The Game Awards 2020 Winners – A Great Year In Gaming

The Game Awards took place last night with all the COVID-19 precautions we know well by now. Nominees sent acceptance speeches ahead of time and many presenters did so virtually. Despite this, the evening was a great look back at gaming in the year 2020. I don’t know what we’ll think of this year in a decade. When we’re rolling out our best of the 2020s lists, will the Coronavirus pandemic supersede the things we played this year? In a lot of ways, I’m assuming the opposite. I have a feeling we’ll look back on this year’s The Game Awards 2020 winners fondly for what they offered us in such a grim time. If you missed the ceremony, then let’s get you caught up with a full rundown of the big winners.

Who Were the Big Winners at The Game Awards 2020

Image Credit: Naughty Dog and Sony

Surprisingly, The Game Awards went well despite necessary pandemic considerations. The biggest night in gaming is often full of celebrity citings, musical performances, and more, but I liked this format a lot. It is weird seeing someone react to a win with a pre-recorded video, however. Many of the ceremony’s biggest categories went to one game: The Last of Us Part II. Despite the controversy around leaks to the story and harsh violence featured in the game, it deserved its winnings. The game took home major awards including Best Game Direction, Game with Best Accessibility, and of course, Game of the Year. Other awards like Best Audio Design, Best Narrative, Best Performance (Laura Bailey as Abby), and Best Action-Adventure Game simply add to the title’s stature.

Among Us made history when it picked up two huge wins for Best Multiplayer Game and Best Mobile Game. Despite not even being released in 2020, the game’s popularity during the pandemic was unmatched. Hell, it’s still unmatched. Some who are totally out of the mobile gaming circle are just now getting into the title. Good timing as the game prepares to launch its new map in early 2021. Ghosts of Tsushima won for Players Voice and Best Art Direction. I’d argue Ghosts was the only real competition that TLOUP2 had in the GOTY category. They both really helped cap off an incredible console cycle for Sony.

Very Little Love for Some Fan Favorites

Image Credit: Square Enix/Sony

Two games that seemingly underperformed to what fans might have hoped: Final Fantasy VII Remake and Hades. The latter is the indie darling that many of us thought might sneak out a win in GOTY. It’s good, but if you remember in my predictions for the awards, I didn’t think it could happen. It did pick up wins for Best Action Game and Best Indie Game, which is impressive for SuperGiant.

FFVII Remake all but got shut out, save for wins in the Best Role-Playing Game and Best Score and Music categories. I think a lot of people liked the game but few loved it. It didn’t quite have that staying factor to stick with us through the entirety of 2020. Likewise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons kept us busy during quarantine, but couldn’t quite edge out a win for GOTY. It was a longshot, possibly even less likely to win than Hades, but millions still play it daily. I don’t think Nintendo is sweating that one too hard.

If you wanted to see a category go a different way, then let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading Comic Years for all things gaming, comics, and pop culture.

Featured Image Credit: The Game Awards

Taylor is the Gaming Editor of Comic Years and a lifelong fan of video games. He holds two degrees in Political Communication and wrote a Master's Thesis on resistance movements, race, and the exploitation of college athletes. His wife and two Toy Australian Sheppards keep him sane.