The Game Awards 2024 LIVE as it happens

Shadow Labyrinth comes to all platforms next year

This new 2D action platformer looks pretty fun, and there’s good news: it’s coming to all major platforms in 2025! That means Xbox, PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

Thick as Thieves reminds me of Dishonored, and it’s coming to consoles and Xbox

One of the most interesting games shown so far was Thick as Thieves, a stealth action game that looks heavily inspired by Dishonored. It’s coming to Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox, and PS5.

Dave the Diver has an “In the Jungle” DLC on the way

Last year’s incredibly popular indie title Dave the Diver has an “In the Jungle” expansion coming in late 2025, so be ready for that if you’re a fan!

The cozy vibes from One Move Away are immaculate

One Move Away World Premiere Trailer from The Game Awards 2024 – YouTube

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Hope you like packing (and unpacking). A cozy game about moving called One Move Away is coming in 2025, and it looks very relaxing to play!

Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is coming in summer 2025

Ninja Gaiden Ragebound World Premiere Trailer from The Game Awards 2024 – YouTube

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The Game Awards 2024 has kicked off with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, a new platformer in the legendary series headed your way in summer 2025.

T-minus 5 minutes away from the start of The Game Awards! Enjoy the show if you’re watching live, and thanks for sticking with us as we report on all the cool stuff we’re about to see. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

The Game Awards 2024 is now under one hour away from broadcasting live, so now’s the time to get some grub or stretch for a while before settling in for the show. I’m going to eat a quick bite myself, but I’ll be back soon to provide you with live coverage of the ceremony. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Save big on TGA 2024 nominees and other gaming gear

There are a lot of games nominated for awards this year, with a ton of genre variety throughout the full list. Even the most dedicated gamers likely haven’t played all of them as a result — I haven’t gotten around to playing half of the Game of the Year nominees, myself — but if you’re looking to catch up on what you missed, you’ll want to take advantage of these excellent limited-time deals.

Amazon, Microsof (Xbox), and Sony (PS5) are all offering special discounts on The Game Awards 2024 nominees on their respective storefronts, along with price cuts on quality gaming accessories like mice, keyboards, headsets, controllers, and more. The PlayStation sale is the best one since that sale runs until December 16 (Microsoft’s ends after the show), but they’re all great, and they allow you to save 75% or more on many of this year’s best games. Check them out! — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

SAG-AFTRA is still on strike

While we’re all looking forward to the different announcements and awards, including seeing who wins Best Performance, it’s extremely important to remember that SAG-AFTRA is still on strike. The union is seeking agreements to prevent abuse of AI, a hot topic across the game and tech industries.

These actors are a huge reason why some of the biggest games can succeed, so if you’ve ever appreciated a performance like Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu or Troy Baker as Indiana Jones, you should be aware of what the concerns are as the strike continues. — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor

Jez’s ‘The Game Awards’ 2024 predictions: what to expect

Hey gang, it’s that time again. Geoff Keighley is out in force this year for The Game Awards, and the excitement is reaching fever pitch.

There are rumors of all shapes and sizes flying around, and I’ve already posted some expectations on socials, but I want to add here what Xbox and Windows PC gamers can expect from Microsoft and its partners at this year’s show.

NO SPOILERS, though.

From what I’m hearing, there will be at least a couple blockbuster announcements (initially shared by Jason Schrier on KindaFunny). One is a PlayStation exclusive fans should be very excited to see. However, at least one of the other major announcements should indeed represent a full multiplatform release across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. It should spark a ton of excitement if true — although I’m not sure whether to expect this particular game to launch in the near term.

As for Xbox itself, I expect the vast majority, if not every announcement relevant to Xbox to be a multiplatform affair. But there could be at least a couple of fun announcements, at least one could expand the already packed 2025 Xbox first-party slate.

For my full The Game Awards predictions list, head over here. — Jez Corden, Executive Editor

Check out this hilarious The Game Awards 2024 bingo card

It’s impossible to know exactly what we’ll see at The Game Awards, but trying to predict its schedule and then seeing if we’re right is always a fun way to enjoy the show. That’s the idea with bingo cards, and this one from Aggro Crab — the developer behind this year’s excellent underwater Soulslike Another Crab’s Treasure — is absolutely hilarious.

It’s chock full of funny references to controversial elements of this year’s show (like the presence of Elden Ring’s DLC) as well as jokes about its hosts, presenters, and past events (like Snoop Dogg and marijuana, the discussion about developer clothing last year, and Josef Fares’ on-stage antics). I need to see Geoff Keighley bring an actual alligator on-stage to present something for Grand Theft Auto VI (set in a satirical version of Florida), but I’m going to be peeved if I have to cross off that “PLEASE WRAP IT UP” square.

By the way, Another Crab’s Treasure itself is a delightful indie, and if you play games on Xbox or PC, you can check it out with Xbox Game Pass. If you like Soulslikes, I strongly recommend it. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Geoff Keighley speaks on 10 years of The Game Awards

This year’s The Game Awards celebration is fairly unique, as it happens to be the 10th anniversary of the event that showrunner Geoff Keighley first established in 2014. Therefore, while it’s commemorating all the amazing games that have released in 2024, it’s also something of a ceremony for The Game Awards’ success in the last decade as well.

Geoff Keighley, executive producer Kimmie Kim, director Richard Preuss, and production designer LeRoy Bennett have all spoken about this year’s show in a new Variety interview, with the team discussing The Game Awards’ rise in popularity and production quality over time, its similarities and differences compared to other shows like the Oscars and VMAs, and its focus on celebrating recent games while simultaneously giving fans a sneak peek at the future.

Notably, Keighley commented in the interview that some of what players will see goes beyond what’s coming next year. “This audience really does want to see the future, so we’ll be focused not just on what’s happening in 2025 in gaming, but I think you’ll see some things that are even further out at the show,” he said.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable read, and one worth checking out while we’re waiting for the show to start. Only about three and a half hours to go! — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Balatro just dropped huge free new update making it even more obvious it should win Game of the Year

Balatro – Friends of Jimbo (Pack 3) | Reveal Trailer – YouTube

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Balatro is absolutely clearing everying else in the Game of the Year category right now. Don’t tell me I’m biased! Earlier this week, Cyberpunk 2077 paid homage to the game with a Balatro-inspired mission as a nod to Jimbo. Now, just over an hour ago, Balatro decided to keep the momentum going with a huge surprise—dropping the brand-new Friends of Jimbo 3 Pack 3 DLC on all platforms.

This DLC features crossovers with deep breath Divinity: Original Sin 2, Shovel Knight, Potion Craft, Enter The Gungeon, Cult of the Lamb, Don’t Starve, 1000xRESIST, and Warframe. The announcement came via an incredible trailer starring none other than Ben Starr, who plays our favorite Joker to perfection. Starr, who was nominated at last year’s Game Awards for his role in Final Fantasy 16, delivers a great performance in the trailer, which totally will not give me nightmares.

With Balatro now celebrating 3.5 million copies sold, it’s no wonder it’s cementing its spot as one of the year’s best games. Honestly, it’s my personal Game of the Year winner—and with this level of content and creativity, it’s a title that’s more than well-deserved. — Jennifer Young, Gaming Contributor

I will not allow the Vampire Survivors erasure from this years awards to go ignored

Storming into the live blog to rant about my own injustice in this year’s Game Awards, well not mine, Poncle’s. From late 2023 and throughout 2024, Vampire Survivors has received a number of either free or ridiculously cheap updates adding an insane amount of content to the game, from the Among Us and Contra crossovers, to the Darkasso update adding a slew of ridiculously powered new Arcanas. Finishing the year with a boom, we got the Ode to Castlevania DLC in October, which for the tiny price of $3.99 added the biggest map yet, 20 new characters and 40 new weapons. Or did it? No, Poncle hid even MORE content past the end credits, and without spoiling it for those who haven’t played yet, you are in for your money’s worth.

I’ve put *checks notes* 58 hours into the DLC alone on Steam, and when the Game Awards made such a song and dance about DLC being eligible for awards, I really thought Vampire Survivors would get some well deserved recognition. Alas, it hasn’t even been acknowledged in the ongoing game. A travesty.

Balatro making it into the Game of the Year category is the only thing keeping me from full incandescent rage, that and good old BAFTA Games have longlisted Vampire Survivors in it’s own awards, so fingers crossed Poncle will get the recognition they so deserve elsewhere. — Jennifer Young, Gaming Contributor

STALKER 2 got absolutely robbed this year

Samuel is absolutely right that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle deserved to be up in The Games Awards’ lineup, but it did miss the cutoff date by several weeks. One game that didn’t, though, was GSC Game World’s highly anticipated survival shooter STALKER 2.

The cutoff was originally scheduled for November 22, but it got pushed up with no stated reasoning from The Game Awards; this axed the eligibility of November 20’s STALKER 2 at the eleventh hour, which is pretty royally unfair if you ask me. It really should have been up there, as I’d argue it’s unquestionably one of this year’s best games and an inspiring success story from a beleaguered Ukrainian developer that persisted in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Its initial reviews and overall Metacritic scores took a sizable hit from some gnarly performance issues at launch, but GSC quickly patched the game up effectively and have majorly improved the Xbox and Windows PC exclusive. That’s allowed its incredibly immersive atmosphere, immensely rewarding open-world exploration, and tense moment-to-moment combat gameplay shine brightly; 84% of its 68,279 user reviews on Steam are positive.

In my own review of STALKER 2, I wrote that the shooter “stands tall as one of the most captivating open-world shooters I’ve ever played, with palpable atmosphere and deeply rewarding exploration that kept me glued to my seat along with addictively intense and dynamic action that kept me on the edge of it.”

I’d definitely put it (along with Helldivers 2) in Game of the Year in place of Black Myth: Wukong or the Elden Ring DLC if it was eligible, and it should definitely be in the running for Best Action Game and/or Best Action/Adventure, too. The fact it wasn’t available as an option to vote for is a real shame. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

*Sad John Williams theme plays*

While plenty of amazing games and talented teams are being recognized during the awards, there’s one game that won’t be present, and that’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This excellent adventure title from MachineGames and Bethesda Softworks launched just a few days ago, well after the cutoff point for when a game needs to launch in order to be recognized and voted on.

I do understand this, really. You have to have a cutoff point with lead time in order to allow the jury to reasonably vote, but it’s such a shame that Indy won’t be eligible this year, because I firmly believe he’d be a frontrunner for many.

After all, this is my game of the year, and I wrote in my review of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle that “From the manner in which every line is delivered and scene is shot to the smirk on Indy’s face when solving a puzzle, it’s clear that everyone at MachineGames just gets what makes Indiana Jones so special. This is a game that can sit next to the original trilogy with pride.” — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 DESERVES to win Best Multiplayer

I’ve been a Call of Duty player for a long time. I’m significantly older than the top players of today, but I’ve been floating around since the beginning. I took a few years off, though, because the Modern Warfare titles didn’t grab me, and I didn’t enjoy Vanguard in my limited time with it at all.

The latest, Black Ops 6, is up for Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards and I wholeheartedly believe it deserves to win. Not just because it would be a nice catch for the now Microsoft-owned franchise!

Ignoring the anticheat woes and the usual community frustrations that you’ll always get with a game of this type, Black Ops 6 is a return to form for Call of Duty. The multiplayer is fast and fun, and Omnimovement has made more difference to this than I think a lot would give it credit for. I’m over 230 hours deep already, mostly in multiplayer, which speaks volumes for someone that’s avoided almost all PvP games for a few years! Helldivers 2 is also worthy, but I really think Black Ops 6 deserves recognition. — Richard Devine, Managing Editor

The Sifu devs will be at TGA 2024 with a surprise

Mere hours before the start of TGA 2024, Sloclap — the studio behind last year’s excellent kung fu beat ’em up action game Sifu — has confirmed that it will have a presence at the show. It’s also telling its fans to “expect to be surprised,” which likely means we’ll either get a new game announcement or perhaps a Sifu DLC reveal. Either one sounds great to me, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Sloclap has in store for players. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Good morning, everyone! As I type this out, The Game Awards 2024 is now only seven hours away, so it won’t be long before we find out which of the nominees in each category are going home with one (or more) of those iconic TGA trophies. We’ll also get to see all the new trailers and reveals that developers around the industry have in store for players. Stay tuned with us throughout the day for live coverage before, during, and after the show as we report on and react to all the exciting news. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Tossing my TGA picks into the ring

Since it seems to be all the rage here in the Windows Central live hub for all The Game Awards 2024 news and announcements you need, I’ve decided to also submit my picks for each category. In my humble (and correct) opinion, here are the winners.

• Game of the Year — Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Players’ Voice — Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Best Game Direction — Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Best Narrative — Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Best Art Direction — Neva
• Best Score and Music — Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Best Audio Design — Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Best Performance — Melina Juergens as Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Innovation in Accessibility — Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Games for Impact — Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Best Ongoing — Diablo IV
• Best Community Support — Baldur’s Gate 3
• Best Independent Game — Neva
• Best Debut Indie Game — The Plucky Squire
• Best Mobile Game — Balatro
• Best Action Game — Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Best Action/Adventure — Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Best RPG — Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Best Family — The Plucky Squire
• Best Sim/Strategy — Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
• Best Multiplayer — Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Most Anticipated Game — Grand Theft Auto 6
• Best Esports Game — VALORANT

I omitted the categories I honestly couldn’t care less about, and for the most part stuck with games that I’ve actually played. If you couldn’t tell already, my personal game of the year is absolutely Metaphor: ReFantazio, which I reviewed for Windows Central. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a stunning RPG with an intricate, emotional, and powerful narrative in an incredibly beautiful world. When it comes to RPG gameplay, narrative and game direction, and music.

Metaphor: ReFantazio would’ve run away with art direction, too, but I had to give that to Neva, which I also reviewed and chose as the best indie game of the year. Of course, I also had to give plenty of love to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, another game I reviewed for Windows Central and one of the most impressive accomplishments in art and narrative design in video games. In particular, Hellblade 2’s impactful messaging, unbelievable audio design, and the emotionally devastating performance from Melina Juergens.

Finally, justice for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown! Yes, I reviewed that, too. The Lost Crown is still one of my top games of the year, and it deserves at least one award at TGA. — Zachary Boddy, Staff Writer

Meanwhile, here’s my votes for the Game Awards 2024

Hey there! Like the rest of the crew, I’m prepping to cover the winter gaming showca-er, the Game Awards 2024, and I’m excited to see what’s in store. As we get closer, I figured I’d also share what my picks were from across all the nominations. Bear in mind, I’m following the rules of what got nominated, so no voting for Frostpunk 2 for Game of the Year, even if it should be a contender.

Game of the Year: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Best Game Direction: Astro Bot

Best Narrative: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Best Art Direction: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Best Score and Music: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Best Audio Design: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Best Performance: Melina Juergens as Senua

Innovation in Accessibility: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Games for Impact: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Best Ongoing: Diablo 4

Best Community Support: Helldivers 2

Best Independent Game: Balatro

Best Debut Indie Game: Balatro

Best Mobile Game: Balatro

Best VR/AR: Asgard’s Wrath 2

Best Action Game: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Best Action/Adventure: Astro Bot

Best RPG: Dragon’s Dogma 2

Best Fighting: Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

Best Family: Astro Bot

Best Sim/Strategy: Age of Mythology: Retold

Best Sports/Racing: EA Sports FC 25

Best Multiplayer: Helldivers 2

Best Adaptation: Arcane

Most Anticipated Game: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Again, I emphasize that this is only me choosing based off what was available in each category. My real most anticipated game undoubtedly goes to DOOM: The Dark Ages, as I absolutely cannot wait to see what Bethesda and id Software have cooked up with this Medieval-themed prequel focused on the origin of the Slayer’s war on demons. — Samuel Tolbert, Gaming Contributor

It’s finally time to see some Borderlands 4

For Borderlands fans, The Game Awards is Christmas arriving early. We already know Borderlands 4 exists and is scheduled to drop in 2025, but beyond that, not a whole lot. The Game Awards is going to be the first big look at the “most ambitious Borderlands yet” and it’s the thing I’m most excited for.

Sure, I want Balatro to win GOTY, but I love Borderlands. The franchise that really kicked off the whole looter shooter genre with a bang, and without it, some of my favorite titles may never have come to be. Plus, Borderlands fits so well with my own ridiculous sense of humor, I have no doubts I’m going to enjoy what I see tonight. Bring it on! — Richard Devine, Managing Editor

If Balatro doesn’t win GOTY, we riot

Before the nominations were announced, I said that we riot if Balatro wasn’t nominated for Game of the Year. Now it has been nominated, we riot if it doesn’t win Game of the Year. Balatro isn’t my most played game of 2024, but it’s far and away my pick to claim that coveted prize.

I could talk for hours about it, but I won’t. The shortened version is that Balatro embodies everything about what makes a great game. At its core, it’s pure fun. It doesn’t hide behind complicated narratives, flashy graphics, or endless battle passes. It’s just a really good, addictive, well-executed game that I can honestly say anyone I’ve turned to playing it has totally got why I, and so many others, love it so much. — Richard Devine, Managing Editor

Here are my The Game Awards 2024 picks

With the actual The Game Awards show now under 24 hours away, I thought it would be fun to share what my personal picks for all of this year’s 30 award categories are based on what got nominated and what I’ve gotten around to playing and watching. Here’s my list:

• Game of the Year: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• Players’ Voice: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• Best Game Direction: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• Best Narrative: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
• Best Art Direction: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• Best Score and Music: Silent Hill 2
• Best Audio Design: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
• Best Performance: Melina Juergens as Senua
• Innovation in Accessibility: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Games for Impact: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
• Best Ongoing: Final Fantasy XIV
• Best Community Support: Baldur’s Gate 3
• Best Independent Game: Animal Well
• Best Debut Indie Game: Animal Well
• Best Mobile Game: Balatro
• Best VR/AR: Metro Awakening
• Best Action Game: Helldivers 2
• Best Action/Adventure: Silent Hill 2
• Best RPG: Dragon’s Dogma 2
• Best Fighting: Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
• Best Family: Astro Bot
• Best Sim/Strategy: Manor Lords
• Best Sports/Racing: EA Sports FC 24
• Best Multiplayer: Helldivers 2
• Best Adaptation: Fallout
• Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto 6
• Content Creator of the Year: CaseOh
• Best Esports Game: Counter-Strike 2
• Best Esports Athlete: N/A
• Best Esports Team: N/A

I begrudgingly voted for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for many of these categories, as while I absolutely love the expansion and think it’s largely better than the nominees it’s up against, I don’t think DLCs should be included in The Game Awards unless they’re in their own separate category. If it was up to me, Helldivers 2 would be in (and win) the Game of the Year running, and Players’ Voice wouldn’t have three gacha games nominated (players were encouraged to vote for them with promises of free currency in these games by their developers, which is pretty lame). Alas, it is not up to me, so here I sit. Salty.

Still, it’s nice to see the presentation and performances in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 get the recognition they deserve, and I’m hoping Animal Well wins both indie awards since it’s pretty mind-blowing a solo developer made such a deep and create Metroidvania. Shoutout to Manor Lords in Best Sim/Strategy, too; it’s another excellent solo-developed project.

Also, I really need to set a day or two aside to watch Arcane Season 2. Fallout probably wouldn’t be my pick for Best Adaptation if I’d done so already, based on what I’ve heard. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

“Oh boy, @geoffkeighley cooked”

That’s a direct quote from none other than Windows Central’s very own executive editor and Xbox aficionado Jez Corden. Jez posted that to X (Twitter) a few days ago, clearly having heard about some of what’s coming in this year’s The Game Awards. He went on to say “without hard spoilers” that he’s expecting to see impressive multiplatform announcements and “other fun stuff,” though believes that Microsoft and Xbox won’t have much to show since it has its own Developer_Direct presentation coming in Q1 2025.

Sounds like we’re in for a good show this year. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

What to expect from The Game Awards 2024

The vast majority of what’s being shown at The Game Awards 2024 will remain a mystery until the show itself kicks off, but that doesn’t mean we’re going into it completely blind. In fact, the opposite is true, as many developers as well as Geoff Keighley himself have publicly teased several of the games, reveals, trailers, and performances that will appear during the event. These include the following:

In addition to these, note that several celebrities and developers will be presenting awards throughout the evening, including Bethesda’s Todd Howard, actress Isabela Merced from HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2, Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, prolific game voice actor Laura Bailey, Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake, and none other than Hideo Kojima himself.

If we learn anything else about the show before it starts, I’ll be sure to post about it here. With that said, I don’t expect we will, as it’s bound to have plenty of surprises that the showrunners don’t want to spoil. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Where you can watch The Game Awards 2024

The YouTube stream we embedded above is one way to watch this year’s The Game Awards show, but it’s not the only one. The presentation is being broadcast on a variety of different platforms once it begins on December 12 at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 a.m. GMT, including the following:

If you end up having trouble with the stream on one platform, try using one of the others instead and hopefully it’ll work better for you. — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor

Hello everyone, and welcome to our live coverage of The Game Awards 2024! The show may still be a day away, but there’s already quite a few things to talk about ahead of its scheduled start time. There have been several teases of what to expect from the presentation from The Game Awards and its partners, all of which I’ll be covering here shortly.

There’s quite a bit of stiff competition in this year’s nominations, and there’s some noteworthy controversy too; many are frustrated with the inclusion of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree in the running, for example, because it’s ultimately still a DLC expansion even if it is the size of a standalone game. As usual, there are also lots of fans who feel their favorite game got snubbed from Game of the Year nominations or other categories (that’s me with Helldivers 2, 100%).

Still, I’m hoping that it’ll be a great event, even if I still have a sour taste in my mouth from how The Game Awards 2023 let down developers and viewers alike by being more about advertisements and trailers than actually celebrating that year’s best and brightest titles. Fingers crossed! — Brendan Lowry, Gaming Contributor