Tak ada yang lebih tokoh yang lebih baik dalam menilai sebuah game selain para developer yang juga berusaha keras membuat game sebagus mungkin. GDC atau Game Developers Choice menjadi ajang dimana para developer memberikan voting akan game apa yang berhak dicap sebagai yang terbaik.
Pada acara penghargaan yang bakal diselenggarakan pada 23 Maret nanti ini, Deathloop berhasil mendapatkan 6 nominasi, kemudian disusul dengan It Takes Two dan Forza Horizon 5 dengan 4 nominasi. Ketiga game tersebut juga masuk dalam kategori Game of The Year bersamaan dengan Inscryption dan Resident Evil Village.
Selain dari nominasi biasa seperti game aksi terbaik, game multiplayer terbaik, dan lainnya. Sudah menjadi tradisi untuk GDC untuk membukan 3 penghargaan lain: Pioneer Award, Audience Award, dan Lifetime Achievement Award.
Pioneer Award merupakan penghargaan untuk memberikan apresiasi terhadap para individu dalam industri game yang dianggap telah mendorong teknologi, konsep game, dan desain gameplay ke tahap yang revolusioner. Penghargaan ini sebelumnya dimenangkan oleh Roberta Williams, Jordan Mechner, David Braben, Ralph Baer, Gabe Newell, Steve Russell, dan Yu Suzuki.
Sementara itu, Lifetime Achievement ialah penghargaan kepada individu yang karir dan prestasinya dianggap pantas untuk diapresiasi dan juga telah memberikan dampak positif terhadap industri gaming. Pemenang sebelumnya ialah Amy Hennig, Tim Schafer, Todd Howard, Tim Sweeney, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Kutaragi, dan Ray Muzyka.
Berikut ialah daftar nominasi sekaligus para honorable mention.
Game of the Year
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
Honorable Mentions: Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios), Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix), Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios), Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji), Death’s Door (Acid Nerve / Devolver Digital)
Best Audio
- Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
Honorable Mentions: Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios), It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts), Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition (Arbitrarily Good Productions, Namethemachine / Epic Games), Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Best Debut
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
- Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing)
- Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)
- The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive)
- Sable (Shedworks / Raw Fury)
Honorable Mentions: Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), ElecHead (Tsuyomi / NamaTakahashi), Unsighted (Studio Pixel Punk / Humble)
Best Design
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
- Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
Honorable Mentions: Resident Evil Village (Capcom), Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble), Death’s Door (Acid Nerve, Devolver Digital), Loop Hero (Four Quarters, Devolver Digital)
Innovation Award
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)
- Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Honorable Mentions: Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji), Loop Hero (Four Quarters, Devolver Digital)
Best Narrative
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
- Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)
Honorable Mentions: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab), Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix), The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller / Dear Villagers), Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital), Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)
Social Impact Award
- Before Your Eyes (GoodbyeWorld Games / Skybound Games)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
- Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji)
Honorable Mentions: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
Best Technology
- Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Hitman 3 (IO Interactive)
Honorable Mentions: Battlefield 2042 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Best Visual Art
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
Honorable Mentions: The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive), Resident Evil Village (Capcom), Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Sable (Shedworks / Raw Fury)