Though it’s faced some stiff competition over the last year, Elden Ring‘s coronation as “Game of the Year” has sometimes felt like an inevitability ever since it was released all the way back in February.
That expectation became a reality during last night’s Game Awards ceremony, as From Software’s already stellar reputation was burnished with “Game of the Year” and three additional statuettes (“Best Game Direction,” “Best Art Direction,” and “Best Role Playing Game”). But what happened next threatened to overshadow the entire show, as a teenager bypassed security and walked on stage alongside the developers. After Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki delivered his acceptance speech, the teenager addressed the audience, and dedicated the award to “my reformed Orthodox Rabbi Bill Clinton.”
It was certainly one of the oddest moments from the show’s history.
But before all that, the night certainly belonged to God of War: Ragnarok. Though it missed out on “Game of the Year,” Sony Santa Monica’s game took home a half-dozen statuettes, including for “Best Action/Adventure Game,” “Best Audio Design,” “Best Score and Music,” and “Best Narrative.” Ragnarok also won the “Innovation in Accessibility” award for its expansive accessibility options and Christopher Judge’s portrayal of Kratos won “Best Performance.”
Stray was also denied “Game of the Year” honors, but it did win a pair of prizes for “Best Independent Game” and (unsurprisingly) “Best Debut Indie.”
Finally, Nintendo had a good night with multiple wins spread across its impressive 2022 lineup. The consolemaker collected statuettes for “Best Family Game” (for Kirby and the Forgotten Land), “Best Sim/Strategy Game” (for Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope), and “Best Multiplayer” (for Splatoon 3). Things are also looking good for 2023 as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom won “Most Anticipated Game.”
A video replay of the 2022 Game Awards can be found after the break (skip to 3:53:00 if you’re solely interested in “my reformed Orthodox Rabbi Bill Clinton”), along with all the winners and nominees.
Jury-Voted Categories
Game of the Year
Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.
- WINNER: Elden Ring
- God of War: Ragnarok
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Stray
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Game Direction
Awarded to a game studio for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.
- WINNER: Elden Ring
- God of War: Ragnarok
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- Immortality
- Stray
Best Narrative
For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
- WINNER: God of War: Ragnarok
- Elden Ring
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- Immortality
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
Best Art Direction
For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.
- WINNER: Elden Ring
- God of War: Ragnarok
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- Scorn
- Stray
Best Score and Music
For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.
- WINNER: God of War: Ragnarok
- Elden Ring
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Metal: Hellsinger
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Audio Design
Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.
- WINNER: God of War: Ragnarok
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Elden Ring
- Gran Tursimo 7
- Horizon: Forbidden West
Best Performance
Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion, and/or performance capture.
- WINNER: Christopher Judge (As Kratos) – God of War: Ragnarok
- Ashly Burch (As Aloy) – Horizon: Forbidden West
- Charlotte McBurney (As Amicia) – A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Manon Gage (As Marissa Marcel) – Immortality
- Sunny Suljic (As Atreus) – God of War: Ragnarok
Games For Impact
For a thought provoking game with a profound pro-social meaning or message.
- WINNER: As Dusk Falls
- Citizen Sleeper
- Endling: Extinction Is Forever
- Hindsight
- I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
- A Memoir Blue
Best Independent Game
For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
- WINNER: Stray
- Cult of the Lamb
- Neon White
- Sifu
- Tunic
Best Mobile Game
For the best game playable on a dedicated mobile device.
- WINNER: Marvel Snap
- Apex Legends
- Diablo Immortal
- Genshin Impact
- Tower of Fantasy
Best VR/AR Game
For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.
- WINNER: Moss: Book II
- After the Fall
- Among Us VR
- Bonelab
- Red Matter 2
Best Ongoing Game
Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time.
- WINNER: Final Fantasy XIV
- Apex Legends
- Destiny 2
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
Best Action Game
For the best game in the action genre focused on combat.
- WINNER: Bayonetta 3
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Neon White
- Sifu
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Best Action/Adventure Game
For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.
- WINNER: God of War: Ragnarok
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Stray
- Tunic
Best Role Playing Game
For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences.
- WINNER: Elden Ring
- Live A Live
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Triangle Strategy
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Fighting Game
For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.
- WINNER: Multiversus
- DNF Duel
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R
- The King of Fighters XV
- Sifu
Best Family Game
For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform.
- WINNER: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope
- Nintendo Switch Sports
- Splatoon 3
Best Sim/Strategy Game
Best game focused on real time or turn-based simulation or strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform.
- WINNER: Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope
- Dune: Spice Wars
- Total War: Warhammer III
- Two Point Campus
- Victoria 3
Best Sports/Racing Game
For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.
- WINNER: Gran Turismo 7
- F1 22
- FIFA 23
- NBA 2K23
- OlliOlli World
Best Multiplayer
For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre.
- WINNER: Splatoon 3
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Multiversus
- Overwatch 2
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Best Debut Indie
For the best debut game created by a new independent studio.
- WINNER: Stray
- Neon White
- Norco
- Tunic
- Vampire Survivors
Best Community Support
Recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency, and responsiveness. Inclusive of social media activity and game updates/patches.
- WINNER: Final Fantasy XIV
- Apex Legends
- Destiny 2
- Fortnite
- No Man’s Sky
Innovation in Accessibility
Recognizing software and/or hardware that is pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology, and content to help games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience.
- WINNER: God of War: Ragnarok
- As Dusk Falls
- The Last of Us Part I
- The Quarry
- Return to Monkey Island
Best Esports Game
For the game that has delivered the best overall esports experience to players (inclusive of tournaments, community support, and content updates), irrespective of genre or platform.
- WINNER: Valorant
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Rocket League
Best Esports Athlete
The esports athlete judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2022, irrespective of game.
- WINNER: Jacob “Yay” Whiteaker
- Finn “karrigan” Andersen
- Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon
- Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
- Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
Best Esports Team
Recognizing a specific esports team (not the full organization) judged the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2022.
- WINNER: LOUD – Valorant
- DarkZero Esports – Apex Legends
- FaZe Clan – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Gen.G – League of Legends
- LA Thieves – Call of Duty
Best Esports Coach
The esports coach judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2022.
- WINNER: Matheus “bzkA” Tarasconi
- Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi
- Erik “d00mbr0s” Sandgren
- Go “Score” Dong-bin
- Robert “RobbaN” Dahlstrom
Best Esports Event
Recognizing an event (across single or multiple days) that delivered a best-of-class experience for participants and the broadcast audience.
- WINNER: 2022 League of Legends World Championship
- Evo 2022
- PGL Major Antwerp 2022
- The 2022 Mid-Season Invitational
- Valorant Champions 2022
Content Creator of the Year
For a streamer or content creator who has made an important and positive impact on the industry in 2022.
- WINNER: Ludwig
- Karl Jacobs
- Nibellion
- Nobru
- QTCinderella
Best Adaptation
Recognizing outstanding creative work that faithfully and authentically adapts a video game to another entertainment medium.
- WINNER: Arcane: League of Legends
- The Cuphead Show
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Uncharted
Most Anticipated Game
Recognizing an announced game that has demonstrably illustrated potential to push the gaming medium forward.
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Resident Evil 4
- Starfield
Fan-Voted Categories
Player’s Voice
- WINNER: Genshin Impact
- Elden Ring
- God of War: Ragnarok
- Sonic Frontiers
- Stray