The Game Awards 2023: the winners, the news, the games

This year’s Game Awards included an eclectic mix of powerful musical performances, touching acceptance speeches, and not a few big game reveals.

Perhaps the most surprising guest appearance was Jordan Peele, who popped by to let everyone know that he would be working with Hideo Kojima on his upcoming horror game. 

Of course, the main reason for the show, the awards, were packed with big surprises. 

The team at Remedy took home three awards for Alan Wake 2, including Best Game Direction and Best Narrative, while Baldur’s Gate 3 was the big winner of the night with the most awards, including Game of the Year.

Below you’ll find a rundown of some of the night’s news, with easy links for wishlisting your favorites right here on the Epic Games Store. We also broke down some of the more entertaining moments of the night, like that epic performance by Alan Wake’s The Old Gods of Asgard.
 

THE NEWS

Alan Wake 2 is getting new game plus
It wasn't enough that the folks at Remedy made an amazing game and took home a bunch of awards. They also mentioned at the tail end of one of their acceptance speeches that Alan Wake 2 is getting a new game plus.

The Final Draft can only be unlocked after beating the game. It includes a new ending, new lore to unlock, and other "subtle additions."

The mode hits on Dec. 11.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is getting a beautiful remake
The touching, and wonderfully creative Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons from Starbreeze Studios is getting a remake due out on Feb. 28.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake takes the 2013 classic and rebuilds the characters and landscape to the latest generation of graphics, performance, and gameplay. The remake is also getting a re-recorded soundtrack with a live orchestra.

A walkabout game from the creators of Untitled Goose Game
It opens with the haunting call of the kookaburra, not the honk of an irritating goose, but you still immediately get a sense that this is another game from developer House House.

Big Walk is a co-op multiplayer adventure game that has you and your friends adventuring through an open world of “challenges, puzzles, and discoveries.” Also, it’s coming in 2025 to the Epic Games Store.

The Casting of Frank Stone drops you into the Dead by Daylight universe
Behaviour Interactive and Supermassive Games showed off a trailer for a new game based in the Dead by Daylight Universe.

The single-player game, which is set to hit the Epic Games Store in 2024, explores the horrors of Frank Stone committed in the depths of an Oregon steel mill. Players will delve into a gruesome mystery, with their decisions shaping the story and its outcome.

Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight has over the years become a metaverse of horror. And developer Supermassive Games has made a name for itself as the purveyor of deeply disturbing horror games, including its run of The Dark Pictures games, The Quarry, Until Dawn, and the Little Nightmares series.

Black Myth: Wukong gets a release date
Since our first peek at Black Myth way back in 2020, Game Science’s upcoming action role-playing game has been blowing people’s minds with its graphics and surreal character design.

A new trailer announcing the game’s Aug. 20 2024 release date continued on that trend, with the sort of character design that’s so off-kilter you’re going to want to watch it at least twice to take it all in. 

A touching dedication to an amazing looking game
Actor and Surgent Studios founder Abubakar Salim (Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Raised by Wolves) introduced his studio’s new game–Tales of Kenzera: Zau–with a touching tribute to his late father.

Zau is an 2.5D metroidvania-style adventure game that features a grieving boy who reads a Bantu tale written by his late father. The game hits on April 23, 2024.

Skull and Bones
It’s happening, it’s really happening: Skull and Bones is coming out! Ubisoft announced a Feb. 16, 2024 release date for the piracy simulator during the show. They also said that you can play up to three days earlier with the Premium Edition, which you can pick up on Epic Games Store.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 coming in September

The sequel to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine hits on Sept. 9. The sequel, in development by Saber Interactive, promises to deliver an "immersive, action-packed experience where players go head-to-head against the Tyranid Swarms."

Warframe's Whispers in the Walls gets a release date
A new campaign drops with Whispers in the Walls on Dec. 13. The expansion promises to reveal the events that started it all in Warframe. The expansion lands as the game approaches its 11 year anniversary.

The expansion will also introduce the 55th Warframe as well as Cross Platform Save and quite a few rewards to unlock. 

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden drops sombre trailer
DON'T NOD's Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden released a new trailer for the story of Antea and Red, two ghost hunters and partners having to deal with the unexpected death of Antea. 

The game releases on Feb. 13 and is available now for pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store.

THE ENTERTAINMENT

Matthew McConaughey alright, alright, alrighted the audience
Technically he only said his catch phrase to say he wouldn’t say it, and then Matthew McConaughey proceeded to instead say “pew, pew, pew.”

Beyond charming everyone down, McConaughey was actually there to announce a new game from Austin-based studio Archetype Entertainment and its new title Exodus.

Heilung delivered smoke, fire, and music 
The first musical performance of the night was introduced by Hellblade (and Hellblade II’s) Melina Juergens. The absolutely haunting performance of a song from the game segued neatly into a new trailer for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, which hits in 2024.

The Great Gonzo twinsied Geoff Keighley
Almost everyone’s favorite Muppet (I stan Animal, sorry), took to The Game Awards to talk about how much he loves chicken... in games! And how all of the best titles have them. He does have a point. There are chickens in LEGO Fortnite.

Jordan Peele surprised everyone during Hideo Kojima appearance
Jordan Peele, creator of such excellent horror as Get Out, Us, Candyman (2021), will be collaborating with Hideo Kojima on his new horror game OD. 

He took to the stage after a brief teaser for OD. Kojima also mentioned he’s working with other–yet-to-be-named–creators in the genre. Our money is on Guillermo del Toro.

The Game Awards Orchestra revealed a new song, for a new game
The amazing Game Awards Orchestra debuted the song “No Promises to Keep” for the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It even had lyrics!

Twisted Metal gets a second season
The television adaptation of Twisted Metal is getting a second season on Peacock, according to its star, Anthony Mackie.

The Old Gods of Asgard rocked the house
Alan Wake universe in-game band the Old Gods of Asgard, shook the pillars of The Game Awards with a stage-shattering performance of “Herald of Darkness” from Alan Wake 2. 

The group, made up of real-world band Poets of the Fall, performed alongside Matthew Porretta (Alan Wake), David Harewood (Mr. Warlin Door), and Sam Lake (Remedy's creative director and Alex Casey’s face).

Fallout TV got more facetime
We got another look at the upcoming television show based on Fallout. It looks simply amazing. The trailer was followed by a short appearance by some of the show’s stars to hand out the award for best adaptation.
 

THE NOMINEES AND WINNERS

Game of the Year
Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
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)

Best Game Direction
Winner: Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

Best Adaptation
Winner: The Last of Us (PlayStation Productions/HBO)
Castlevania: Nocturne (Powerhouse Animation/Netflix)
Gran Turismo (PlayStation Productions/Sony Pictures)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Illumination/Nintendo/Universal Pictures)
Twisted Metal (PlayStation Productions/Peacock)

Best Narrative
Winner: Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt Red)
Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE) 

Best Art Direction
Winner: Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)
Lies of P (Round8 Studio/Neowiz Games)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

Best Score and Music
Winner: Final Fantasy XVI, Composer Masayoshi Soken (Square Enix)
Alan Wake 2, Composer Petri Alanko (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
Baldur’s Gate 3, Composer Borislav Slavov (Larian Studios)
Hi-Fi Rush, Audio Director Shuichi Kobori (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Composed by Nintendo Sound Team (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

Best Audio Design
Winner: Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)
Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
Dead Space (Motive Studio/EA)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)

Best Performance
Winner: Neil Newbon, Baldur’s Gate 3
Ben Starr, Final Fantasy XVI
Cameron Monaghan, STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor
Idris Elba, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Melanie Liburd, Alan Wake 2
Yuri Lowenthal, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Innovation in Accessibility
Winner: Forza Motorsport (Turn 10 Studios/Xbox Game Studios)
Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment)
Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Mortal Kombat 1 (NetherRealm Studios/WB Games)
Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)

Games for Impact
Winner: Tchia (Awaceb/Kepler Interactive)
A Space for the Unbound (Mojiken Studio/Toge Productions/Chorus)
Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc/Focus Entertainment)
Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP)
Terra Nil (Free Lives/Devolver Digital/Netflix)
Venba (Visai Games)

Best Ongoing Game
Winner: Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)
Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment/EA)
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Genshin Impact (HoYoverse)

Best Community Support
Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)
Destiny 2 (Bungie)
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

Best Independent Game
Winner: Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio)
Cocoon (Geometric Interactive/Annapurna Interactive)
Dave the Diver (MINTROCKET)
Dredge (Black Salt Games/Team 17)
Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios/Thunderful Publishing)

Best Mobile Game
Winner: Honkai: Star Rail (HoYoverse)
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis (Applibot/Square Enix)
Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Sunblink Entertainment)
Monster Hunter Now (Niantic/Capcom)
Terra Nil (Free Lives/Devolver/Netflix)

Best VR/AR Game
Winner: Resident Evil Village VR Mode (Capcom)
Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital/SIE)
Humanity (tha LTD/Enhance Games)
Horizon Call of the Mountain (Guerrilla Games/Firesprite/SIE)
Synapse (nDreams)

Best Action Game
Winner: Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
Dead Island 2 (Dambuster Studios/Deep Silver)
Ghostrunner 2 (One More Level/505 Games)
Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)
Remnant 2 (Gunfire Games/Gearbox Publishing)

Best Action/Adventure Game
Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Respawn Entertainment/EA)

Best RPG
Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
Lies of P (Round8 Studio/Neowiz Games)
Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio)
Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)

Best Fighting Game
Winner: Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
God of Rock (Modus Studios Brazil/Modus Games)
Mortal Kombat 1 (NetherRealm Studios/WB Games)
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (Ludosity/Fair Play Labs/GameMill Entertainment)
Pocket Bravery (Statera Studio/PQube)

Best Family Game
Winner: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Disney Illusion Island (Dlala Studios/Disney)
Party Animals (Recreate Games)
Pikmin 4 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Sonic Superstars (Arzest/Sonic Team/Sega)

Best Sim/Strategy Game
Winner: Pikmin 4 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (WayForward/Nintendo)
Cities: Skylines II (Colossal Order/Paradox Interactive)
Company of Heroes 3 (Relic Entertainment/Sega)
Fire Emblem Engage (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)

Best Sports/Racing
Winner: Forza Motorsport (Turn 10 Studios/Xbox Game Studios)
EA Sports FC 24 (EA Vancouver/EA Romania/EA Sports)
F1 23 (Codemasters/EA Sports)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (Milestone)
The Crew Motorfest (Ubisoft Ivory Tower/Ubisoft)

Best Multiplayer Presented by Discord
Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment)
Party Animals (Recreate Games)
Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

Most Anticipated Game
Winner: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega)
Star Wars Outlaws (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)
Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco/Arika)

Content Creator of the Year
Winner: IronMouse
PeopleMakeGames
Quackity
Spreen
SypherPK

Best Esports Game
Winner: Valorant (Riot Games)
Counter-Strike 2 (Valve)
Dota 2 (Valve)
League of Legends (Riot Games)
PUBG Mobile (LightSpeed Studios/Tencent Games)

Make sure to check out The Game Awards website for the full list of nominees and winners.