It Takes Two — Josef Fares’ co-op action-adventure title about a couple going through a divorce — took home the top honour, Game of the Year, at The Game Awards 2021 that took place the evening of Thursday, December 9 in Los Angeles. In his acceptance speech, Fares thanked his Stockholm-based team Hazelight Studios (and dabbled in profanity that would’ve gotten the axe if it was broadcast on regular TV). It Takes Two was tied for most wins at The Game Awards 2021 with the popular and acclaimed racing game Forza Horizon 5 (three apiece) with the latter’s publisher, Xbox Game Studios, emerging as the most successful publisher on the night.
A total of 26 video game prizes were awarded at The Game Awards 2021, with 103 publications — including yours truly, Gadgets 360 — making up the voting jury that decided the winners. Save for two categories (Players’ Voice, and Best Esports Game) that were voted on by fans and a select jury, respectively. As always, the awards itself at The Game Awards took a backseat to dozens of reveals, trailers, and news announcements: from PUBG going free-to-play in January 2022 to a trailer for the upcoming Halo TV series, and from a Wonder Woman game from the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor developers to Star Wars: Eclipse from the Heavy Rain team.
The Game Awards winners 2021 — the full list
The Game Awards 2021 Game of the Year
It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA) — WINNER
Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
Metroid Dread (Mercury Steam/Nintendo)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Game Direction
Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda) — WINNER
It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Returnal (Housemarque/SIE)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Narrative
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal/Square Enix) — WINNER
Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine/Square Enix)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Art Direction
Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda) — WINNER
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna
The Game Awards 2021 Best Score and Music
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 (Keiichi Okabe, Composer) — WINNER
Cyberpunk 2077 (Marcin Przybylowicz and Piotr T. Adamczyk, Composers)
Deathloop (Tom Salta, Composer)
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Richard Jacques, Composer)
The Artful Escape (Johnny Galvatron and Josh Abrahams, Composers)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Audio Design
Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios) — WINNER
Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Returnal (Housemarque/SIE)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Performance
Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil Village — WINNER
Erika Mori as Alex Chen, Life is Strange: True Colors
Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo, Far Cry 6
Jason E. Kelley as Colt Vahn, Deathloop
Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake, Deathloop
The Game Awards 2021 Games for Impact
Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine/Square Enix) — WINNER
Before Your Eyes (GoodbyeWorld Games/Skybound Games)
Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)
Chicory (Greg Lobanow, Alexis dean-Jones, Lena Raine, Madeline Berger, A Shell in the Pit/Finji)
No Longer Home (Humble Grove, Hana Lee, Cel Davison, Adrienne Lombardo, Eli Rainsberry/Fellow Traveler)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Ongoing Game
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (Square Enix) — WINNER
Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
Call of Duty: Warzone (Infinity Ward/Raven/Activision)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Genshin Impact (MiHoYo)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Indie Game
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab) — WINNER
12 Minutes (Luis Antonio/Annapurna Interactive)
Death’s Door (Acid Nerve/Devolver Digital)
Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver Digital)
Loop Hero (Four Quarters/Devolver Digital)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Mobile Game
Genshin Impact (MiHoYo) — WINNER
Fantasian (Mistwalker)
League of Legends: Wild Rift (Riot Games)
Marvel Future Revolution (Netmarble)
Pokemon Unite (TiMi Studios/The Pokemon Company)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Community Support
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (Square Enix) — WINNER
Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
Destiny 2 (Bungie)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
The Game Awards 2021 Best VR/AR
Resident Evil 4 (Armature Studio/Capcom/Oculus Studios) — WINNER
Hitman 3 (IO Interactive)
I Expect You to Die 2 (Schell Games)
Lone Echo II (Ready at Dawn/Oculus Studios)
Sniper Elite VR (Coatsink/Just Add Water/Rebellion Developments)
The Game Awards 2021 Innovation in Accessibility
Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios) — WINNER
Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft)
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal/Square Enix)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Creative Bytes Studios/Falling Squirrel)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Action Game
Returnal (Housemarque/SIE) — WINNER
Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock/WB Games)
Chivalry II (Torn Banner Studios/Tripwire Interactive)
Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Action/Adventure Game
Metroid Dread (Mercury Steam/Nintendo) — WINNER
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal/Square Enix)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Role Playing Game
Tales of Arise (Bandai Namco) — WINNER
Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)
Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
Scarlet Nexus (Bandai Namco)
Shin Megami Tensei V (Atlus/Sega)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Fighting Game
Guilty Gear -Strive- (Arc System Works) — WINNER
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles (CyberConnect2/Sega)
Melty Blood: Type Lumina (French-Bread/Delightworks)
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (Ludosity/Fair Play Labs/GameMill)
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (Sega)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Family Game
It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA) — WINNER
Mario Party Superstars (NDcube/Nintendo)
New Pokémon Snap (Bandai Namco/The Pokémon Company/Nintendo)
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Nintendo)
WarioWare: Get It Together! (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Sports/Racing Game
Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios) — WINNER
F1 2021 (Codemasters/EA Sports)
FIFA 22 (EA Vancouver/EA Sports)
Hot Wheels Unleashed (Milestone)
Riders Republic (Ubisoft Annecy/Ubisoft)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Sim/Strategy Game
Age of Empires IV (Relic Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios) — WINNER
Evil Genius 2: World Domination (Rebellion Developments)
Humankind (Amplitude Studios/Sega)
Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver)
Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio/Xbox Game Studios)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Multiplayer
It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA) — WINNER
Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock/WB Games)
Knockout City (Velan Studios/EA)
Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
New World (Amazon Games)
Valheim (Iron Gate Studio/Coffee Stain)
The Game Awards 2021 Best Debut Indie Game
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab) — WINNER
Sable (Shedworks/Raw Fury)
The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna)
The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller/Dear Villagers)
Valheim (Iron Gate/Coffee Stain)
The Game Awards 2021 Players’ Voice
Halo Infinite (343 Industries/Xbox Game Studios) — WINNER
Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios)
It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Metroid Dread (MercurySteam/Nintendo)
Resident Evil Village – Capcom
The Game Awards 2021 Best Esports Game
League of Legends (Riot Games) — WINNER
Call of Duty (Activision)
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)
DOTA 2 (Valve)
Valorant (Riot Games)
The Game Awards 2021 Most Anticipated Game
Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco) — WINNER
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)
Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)