The Game Awards 2021: the Winners, the News, the Games

The Game Awards wrapped tonight after unearthing a treasure trove of game announcements, new trailers, and general video gaming news.

Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest news from the annual event, with easy links for wishlisting your favorites on the Epic Games Store.

And don’t forget the Epic Games Store Game Awards flash sale, which runs through Saturday, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. ET.

The Video Games

Alan Wake 2

We had to check to make sure we were still awake when we saw the brief teaser announcing what so many of us have been waiting to come true: Remedy’s classic action-adventure game Alan Wake is finally getting an official, full-blown sequel. It’s going to be a survival horror game. That’s all we know so far, but it’s enough.

FINAL Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade

Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER operative, descends on the mako-powered city of Midgar. The world of the timeless classic FINAL FANTASY VII is reborn, using cutting-edge graphics technology, a new battle system, and an additional adventure featuring Yuffie Kisaragi. Make sure to read our deeper dive on the game right here.

Rumbleverse

Rumbleverse is an all-new, free-to-play, 40-person brawler royale where anyone can be a champion. You play as your own unique citizen of Grapital City, as you battle your way to victory! You can read more about the game here.

Arc Raiders

Embark Studios first official game is a cooperative third-person shooter where players fight to take down the stream of enemies falling from the sky. The free-to-play game hits in 2022.

Homeworld 3

Homeworld, the game of the year, sci-fi, real-time strategy series, is back after 18 years! Homeworld 3 debuted first-look gameplay footage and a haunting glimpse into Karan S’Jet’s memories from The Game Awards stage.

Star Trek: Resurgence

Drop into an interactive narrative video game that tells an original story set in the era shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Stationed aboard the U.S.S. RESOLUTE, players will assume the role of two principal characters, first officer Jara Rydek and engineering grunt Carter Diaz, as they unravel a sinister mystery involving two civilizations on the brink of war.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderland

2K and Gearbox Software - with the help of Will Arnett and Ashly Burch - debuted an all-new look at Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the highly anticipated, fantasy-fueled take on the looter shooter genre coming March 25, 2022. The new trailer offered a sneak peek at the story, as the utterly unpredictable Tiny Tina guides players through a game of the tabletop role-playing adventure Bunkers & Badasses.

King of Fighters XV

During the pre-show for The Game Awards, SNK showed off a new character for King of Fighters XV: Krohnen. The new character seems to transform his arms - mid-battle - into a array of weapons.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human

A new cinematic trailer from Dying Light 2 Stay Human gave us a glimpse of some of the humanity and painful choices baked into the upcoming game, hitting Feb. 4, 2022.

Saints Row

We saw a new trailer for the over-the-top sandbox mayhem game featuring the 3rd Street Saints and all of the criminal shenanigans they get up to. You can get your purple wingsuit on starting Aug. 23, when the game goes live.

Chivalry 2

The “Merry Chivmas” update introduces a limited-time Chivmas event to the hack-and-slash medieval brawler with snowball fights, festive cosmetics, a new brawl mode map (Cathedral), a new Warbow weapon, along with a general focus on gameplay and combat improvements.

Forspoken

We got a look at a brand new story trailer for the Square Enix published action role-playing game showing off new enemies, including a massive boss, and a new “Tanta.” And, just revealed is the release date: May 24, 2022.

The Nominees & Winners

Of course, the evening’s real stars were the best games of 2021.

The night’s big show, which returned to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles after a one-year hiatus to a virtual event, included a live orchestra, performances by Imagine Dragons and Sting, and a cadre of presenters that included actor Simu Liu.

Game of the Year

Winner: It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)

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)

Best Game Direction

Winner: Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)

It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Returnal (Housemarque/SIE)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)

Best Ongoing

Winner: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (SQUARE ENIX)

Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
Call of Duty: Warzone (Infinity Ward/Raven/Activision)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Genshin Impact (MiHoYo)

Best Indie

Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)

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)

Best Debut Indie

Winner: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)

Sable (Shedworks/Raw Fury)
The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna)
The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller/Dear Villagers)
Valheim (Iron Gate/Coffee Stain)

Best Narrative

Winner: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal/SQUARE ENIX)

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)

Best Art Direction

Winner: Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)

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)

Best Score and Music

Winner: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 (Keiichi Okabe, Composer)

Cyberpunk 2077 (Marcin Przybylowicz, Piotr T. Adamczyk, Composers)
Deathloop (Tom Salta, Composer)
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Richard Jacques, Composer)
The Artful Escape (Johnny Galvatron & Josh Abrahams, Composers)

Best Audio Design

Winner: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios)

Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Returnal (Housemarque/SIE)

Best Performance

Winner: Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil Village

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

Games for Impact

Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine/SQUARE ENIX)

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)

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