Geoff Keighley hosted the Global Nominee Reveal on November 13th, announcing the contenders for one of gaming’s most significant events of the year. 31 categories showcase the best of the best for 2023’s year in games. Nintendo leads as the most nominated publisher with 15 nominations, while Alan Wake 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 compete for the most nominated game with 8 nominations, respectively.
The voting jury is made up of over 100 leading media and influencer outlets who will decide this year’s victors. However, the most prestigious award, Game of the Year, is voted for by the players themselves. 6 incredibly strong contenders are competing for the honour this year: Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Keighley announced via X, formerly Twitter, that there was a 73% year-over-year increase in votership for day one.
The sell-out show will take place in the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, on December 7th at 5 pm GMT and will be livestreamed on Youtube and Twitch. 2022 saw a record viewership of 103 million globally.
Of course, the awards are only one part of this enormous event. Composer Lorne Balfe will be conducting The Game Awards orchestra, who will perform a medley of the Game of the Year nominees’ soundtracks. As usual, there will be plenty of updates and announcements for upcoming games. Larian Studios have said via X that they will announce the exact release date of Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox.
The award show is also collaborating with Fortnite, which they unveiled back in 2011, where players can visit 10 user-created islands and vote for their favourite on The Game Awards island. Keighley posted on X that he has many ideas on how “The Game Awards can use video game technology to create a show unlike anything else out there”. Keighley stated that he’s “very excited by the possibilities”.
SciTech Editor, Molly Steele