Unpacking wins the EE Game of the Year Award at the 2022 BAFTA Games Awards

• Unpacking is crowned the 2022 winner of the EE Game of the Year Award – the only award to be voted for by the public 
• The BAFTA Games Awards were hosted at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London by TV & Radio Presenter, Elle Osili-Wood, and live streamed on BAFTA’s social channels with viewers from around the world tuning in 
• The 2022 nominees were: Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Deathloop, It Takes Two, Metroid Dread, The Forgotten City and Unpacking
• Stephanie Ijoma, Games Consultant and Founder of NNESAGA presented the EE Game of the Year Award to Unpacking

Tonight, Unpacking won the EE Game of the Year Award at the BAFTA Games Awards, with the winner being announced at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London, as well as live streamed across BAFTA’s social channels.

The ceremony saw Unpacking take home the EE Game of the Year Award, beating nominees Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Deathloop, It Takes Two, Metroid Dread and The Forgotten City. The award, which was presented by Games Consultant and Founder of NNESAGA Stephanie Ijoma, recognises the game that has resonated most with players around the world – capturing imaginations and keeping us entertained and connected over the past year.

The ceremony, which was hosted by TV & Radio Presenter, Elle Osili-Wood, featured the announcements for winners across all categories, along with acceptance speeches and a ‘year in games’ highlight reel.

Unpacking was one of six outstanding games nominated in recognition of their innovative offering and the impact they have had upon the public and games industry alike.

Unpacking is a zen game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Developed by Witch Beam, Unpacking is a part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration where you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life they are unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told. The game is available on Xbox® One, Nintendo® Switch and on PC.

Dr. Jo Twist OBE, Chair of BAFTA’s Games Committee, said: "For the second year running, we have been able to hear directly from the public through their votes for the EE Game of the Year Award, and so a massive congratulations to XX, for getting their seal of approval. In a hugely growing industry, we are delighted to honour and recognise the best of the games industry’s talent and we’re pleased to live stream these prestigious awards so fans around the world can tune in from wherever they are.”

Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at EE, said: “Congratulations to XX for winning the EE Game of the Year Award, the only category at the BAFTA Games Awards voted for by the gaming community. The gaming industry continues to go from strength to strength and we’re so proud that we can continue to support it through initiatives and awards like this. With connectivity continuing to be crucial for gamers across the country, EE Full Fibre broadband will play a big role in this, ensuring that fans across the UK are fully connected and lag-free in the moments they need it most”.

Earlier this year, a jury panel comprising of leading industry experts met to select the six nominees for the second EE Game of the Year Award from a long list of competitors. This jury was chaired by Dr. Jo Twist OBE, chair of BAFTA Games Committee, and included Gaming Influencer Stephanie Ijoma, Head of Content at GAMINGBible Mike Diver, TV Presenter Jane Douglas and Associate Editor at the Daily Star Tom Hutchison.

The EE Game of the Year Award was voted for by the British public via the EE website. For more information on the EE Game of the Year Award, please head to: ee.co.uk/BAFTAgames

@EE #EEGameOfTheYear

For more information, please contact M&C Saatchi Talk on ee@mcsaatchi.com

EE Game of the Year Award Jury Panel

Dr. Jo Twist, Chair of Games Committee
Alex Spencer, Features Editor at EDGE
Laura Kate Dale, Journalist and Author
Tamoor Hussain, Managing Editor at GameSpot
Stephanie Ijoma, Gaming Consultant and Founder of NNESAGA
Mike Diver, Head of Content at GAMINGbible
Sam Loveridge, Global Editor-In-Chief at GamesRadar
Janet Garcia, Video Game Critic and Content Creator
Ryan Brown, Writer and PR at Super Rare Games
Elle Osili-Wood, Video Game Presenter and Journalist
Jane Douglas, Writer, Video Producer and Presenter at Outside Xbox
Julia Hardy, TV Presenter
Victoria Brown, Content Creator and Influencer
Tom Hutchison, Associate Editor at Daily Star

EE runs the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast connections in more places than any other operator. EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012 and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.

EE has received extensive independent recognition, including being named the UK’s no.1 5G network by RootMetrics® in 2020 and being named the UK’s best network every year since 2014 for the following awards: The Mobile Choice Awards, The Mobile Industry Awards and by RootMetrics®.

As well as offering mobile services to consumers and small and medium businesses, EE also provides home and business broadband using both 4G and fixed line connections.

EE is committed to being number one for service in the industry and has nearly 600 shops across the UK. EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised as the UK’s Best Large Contact Centre by the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 and Welsh Contact Centre Awards 2019. EE was awarded The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work for in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named Best Employer 2018 by the European Contact Centre & Customer Service awards.

EE is part of BT’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK. Follow us on:

Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ee

Twitter at: www.twitter.com/ee

YouTube at: www.youtube.com/ee

LinkedIn at: www.linkedin.com/company/ee-uk

BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).