The world's largest publicly voted gaming awards, the Golden Joystick Awards, made a triumphant return for its 41st edition to honor the best games of the year. With a record-breaking number of votes, the awards ceremony recognized the talented and passionate contributions of designers, actors, and storytellers. Larian Studios emerged as the major victors of the night, securing an unprecedented seven Golden Joysticks.
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A highlight for gamers was the highly anticipated and well-deserved Best Supporting Performer award, won by Neil Newbon, who charmed players in the role of Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3. Newbon, beloved for his performances in outstanding games such as Detroit: Become Human, Final Fantasy XVI, and Resident Evil Village: Shadow of Roses, resonated with fans for his portrayal of the sassy vampire. The title of Best Supporting Performer was a fitting acknowledgment of Newbon's exceptional talent. This award did not come as a surprise to anyone, as rarely does an actor captivate a fandom as much as he did in the case of Baldur's Gate III. We discuss the Heartthrob phenomenon further in this Baldur's Gate 3 article.
Larian took home the award for Studio of the year, as well as Best Storytelling, Visual Design, Game Community, PC Game of the Year, and UGOTY. Valorant was awarded Best Streaming Game, and Alan Wake II was acknowledged with The Critics' Choice Award.
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Below is a comprehensive list of all the winners:
- Best Storytelling - Baldur's Gate 3
- Still Playing Award - No Man's Sky
- Best Visual Design - Baldur's Gate 3
- Studio of the Year - Larian Studios
- Best Game Expansion - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Best Indie Game - Sea of Stars
- Best VR Game - Horizon Call of the Mountain
- Best Multiplayer Game - Mortal Kombat 1
- Best Audio - Final Fantasy XVI
- Best Game Trailer - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Best Streaming Game - Valorant
- Best Game Community - Baldur's Gate 3
- Best Gaming Hardware - PSVR 2
- Breakthrough Award - Coccoon / Geometric Interactive
- Critics' Choice Award - Alan Wake II
- Best Lead Performer - Ben Starr, Final Fantasy XVI
- Best Supporting Performer - Neil Newborn, Astarion, Baldur's Gate 3
- Nintendo Game of the Year - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- PC Game of the Year - Baldur's Gate 3
- Xbox Game of the Year - Starfield
- PlayStation Game of the Year - Resident Evil 4
- Most Wanted Game - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- UGOTY - Baldur's Gate 3
Congratulations to all the well-deserved winners!
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