Witcher 3 Wins Game of the Year Award at 2016 GDC

The 2016 GDC Choice Awards is definitely one of the most important events of the year, and it looks like one of my favorite games of all time has managed to earn the most prestigious award of all: Game of the Year. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt came out on top among other renowned titles such as Fallout 4, Rocket League, Bloodborne and Metal Gear Solid V, so as you can probably imagine, choosing a winner was probably quite difficult. Apart from this award, Witcher 3 also won in the “best technology” category, no doubt due to CD Projekt RED’s amazing REDengine 3.

As for the IGF Game Developers Choice awards, the winner was Sam Barlow’s Her Story, which also took home three additional awards, including “best mobile / handheld award”, best “narrative award” and the “innovation award.” Below you will find a complete list of results.

Game of the Year

Winner: The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Other nominees:
Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)
Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Rocket League (Psyonix)

Innovation Award

Winner: Her Story (Sam Barlow)
Other nominees:
Super Mario Maker (Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 / Nintendo)
Undertale (Toby Fox)
Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo)
The Beginner’s Guide (Everything Unlimited Ltd.)

Best Debut

Winner: Moon Studios (Ori and the Blind Forest)
Other nominees:
Studio Wildcard (ARK: Survival Evolved)
Toby Fox (Undertale)
Moppin (Downwell)
Steel Crate Games (Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes)

Best Design

Winner: Rocket League (Psyonix)
Other nominees:
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)
Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/ Bethesda Softworks)
Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game

Winner: Her Story (Sam Barlow)
Other nominees:
Lara Croft: GO (Square Enix Montreal / Square Enix)
Fallout Shelter (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Downwell (Moppin / Devolver Digital)
AlphaBear (Spry Fox)

Best Visual Art

Winner: Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios / Microsoft Studios)
Other nominees:
The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Star Wars Battlefront (DICE / Electronic Arts)
Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo)

Best Narrative

Winners: Her Story (Sam Barlow)
Other nominees:
The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix)
Undertale (Toby Fox)
The Beginner’s Guide (Everything Unlimited Ltd.)

Best Audio

Winners: Crypt of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games)
Other nominees:
Star Wars Battlefront (DICE / Electronic Arts)
Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios / Microsoft Studios)
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (The Chinese Room / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)

Best Technology

Winner: The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Other nominees:
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)
Star Wars Battlefront (DICE / Electronic Arts)
Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Just Cause 3 (Avalanche Studios / Square Enix)

Game Developers Choice Ambassador Award
Winner: Tracy Fullerton

Audience Award:
Winner: Life is Strange (Dontnod)

Lifetime Achievement Award:
Winner: Todd Howard, Bethesda