Cells comes Windblown, headed for PC early access in 2024. It seems like a co-op action brawler with a ton of character. It'll be interesting to see how this turns out.
• The violet hyper-rhythm game Thumper gets a follow-up in Thrasher, a new but equally surreal and aggressive-looking game, in 2024. Heck yes.
• World of Goo goos again with The World of Goo 2. Our own Timothy Monbleau says he'll only play it if it's on WiiWare, and I gotta say, I agree with him.

• We close out the pre-show with a new look at Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new RPG from the makers of Persona 3 through 5. It's got a lot of new gameplay footage and a new release window of Fall 2024, and also looks fantastic. On to the show!

Everything shown during The Game Awards 2023

• Exodus is the debut sci-fi time-bending game from Archetype Entertainment. It's from a team of BioWare veterans, and will apparently have Matthew McConaughey in it. No word on a release timeline yet.
• God of War Ragnarok gets some DLC, Valhalla, for free on December 12. Seems like a good reason to pick the axe back up and go back to warrin'.
• Big Walk is a new game from the Goose Game studio House House, and it's a cooperative adventure. Given their proclivity for immediately engaging mayhem, I'm intrigued. That's targeting 2025.
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is getting a demo on January 11. I was pleasantly surprised by the demo at SGF 2023, and I think you should have this on your radar as we head into the new year.
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II shows up with a new trailer and now targets 2024 for a launch. It's been a long road for this Xbox game, but hopefully it sticks the landing as well as the first did.

• Ikumi Nakamura takes the stage again to show what her studio, Unseen, has been up to. It's called Kemuri, and though we didn't get to see much, it looks fantastic just from the slice here. I'm keen to see where this goes.
• Moon Studios, the makers of the Ori series, debut a new action RPG dubbed No Rest For The Wicked. It's a different vibe from Ori, but after the excellence that was that duology, this could be one to watch.
• Sega has thrown the kitchen sink at retro-heads everywhere, announcing a ton of new games in beloved series like Shinobi, Golden Axe, Crazy Taxi, and Jet Set Radio. Surprise!
• Remember there's a new Budokai game on the way? Well, it's called Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, and it looks like some classic Budokai action. No release window for this yet.
• Supermassive Games' Dead By Daylight crossover game is called The Casting of Frank Stone, and it looks positively creepy. Get excited for your actions to have horrible, horrible consequences in 2024.

• Bah gawd, that's the Mana font! Square Enix is back with a new entry in the series, dubbed Visions of Mana. Rather than read my words, which would be positively enthused for this development, read up resident Mana fan Timothy's take on it here. That's set for 2024.
• Team Ninja's Rise of Ronin sets a date for March 22, 2024. Which is exciting, but heads into a stacked Q1 2024, and directly against a release date for Dragon's Dogma 2. March is going to be a good one for action RPG fans, I guess.
• Hideo Kojima and Jordan Peele take the stage to show off OD. I'm still not really sure what it is. There were famous people and faces, and then screaming. Sure!
• Jurassic Park Survival asks, could you really survive Jurassic Park? I'm really not sure why people keep trying to, when the evidence doesn't support their success. But you can still try in Survival, when it arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
• Black Myth: Wukong also appeared, to lock in a launch date of August 20, 2024. It still looks like a giant, electrifying action game, though recent reports about the studio might have shifted the tone around it.
• Warframe is queueing up some new content with Whispers in the Walls, which features two Game Award-nominated voice talents in Ben starr and Neil Newbon. Is there any better reason to check Warframe out than that? Whispers arrives on December 13.

• Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a colorful, gorgeous-looking new Metroidvania under the EA Originals label, and looks like it's worth keeping an eye on when it lands on April 23, 2024.
• Don't Nod and the team behind Life is Strange are back with more angst and emotions in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. It ticks plenty of boxes fans of the Strange series probably dig, so hopefully it comes together just as well for late 2024.
• The First Berzerker: Khazan is an action RPG in the DNF universe. I'm still not sure what all that entails, but it seems neat for those who dig DNF / Dungeon & Fighter. It's headed to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
• We get some new Final Fantasy VII Rebirth footage amid an orchestra presentation, and it still looks fantastic. I think that's our first peek at Cid? Anyways, that's set to carry on with the remake trilogy in February. Also, Apex Legends gets a crossover with FF7 on January 9.
• We get a brief tease of Honkai Star Rail's new area and characters, as well as some new monsters coming to Monster Hunter Now.
• Blink and you'll miss it, but Skull and Bones finally arrives on February 16, 2024. For real. Seriously, this time.

• In a match made in vampire heaven, Arkane Lyon is crafting Marvel's Blade, putting their own spin on the vampire hunter as Marvel pushes further into video games. Not many details were shown, but this does seem like a fantastic proposition.
• Lightspeed LA's Steve C. Martin is here to talk about a new project, The Last Sentinel. Not much info for now, but it looks pretty neat.
• Nexon's The First Descendant promises some sci-fi battles and eerie robot designs in summer 2024.
• Zenless Zone Zero will arrive in 2024. That's it, that's all we know.
• For the mecha sickos, Mecha Break looks like a fun indulgence in crafting, flying, and scrapping. All those lasers and missiles certainly seem like a good time. A closed alpha test is on the way for that.
• Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 arrives on September 9, 2024. So if you've been eager to stomp on some tyranids and wield a chainsaw sword, that will be the date to do it, and not a second sooner.
• The creators of GTFO announce a new chapter coming to the game, as well as a new game. It's another heist project, called Den of Wolves. Not much info, but looks neat.
• There's another extraction shooter on the way too, in Exoborne. More is coming in 2024 on that, though the extraction genre is definitely starting to feel crowded.
• Matt Mercer takes the stage to present Asgard's Wrath 2, a sequel to Asgard's Wrath. It's a VR game that's got some fantasy vibes, and it arrives on December 15, 2023.
• We get a quick look at the Fallout TV show again, and more importantly, Walton Goggins.
• Palia heads to Nintendo Switch, for free, on December 14.

• Light No Fire is the next big project from No Man's Sky team Hello Games, and it's no less ambitious, attempting to create a massive singular world. I respect this team's drive to keep chasing massive, titanic goals. No release date or window yet, though.
• RTS project Stormgate wants to bring back the glory days of StarCraft, and i say we let them try. The team is targeting a summer 2024 launch, and is currently on Kickstarter.
• Elphelt Valentine is the next combatant to enter the ring in Guilty Gear Strive, trading the bridal gown for idol attire. Plus, Strive is getting a three-on-three team battle mode. Sounds interesting. Elphelt is out on December 8, while team battles hit sometime next year in 2024.
• Final Fantasy XVI is getting two pieces of DLC. One, Echoes of the Fallen, shadow-drops tonight. The other, The Rising Tide, arrives sometime in spring 2024.
• Remedy, while accepting the award for Best Game Direction, announces that New Game Plus is coming to Alan Wake 2 on December 11. Love a good podium surprise!
• The Finals from Embark joins the shadow-drop train, as the new shooter is out tonight. Boot that up if you're looking for a post-Game Awards hang-out game with pals, I suppose.
• For one final announcement at The Game Awards 2023, Capcom takes the stage to reveal Monster Hunter Wilds, a new entry in the legendary Monster Hunter series that arrives in 2025. I already love the chocobo-like bird you ride around everywhere, plus all the giant monster fighting.

• But just because the show's over, doesn't mean the drops don't stop. GOTY award winner Baldur's Gate 3 stealthily dropped for Xbox Series X|S after the show ended. Man, imagine if they hadn't won? That would've been awkward.

Those are all the big highlights from The Game Awards 2023. Let us know what s??ome of your favorites were down below!

The post Everything shown at The Game Awards 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The curtain has closed on another year of The Game Awards, with Baldur's Gate 3 taking home the top prize - Game of th??e Year - ??at The Game Awards 2023.

For the biggest names of the night, a few took home a bevy of awards. Baldur's Gate 3 led the charge with 6 trophies, while Alan Wake 2 took home a solid 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom picked up a surprising single trophy.

For a game as tough as this year has been for the actual industry and developers, the games were at least pretty goo??d. Hopefully, the developers who took home some hardware tonight can feel accomplished for all they managed to make this year.

Here are all the winners from The Game Awards 2023, l??isted? in bold, alongside the other nominated titles.

Game of the Year

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Resident Evil 4
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Alan Wake 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Best Game Direction

• Larian Studios - Baldur’s Gate 3
• Nintendo - Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Nintendo - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Remedy - Alan Wake 2
• Insomniac Games - Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Best Ongoing Game

• Apex Legends 
• Fortnite 
• Cyberpunk 2077 
• Final Fantasy XIV 
• Genshin Impact 

Best Narrative

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Alan Wake 2
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Best Art Direction

• Hi-Fi Rush
• Alan Wake 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Lies of P
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Best Score/Music

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Alan Wake 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi Rush

Best Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Resident Evil 4
• Dead Space

Best Performance

• Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield - Final Fantasy XVI
• Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Melanie Liburd as Saga Anderson - Alan Wake 2
• Neil Newbon as Astarion - Baldur’s Gate 3
• Idris Elba as Solomon Reed - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Best Community Support

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy XIV
• No Man's Sky

Games for Impact

• A Space for the Unbound
• Chants of Sennaar
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Tchia
• Terra Nil
• Venba

Best Independent Game

• Sea of Stars
• Dredge
• Viewfinder
• Dave The Diver
• Cocoon

Best Debut Indie Game

• Venba
• Dredge
• Viewfinder
• Pizza Tower
• Cocoon

Best Mobile Game

• Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Terra Nil
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Monster Hunter Now

Best VR/AR Game

• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Humanity
• Synapse
• Gran Turismo 7
• Resident Evil Village VR Mode

Best Action Game

• Dead Island 2
• Ghostrunner 2
• Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
• Remnant 2
• Hi-Fi Rush

Best Action/Adventure Game

• Alan Wake 2
• Resident Evil 4
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Best Role-Playing Game

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Lies of P
• Starfield
• Sea of Stars

Best Fighting Game

• Street Fighter 6
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• God of Rock
• Pocket Bravery

Best Family Game

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Pikmin 4
• Disney Illusion Island
• Party Animals
• Sonic Superstars

Best Simulation/Strategy Game

• Company of Heroes 3
• Cities Skylines II
• Advanced Wars 1 & 2: ReBoot Camp
• Fire Emblem Engage
• Pikmin 4

Best Sports/Racing Game

• Forza Motorsport 
• The Crew Motorfest
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
• EA Sports FC 24
• F1 23

Best Multiplayer Game

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Diablo IV
• Street Fighter VI
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Party Animals

Content Creator of the Year

• Iron Mouse
• PeopleMakeGames
• Quackity
• Spreen
• SypherPK

Best in Accessibility

• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Diablo 4
• Forza Motorsport
• Street Fighter VI
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Hi-Fi Rush

Best Adaptation

• Castlevania: Nocturne
• The Last of Us
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• Twisted Metal
• Gran Turismo

Most Anticipated Game

• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Tekken 8
• Hades II

Best Esports Game 

• Counter-Strike 2 
• DOTA 2 
• League of Legends 
• PUBG Mobile
• VALORANT 

Best Esports Athlete

• Mathieu "Zywoo" Herbaut (CS:GO)
• Lee “Fakerâ€?Sang-hyeok (LOL) 
• Max "Demon1" Mazanov (Valorant)
• Paco "Hydra" Rusiewiez (Call of Duty)
• Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk (LOL)
• Phillip "Imperialhal" Dosen (Apex Legends)

Best Esports Team

• Evil Geniuses
• Fnatic
• Gaimin Gladiators
• JD Gaming
• Team Vitality

Best Esports Coach 

• Christine "Potter" Cie
• Danny "Zonic" Sorensen
• Jordan "Gunba" Graham
• Remy "XTQZZZ" Quoniam
• Yoon "Homme" Sung-Young

Best Esports Event

• EVO 2023
• 2023 League of Legends World Championship  
• Blast.TV Paris Major 2023
• The International DOTA 2 Championships 2023
• VALORANT Champions 2023 

Player's Voice

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Genshin Impact
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 wins Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

For the tenth anniversary since the announcement of No Man’s Sky, Hello Games has revealed their next game, Light No Fire. As is tradition at The Game Awards, it?? also came with a trailer.

Light No Fire is aiming to be a survival sa??ndbox game set in a massive, procedurally generated open world claimed to be comparative in size to Earth. That’s the planet we live on!

The trailer shows of?f multiplayer, construction, and all kinds ?of traversal types on birds and dragons. The order of the day seems to be scale, but there are some cool scenes, like rabbit people bowing for some reason.

Scale is nice, but I’d like to see more about how it will differentiate itself from other survival sandbox games. Particularly No Man’s Sky. It’s a pretty full genre right now, and “big map�isn’t really the selling point it used to be. However, Hello Games has learned a lot from the constant development of No Man’s Sky.

Light No Fire has no announced release wi??ndow, and the only announced platform right now is PC.

The post Hello Games unveils massive open-world multiplayer gam?e, Light No Fire appeared first on Destructoid.

As part of The Game Awards, Arkane Lyon announced that they have a new game coming up based on Marvel’s Blade.

There isn’t really much information given away in the tease??r. The eponymous daywalk?er has his shave interrupted. He then puts on his coat and gets his sword.

What we do know i?s that it will be a single-player, third-person game where you can “play Blade your way.�It also takes place in Paris. That’s about it.

Marvel’s Blade has no announced release window or ?target platforms.

The post Arkane Lyon announces a new Blade game appeared first on Destructoid.

During The Game Awards, Sega dropped a lucid hallucination of a trailer briefly highlighting five games allegedly in development. This includes a new Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and Crazy Taxi. The also tease a “and more.�/p>

The games go by in a flash. We see a Jet Set Radio that looks pretty on point with colorful graphics and familiar city environments. Then there’s a full 3D Streets of Rage. Afterward, we see a stylish 2D Shinobi. Next is a 3D Golden Axe without a sexy panther man or centaur in sight. Finally, we get to Crazy Taxi, which seemingly highlights multiplayer.

As excited as I am for some of these announcements, a few of them look kind of off. Specifically Streets of Rage and Crazy Taxi. What makes me worry is that Sega has previously cited a �em>Fortnite-style�service model, specifically referring to Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio. Live service model, friends. Hopefully, they’ve changed their ways and we c??an eventually be legitimately excited to see these games return?.

None of the games have a release date, but Sega says they’ll share ??more soon.

The post Sega throws in the kitchen sink w?ith five game announcements appeared first on Destructoid.

As part of The Game Awards 2023, House House, the developers of Untitled Goose Game, have revealed Big Walk, a game about�friendship?

I don’t even know what to say about this. Steam page to the rescue. Apparently, Big Walk is “a cooperative multiplayer adventure about teamwork and talking.�Oh! Those two things. Okay, let’s look at the?? trailer.

I guess that is self-explanatory. Maybe. It just doesn’t seem like much. Let’s go back to the Steam store page: “Adventuring aside, there’s plenty of time to just hang out. Sit and watch the sunset, or steal your friend’s binoculars and kick them into the ocean. Spending time with friends is the best part of a big walk.�/p>

Cool. Okay. Cou??????????????????????????ld be fun. Let's hope we learn more about it soon.

Big Walk is coming o?ut in 2025. Right now, it se??ems that only PC is confirmed.

The post Unti?tled Goose Game devs reveal cooperative adventure Big Walk appeared first on Destructoid.

During the game awards, Daniel Mullins Games, the creator of Pony Island and Inscryption announced their next game, Pony Island 2: Panda Circus.

The trailer shows an individual taking a fancy-looking USB drive to a fancy-looking arcade cabinet. Then things get really lo-fi, and then things start glitching out in a sinister manner. The video description describes it as, “a phantasmagorical voyage through time, myth, divinity, and video games. Escape the lordly deities of the underworld with your soul, and your sanity, intact.�/p>

When I saw that the game was coming from the maker of Inscryption, I was pretty underwhelmed when it started glitching out. But since it’s an actual sequel to 2016’s Pony Island, I think it would be pretty strange if it didn’t have the fou?rth wall brea??king meta-narrative.

I’ve played both Pony Island and Inscryption. Pony Island is a solid time that puts you in a toxic relationship with Satan. Inscryption on th?e other hand, was absolutely terrific in the first chapter and then kind of underwhelmed. I’m probably still on board for another o??ne.

The release date for Pony Island 2: Panda Circus f?lickers between 2024, 2025, and 2026. Your guess is as good as mine, but it will probably be on PC first.

The post Daniel Mullins Games’ announced Pony Island 2: Panda Circus appeared first on Destructoid.

It's time for The Game Awards 2023. That one night a year where the industry tunes in for a somewhat bizarre blend of trailers?, mark?eting, hype, awards, and celebrity cameos.

The show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT, on channels like YouTube and Twitch. You can watch it in the embed below, or through one of the countless numbe??r of channels that will co-stream it elsewhere.

A big but difficult year for games

This is usually the part of the watch post where I speculate on what we'll see there. We've already seen confirmations that games like Atlus' Metaphor: ReFantazio will be? in attendance, as will Timot??hée Chalamet and Gonzo. Because at this point, the Awards must have to contractually include a Muppet.

Each year, I find myself feeling a bit more out on The Game Awards. I mean, at this point, they do feel like a known quantity. It's an awards show, and I expect to see a few big announcements for the winners, with?? the rest quickly listed off betwee??n trailers for upcoming video game releases. For a show that's supposed to look back on the year, it spends a lot of time looking forward.

And this year, there's been even more discussion about where the Awards' perception lies. The big questions around whether showrunner Geoff Keighley and the production will address the massive layoffs and industry woes, or if the show will make any mention of ongoing geopolitical crises. Heck, even the indie category got the discourse heated.

So to that end, we're tuning into The Game Awards 2023, for what feels like SGF in the winter with an awards show bolted on. My expectations are that we'll get a ton of trailers and teasers, advertising a future with exciting games for people to buy and play. We'll also see some folks take the stage, earning some hardware for their hard wo??rk on the gaming experiences that moved us this year.

And it has been, by all accounts, an incredible year for games, with titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, and Tears of the Kingdom becoming instant classics for me. It's also been an incredibly tough year for the industry, seeing so many workers struggle amid layoffs and closures. And at 7:30 p.m. ET, I guess we'll learn whether The Game Awards 2023 is a show equ?ipped to handle that nuanc?e.

The post Let’s watch The Game Awards 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

As an enjoyer of PC games, the only thing that could possibly be better than a Steam Deck OLED is a free Steam Deck OLED. Or maybe money to buy all my wishlis??ted games. The Game Awards 2023 is? offering up a chance to get Valve's new handheld via a giveaway that starts tonight.

The Game Awards 2023 kicks off today, December 7, at 7:30 pm EST. Once it starts, you can navigate over to the Steam Deck OLED giveaway page for a chance to get one for free. The Game Awards is also shelling out for the 1 TB version, not the 512 GB OLED, meaning you could potentially save yourself $649 to buy one yourself. The giveaway begins as the show starts, and will end at 11 pm EST tonight. Those chosen will get an email on Friday, Decembe??r 8.

How to qualify for a free Steam Deck OLED during The Game Awards

The Game Awards is using a Gleam widget on the giveaway page with a countdown leading to the start of the sho?w. To enter, you'll need to provide contact in??formation such as your email address, name, and address. You're also required to have a Steam account. During the show, you'll have to follow the Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards accounts on X/Twitter.

It looks like following all the steps ?will award four ?entries, which you can use during the giveaway. There are more rules, of course, and not every country qualifies. So be sure to check out the page ahead of time.

If you don't want a free Steam Deck OLED, The Game Awards has other giveaways. There are 100 Lenovo Legion Go handhelds on offer tonight. The AMD-powered rival handheld has an MSRP of $699.99 for the 512 GB model. Getting it potentially for free certainly sounds much more desirable. You may also win tickets for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The post Watching T?he Ga??????????????????????????me Awards tonight could net you a free Steam Deck OLED appeared first on Destructoid.

The Game Awards 2023 takes place on December 7, and as usual, Geoff Keighley will serve as host. Voting for the Player's Voice award has opened, and the list of impress?i?ve nominees will make picking the best tough this year.

The award is 100% determined by fan votes and occurs over three rounds. The first round is op?en and there are 30 games to choose from. You're allowed to pick ten titles you want to make it to the next round. Round 1 ends on November 29 at 6 PM PT.

In Round 2, you'll get to pick 5 games from the top 10 of the previous round. This round begins on November 30 at 9 AM PT and ends on December 2 at 9 PM PT. The find round will feature 5 games and it's up to players to pick the final winner. ?It begins on December 4 at 9 AM PT and ends on December 7 at 6 PM PT.

The following 30 games are available for yo??u to vote for:

1. Alan Wake 2
2. Apex Legends
3. Armored Core VI
4. Baldur's Gate 3
5. Counter-Strike 2
6. Cyberpunk 2077
7. Destiny 2
8. Diablo IV
9. Final Fantasy XVI
10. Fortnite
11. Genshin Impact
12. GTA Online
13. Hi-Fi Rush
14. Hogwarts Legacy
15. Honkai: Star Rail
16. League of Legends
17. Lies of P
18. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
19. Minecraft
20. Mortal Kombat 1
21. No Man's Sky
22. Octopath Traveler II
23. Resident Evil 4
24. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
25. Starfield
26. Street Fighter 6
27. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
28. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
29. Valorant
30. Warframe

An awards show with a few surprises

Excitement is usually high for the awards ceremony, and this year's event has already triggered plenty of conversations within gaming communities. Bethesda's first new IP in over two decades hasn't secured a Game of the Year nomination, while Finland has managed to make its mark in the gaming world with Alan Wake 2 scoring the most nominations along with Baldur's Gate 3.

There has been some controversy surrounding Dave the Diver's nomination as an indie title. Many have argued that it doesn't qualify as an indie game and while Keighley acknowledges the ambi?guity surroundin?g the label, he c??oncludes that it's there because TGA judges decided it's an indie title.

This year's ceremony is set to be an eventful one where CRPGs could make history with Baldur's Gate 3, and Resident Evil 4 could prove that remakes can be j??ust as hi?gh quality as new titles.

The post Players’ Voice voting opens for The Game Awards 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The annual The Game Awards ceremony is coming up, and thanks to the amazing titles we've received this year, the competition is tight. Host Geoff Keighley recently had a Twitch stream where he addressed questions from the public and spoke a bit about why Dave the Diver has found itself in the Best Independent Game?? category.

As Keighley highlights, people interpret the term indie differently. While some might consider a game's budget, others will look at the team's size, and it's also possible to focus on the aesthetic or scale of the game. Consequently, some have argued that Baldur's Gate 3 is an indie game, or even Death Stranding which was created by an independent studio despit?e rec??eiving major funding from PlayStation.

In the case of Dave the Diver, the game is made by Mintrocket which is a small, South Korean group. The group is a part of Nexon which is a very large publisher. Keighley explains that you could argue both ways, as the game could be considered indie in spirit?, as it is made by a small team that likely had a relatively small budget. However, this doesn't cancel the fact that it is still from a larger ??entity.

Ultimately, Keigh?ley concludes that there are no set rules, and The Game Awards allows people to "use their best judgment." Although TGA judges have decided that it i??s an indie title, this is certainly not a viewpoint shared by all.

As Zoey Handley argues, the indie category should be available for smaller developers without major financial backing to still receive the spotlight. Dave the Diver's nomination potentially signals "that any major corporation can produce a game with pixel art graphics to buy away that recognition." One can easil??y see how this could end up pushing genuinely small creators out of their own category.

Geoff Keighley answers your burning The Game Awards questions

Keighley touched on several other topics as he addressed questions posed to him on Twitch. He confirmed that the security will be tightened this time around. This is to be expected, as troublemakers have found their way onto Keighley's stage a few times prior, including at this year's Gamescom Opening Night Live where a troll ran on stage demanding GTA 6. Though he wouldn't go into details for security reasons, he states the following: "we definitely have plans and we’re trying to do all we can to keep me safe, but also everyone watching the show, the audience, p??eople participating in the show and everything."

He speaks about the possibility of new categories being added to the event and confirms that it is something that is always being discussed. Categories that have been proposed include Best DLC and ??Best Remake, but Keighley explains that one of the problems is that there may not always be 5 ?or 6 great remakes a year to fill the category.

Keighley also mentions that there won't be any "world premier" title cards this year. This doesn't mean there won't be big announcements. Instead, becau?se of the nebulous nature of the phrase "world premier," they'd rather just treat it all as g?reat gaming content.

He speaks a bit about his relationship with FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki. He explains that he has worked with the Elden Ring director and that he is very grateful for his contributions to Summer Game Fest. A viewer asks Keighley what the ?trophies are made of. Interestingly, Keighley explains th?at they're "steel plated" and made in New Zealand.

For more traditional indie titles, check out the Bes?t Indie Debut category. As Keighley explains, this category typically features games from small teams with minimal funding. These games aren't receiving help from large corpo?rations which perhaps makes them indie in the purest sense.

The Game Awards stream globally on December 7, 2023. You can watch it on YouTube and Twitch.

The post Geoff Keighley explains why Dave?? the Diver has been nominated as an indie game appeared first on Destructoid.

The biggest celebration of g??aming is here, and we know who’s invited. The Game Awards 2023, hosted by Geoff Keighley, just announced the nominees for this year’s ceremony.

The show will take place at the Peacock Theater on December 7. Tickets are available for purchase to go to the show in person. You can expect to see loads of announcements, famous stars??, and, of course, awards. 

Leading the race this year are both Baldur's Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2, each getting eight nominations. Nintendo walks away wit?h 15 nominations, in terms of companies, while PlayStation garners 13. All of the Game of the Year nominees are sequels or entries in an existing series. Over 100 different games are nominated and there are 31 categories, just like last year.

As promised, here ?is the full list of nominees fo?r The Game Awards 2023 in all their glory:

Game of the Year

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Resident Evil 4
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Alan Wake 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Best Game Direction

• Larian Studios - Baldur’s Gate 3
• Nintendo - Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Nintendo - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Remedy - Alan Wake 2
• Insomniac Games - Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Best Ongoing Game

• Apex Legends 
• Fortnite 
• Cyberpunk 2077 
• Final Fantasy XIV 
• Genshin Impact 

Best Narrative

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Alan Wake 2
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Best Art Direction

• Hi-Fi Rush
• Alan Wake 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Lies of P
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Best Score/Music

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Alan Wake 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi Rush

Best Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Resident Evil 4
• Dead Space

Best Performance

• Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield - Final Fantasy XVI
• Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Melanie Liburd as Saga Anderson - Alan Wake 2
• Neil Newbon as Astarion - Baldur’s Gate 3
• Idris Elba as Solomon Reed - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Best Community Support

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy XIV
• No Man's Sky

Games for Impact

• A Space for the Unbound
• Chants of Sennaar
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Tchia
• Terra Nil
• Venba

Best Independent Game

• Sea of Stars
• Dredge
• Viewfinder
• Dave The Diver
• Cocoon

Best Debut Indie Game

• Venba
• Dredge
• Viewfinder
• Pizza Tower
• Cocoon

Best Mobile Game

• Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Terra Nil
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Monster Hunter Now

Best VR/AR Game

• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Humanity
• Synapse
• Gran Turismo 7
• Resident Evil Village VR Mode

Best Action Game

• Dead Island 2
• Ghostrunner 2
• Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
• Remnant 2
• Hi-Fi Rush

Best Action/Adventure Game

• Alan Wake 2
• Resident Evil 4
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Best Role-Playing Game

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Lies of P
• Starfield
• Sea of Stars

Best Fighting Game

• Street Fighter VI
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Nickelodeon All-Star Battle 2
• God of Rock
• Pocket Bravery

Best Family Game

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Pikmin 4
• Disney Illusion Island
• Party Animals
• Sonic Superstars

Best Simulation/Strategy Game

• Company of Heroes 3
• Cities Skylines II
• Advanced Wars 1&2: ReBoot Camp
• Fire Emblem Engage
• Pikmin 4

Best Sports/Racing Game

• Forza Motorsport 
• Disney Speedstorm
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Supercharged
• EA Sports FC 24
• F1 23

Best Multiplayer Game

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Diablo IV
• Street Fighter VI
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Party Animals

Content Creator of the Year

• Iron Mouse
• PeopleMakeGames
• Quackity
• Spreen
• SypherPK

Best in Accessibility

• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Diablo 4
• Forza Motorsport
• Street Fighter VI
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Hi-Fi Rush

Best Adaptation

• Castlevania: Nocturne
• The Last of Us
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• Twisted Metal
• Gran Turismo

Most Anticipated Game

• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Tekken 8
• Hades II

Best Esports Game 

• Counter-Strike 2 
• DOTA 2 
• League of Legends 
• PUBG Mobile
• VALORANT 

Best Esports Athlete

• Mathieu "Zywoo" Herbaut (CS:GO)
• Lee “Fakerâ€?Sang-hyeok (LOL) 
• Max "Demon1" Mazanov (Valorant)
• Paco "Hydra" Rusiewiez (Call of Duty)
• Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk (LOL)
• Phillip "Imperialhal" Dosen (Apex Legends)

Best Esports Team

• Evil Geniuses
• Fnatic
• Gaimin Gladiators
• JD Gaming
• Team Vitality

Best Esports Coach 

• Christine "Potter" Cie
• Danny "Zonic" Sorensen
• Jordan "Gunba" Graham
• Remy "XTQZZZ" Quoniam
• Yoon "Homme" Sung-Young

Best Esports Event

• EVO 2023
• 2023 League of Legends World Championship  
• Blast.TV Paris Major 2023
• The International DOTA 2 Championships 2023
• VALORANT Champions 2023 

The post Baldur’s Gate 3, Alan Wake 2 lead The Game Awards 2023 nominations appeared first on Destructoid.

It's that time of year again! The nominations reveal for The Game Awards, happening on December 7, will occur on Monday, November 1?3, with tickets available now.

According to Geoff's tweet, over 30 categories will be announced, including the highly-anticipated Game of the Year. This year has seen many acclaimed games, with titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kigndom, Baldur's Gate III, and Alan Wake 2 making big waves. Last year, the Game of the Year went to FromSoftware's Elden Ring. It'll be interesting to see what gets nominated this y??ear, as well? as what dark horses and snubs may appear, much like years past.

For those who want to experience the show in-person, tickets are now available for purchase. The event will take?? place at the Peacock Theater. Previous years had the show at Microsoft Theater, but no reason was given for the new location. Ticket prices range from $81 to $181, depending on where you choose to sit in the Orchestra section.

Starting in 2014, The Game Awards, created by Geoff Keighley, is in its 10th year. While the event did exist prior in the form of 2013's VGX an??d Sp?ike Video Game Awards, the show was a little loose with its presentation. In years since, The Game Awards have become a bit more prestigious, and now loosely resembles other music and movie award shows.

Still, expect many big announcements, much like years prior. Famous announcements in the past include Xbox Series X, Death Stranding 2, and Joker from Persona 5 in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The post Nominations for?? The Game Awards 2023 coming November 13 appeared first on Destructoid.

You can circle December 7 on your calendar, as that's when The Game Awards will be held. This is the tenth annual show, and it'll take place? in the Peacock Theatre, Los Angeles, at 04:30 PM PT. You'll have several options when it comes to how you want to watch the show, as it'll be streamed on several platforms including Twitter, Twitch, and YouTube.

There are plenty of game awards ceremonies around, but few are as viewed as The Game Awards. Last year, the show earned itself a record-setting 103 million global livestreams. The nominees are selected by a jury consisting of? over a hundred media publications and influencers around the world, and winners are decided by a combination of jury and fan votes.

You'??ll have to wait a little longer to discover which games have been nominated and for further information regarding ticket sales. With as many massive releases as there have been this year, competition is sure to be tight in all cat?egories.

In 2022, Elden Ring won four awards, including Game of the Year while Stray nabbed two awards, including Best Indie Debut Game. God of War Ragnarok had 11 nominatio?ns, the most of any game, and it had 6 wins, including Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, and Best Performance.

The post The Game Awards 2023 streaming live on December 7 appeared first on Destructoid.