Critically acclaimed video game sequels like Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are leading the pack of The Game Awards 2023 nomination list.
Announced on its official YouTube channel, The Game Awards, hosted by Geoff Keighley, revealed the nominees for this year’s award shows. Across the 31 categories, sequels from franchises large and small dominate the list. Alan Wake 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 are neck-in-neck with eight nominations — including Game of the Year. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, released to high praise in early May, has five nominations including Game of the Year. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is likewise nominated for Game of the Year, along with other categories like Best Action/Adventure, Best Narrative and Innovation In Accessibility.
The full list of nominations for Game of the Year are as follows:
- Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)
- Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
In addition to Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3 is nominated for Best RPG alongside Starfield, Sea of Stars, Lies of P and Final Fantasy XVI. Best Adaptation, a new category introduced last year, includes Castlevania: Nocturne, Gran Turismo, HBO’s The Last of Us, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Twisted Metal streaming on Peacock. Nintendo is the most-nominated video game publisher at this year’s Game Awards show, with 15 nominations from Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Pikmin 4.
Other gaming categories include Most Anticipated Game (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hades II, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Star Wars Outlaws, Tekken 8), Best Fighting Game (God of Rock, Mortal Kombat 1, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, Pocket Bravery, Street Fighter 6) and Best Narrative (Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Final Fantasy XVI, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2).
For nearly a decade, The Game Awards has acted as the gaming industry’s equivalent to The Academy Awards. In addition to honoring excellence within the video game industry, the event has acted as a space to release new video game premieres. Following Rockstar’s recent confirmation of Grand Theft Auto 6, many are anticipating the game’s presence at this year’s show.
Source: YouTube, The Game Awards
