What made The Game Awards 2024 a night to remember? The Game Awards 2024, held on December 12 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, celebrated its tenth anniversary with a bang. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the event showcased the best in gaming, featuring nominees like Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Black Myth: Wukong. Astro Bot emerged as the big winner, taking home four awards, including Game of the Year. The night also saw Balatro, a poker-style indie game, win three awards. Celebrity appearances by Harrison Ford and Snoop Dogg, along with hilarious gags from the Muppets, added extra flair.
Key Takeaways:
- The Game Awards 2024 celebrated the best in video games, with Astro Bot winning Game of the Year and notable appearances from celebrities like Harrison Ford and Snoop Dogg.
- The event featured new award categories, recognized outstanding contributions to the gaming industry, and honored the best in esports and content creation.
The Game Awards 2024: A Night to Remember
The Game Awards 2024 was a spectacular event that celebrated the best in video games. Held on December 12, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, this eleventh iteration marked a significant milestone as it celebrated its tenth anniversary. Here are 50 key facts about the event:
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Date and Venue: The Game Awards 2024 took place on December 12, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, United States.
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Host: Geoff Keighley, the creator and producer of The Game Awards, returned as the host for the eleventh consecutive year.
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Preshow Host: Sydnee Goodman hosted the 30-minute preshow titled Opening Act.
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Live Streaming: The event was live streamed across more than 30 online platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Steam, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube.
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Accessibility Features: Alternative live streams offering American Sign Language and audio descriptions were available on YouTube to ensure inclusivity for all viewers.
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Public Tickets: Public tickets became available for purchase on November 1, 2024.
Nomination Process and Public Voting
The nomination process and public voting are crucial aspects of The Game Awards, ensuring that the best games and creators are recognized.
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Future Class Initiative: The Future Class initiative, which annually lists 50 individuals from the industry who best represent its future, did not induct new members in 2024. Instead, it focused on valuing existing alumni.
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Nomination Announcement: The nominees for The Game Awards 2024 were announced on November 18, 2024. Any game released for public consumption on or before November 22 was eligible for consideration, including DLC, expansions, remakes, remasters, and seasonal content.
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Nomination Process: The nominees were compiled by a jury panel composed of members from over 130 media outlets globally. Ballots were due by November 12, and winners were determined between the jury (90 percent) and public voting (10 percent).
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Public Voting: Public voting was held via the official website and on Discord until December 11, 2024. The exception was the Players' Voice award, which was fully nominated and voted on by the public, with voting opening on December 2.
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Specialized Juries: Specialized juries decided the nominees for categories such as accessibility, adaptation, and esports.
Game of the Year and Major Winners
The Game of the Year award is the most prestigious accolade, but many other categories also highlight exceptional achievements.
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Game of the Year Nominees: Six games were nominated for the top prize of Game of the Year: Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
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Most-Nominated Games: Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth were the most-nominated games across all categories, with seven nods apiece. Metaphor: ReFantazio followed closely with six nominations.
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Winners: Astro Bot claimed four wins, including Game of the Year, at the 2024 Game Awards. It also won Best Action/Adventure Game and two other categories.
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Balatro's Dominance: Balatro, a poker-style game from a solo developer, won three awards: Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Mobile Game.
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Black Myth: Wukong's Victory: Black Myth: Wukong won the Best Action Game category.
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Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Success: Metaphor: ReFantazio won the Best RPG category and had three wins overall.
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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Nod: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was nominated for Game of the Year but did not win any awards.
Celebrity Appearances and Special Moments
Celebrity appearances and special moments added extra flair to the event, making it memorable for attendees and viewers alike.
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Celebrity Appearances: The event featured celebrity appearances from notable figures like Harrison Ford and Snoop Dogg, adding to its entertainment value.
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Muppets’ Gags: The Muppets, specifically Statler and Waldorf, were part of the show, incorporating running gags about the awards and their own exhaustion with the event.
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Geoff Keighley’s Tribute: Geoff Keighley paid tribute to the industry and its innovators during the ceremony, highlighting the importance of innovation and quality in game development.
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Nicolas Doucet’s Speech: Nicolas Doucet, the Studio Director of Astro Bot, gave a heartfelt speech during the acceptance of Astro Bot's awards. He credited Nintendo for its innovative spirit and quality games, which inspired him to create Astro Bot.
Industry Recognition and New Award Categories
The Game Awards also introduced new categories and recognized outstanding contributions to the industry.
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Industry Recognition: The Game Awards recognized outstanding games and developers from the past year, celebrating their contributions to the gaming industry.
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New Award Category: A new "Gamechanger Award" was introduced, which went to Amir Satvat, an employee of gaming tycoon Tencent who also runs a pro-bono support site for developers looking for work.
Esports and Content Creation Awards
Esports and content creation are integral parts of the gaming community, and The Game Awards honored the best in these fields.
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Esports Awards: The Best Esports Game award went to League of Legends, while Faker – Lee Sang-hyeok won the Best Esports Athlete award.
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Esports Team Recognition: The Best Esports Team award was also part of the ceremony, recognizing outstanding teams in the esports community.
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Content Creator of the Year: CaseOh was named the Content Creator of the Year, a recognition of his contributions to the gaming content creation space.
Most Anticipated Games and Adaptations
Anticipation for upcoming games and successful adaptations were also celebrated at the event.
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Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto 6 was announced as the Most Anticipated Game, generating significant excitement among gamers.
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Fallout’s Adaptation Win: Fallout won the Best Adaptation award, recognizing its successful adaptation into a game.
Notable Wins and Nominations
Several games received multiple nominations and wins, showcasing the diversity and talent within the industry.
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Helldivers 2’s Wins: Helldivers 2 won two awards, including one in the Best VR/AR Game category was not among its wins, but it did receive two other wins.
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Senua’s Sage: Hellblade 2’s Recognition: Senua’s Sage: Hellblade 2 won two awards, including one for lead actor Melina Juergens for Best Performance.
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Batman: Arkham Shadow’s VR/AR Win: Batman: Arkham Shadow won the Best VR/AR Game category, beating out other notable VR/AR games.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Nominations: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was nominated in several categories, including Best RPG and Best Action Game, but did not win any awards.
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Super Mario Party Jamboree’s Nominations: Super Mario Party Jamboree was nominated for Best RPG but did not win any awards.
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Tekken 8’s Nominations: Tekken 8 was nominated for Best RPG but did not win any awards.
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Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2’s Nominations: Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 was nominated in several categories, including Best RPG and Best Action Game, but did not win any awards.
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s Nominations: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was nominated for Best Action/Adventure Game but did not win any awards.
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Silent Hill 2’s Nominations: Silent Hill 2 was nominated for Best Action/Adventure Game but did not win any awards.
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Star Wars Outlaws’ Nominations: Star Wars Outlaws was nominated for Best Action/Adventure Game but did not win any awards.
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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Nominations: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was nominated for Best Action/Adventure Game but did not win any awards.
Independent and Mobile Game Highlights
Independent and mobile games also had their moment in the spotlight, showcasing the creativity and innovation within these categories.
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Animal Well’s Nominations: Animal Well was nominated for Best Independent Game but did not win any awards.
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Lorelei and the Laser Eyes’ Nominations: Lorelei and the Laser Eyes was nominated for Best Independent Game but did not win any awards.
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Neva’s Nominations: Neva was nominated for Best Independent Game but did not win any awards.
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UFO 50’s Nominations: UFO 50 was nominated for Best Independent Game but did not win any awards.
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Manor Lords’ Nominations: Manor Lords was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game but did not win any awards.
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Pacific Drive’s Nominations: Pacific Drive was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game but did not win any awards.
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The Plucky Squire’s Nominations: The Plucky Squire was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game but did not win any awards.
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AFK Journey’s Nominations: AFK Journey was nominated for Best Mobile Game but did not win any awards.
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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket’s Nominations: Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket was nominated for Best Mobile Game but did not win any awards.
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Wuthering Waves’ Nominations: Wuthering Waves was nominated for Best Mobile Game but did not win any awards.
Celebrating Gaming Excellence
The Game Awards 2024 was a night to remember, showcasing the best in gaming. Held on December 12 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, it celebrated its tenth anniversary with flair. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the event featured live streaming, accessibility options, and public voting. Astro Bot stole the show, winning Game of the Year and three other awards. Balatro, a poker-style game, also shined with three wins. Celebrity appearances from Harrison Ford and Snoop Dogg added star power. The new "Gamechanger Award" recognized Amir Satvat for his contributions. Esports and content creators got their due recognition, with League of Legends and CaseOh taking top honors. The night highlighted the innovation, quality, and creativity in the gaming industry, setting the stage for an exciting future. The Game Awards 2024 truly celebrated the best in gaming.
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