• Nominations have been revealed for the upcoming, and highly anticipated Game Awards 2023.
• Leading the pack are Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 with eight nods apiece, closely followed by Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 with seven.
• Starfield, Diablo IV, and Final Fantasy XVI didn’t make the cut for Game of the Year.

The most important event on the gaming awards calendar is the Game Awards hosted by loveable scamp Geoff Keighley. Last year we said that the 2022 Game Awards had a lot of buzz and questions around who would take the prize, but this buzz has been eclipsed by the interest generated in 2023, quite frankly a stellar year for the hobby of videogaming.

Not every game this year could win the main prize of Game of the Year, however, just like not every film can win Best Picture. Amid all the major releases this year, only six games could be nominated for the Game of the Year 2023.

These are:

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

No original titles were nominated for Game of the Year, with what is essentially four direct sequels, one remake, and yet another modern Super Mario Bros. game. Some major drops from this year were snubbed from the final six, including Bethesda’s Starfield – slated to be the biggest Xbox game of the year – and Blizzard’s Diablo IV which was a technical showcase in polish.

Many on social media are also saying that Final Fantasy 16 was likewise snubbed by the awards.

However, fortunately for the many impressive games launched in 2023, the Game Awards has over 30 categories in which they can go home with something other than a wry smile and a wink from Keighley.

Last year God of War Ragnarok was the leader in terms of times nominated for an award with 10 total nods. This year we have another horse race between Alan Wake 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 with eight nominations apiece.

Alan Wake 2, the survival horror from Finland’s Remedy Entertainment, who solidified themselves as studio of note with 2019’s Control, has also been nominated for best game direction, best narrative, best art direction, best score and music, best sound design, best performance by an actor and best action/adventure game.

Baldur’s Gate 3 from Belgium’s Larian Studios is a nominee of similar awards, including best game direction, best narrative, best score and music, best performance by an actor, best community support, best RPG and best multiplayer.

Right on their heels is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 with seven nominations, including also best direction, best narrative, best audio design, best performance by an actor, innovation in accessibility, and best action/adventure.

Closest to these is the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with five nominations. Starfield received a single nomination, for best RPG – in the same category as Baldur’s Gate 3, the highest-rated game of the year on Metacritic and lauded as the next evolution for modern roleplaying games.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty received four nominations even as gamers argued whether or not the DLC expansion “counted” as a full game. These were: best community support, best ongoing game, best performance (shout out to my boy Big Dris) and best narrative.

Diablo IV scooped up two nominations for best multiplayer and for innovation in accessibility. Hogwarts Legacy didn’t receive a single nomination.

Voting is now open on the Game Awards official website, as a panel of judges chooses the nominees but it’s the players themselves who choose the winners. To check out the full list of nominations, and categories and to cast your vote, head here.

The Game Awards 2023 streams live on 7th December 2023.