The Game Awards 2023 as it happened: Winners and all gaming announcements

Hello folks! It's hard to believe we're already at the end of the year. I swear it was just January and then I blinked and here we are. That of course means that it's time to acknowledge the best games that have released in the last several months. Xbox exclusives — Starfield in particular — might have been snubbed a bit at this year's The Game Awards, but there are still plenty of nominees on PC and Xbox to root for. Of course, there's also the chance that we might get highly anticipated news on upcoming Xbox games or upcoming PC games.

The excitement is building and I personally cannot wait to see if we get new trailers or information surrounding Fable, Hellblade II, Avowed, and more. One thing's for sure, we at Windows Central will be here to revel in the latest news with live instant updates so tune in with us to get the latest information on The Game Awards 2023. — Rebecca Spear, Gaming Editor

Just what will we see tomorrow? 

Hi everyone, Samuel Tolbert here with the Windows Central Gaming team. I'm curious about how this year's Game Awards will unfold. The last couple of years, we already knew about a lot of the announcements before they were shown, but that's not the case here. There's a couple of tidbits and teasers, sure, but we're mostly in the dark. One big thing at the top of my mind though? Getting a release date for Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series X|S, which we do know will be here. — Samuel Tolbert, gaming contributor

Welcome to our coverage of The Game Awards!

Hello, all, and welcome to Team Windows Central's live coverage of The Game Awards 2023! I'm Brendan Lowry, one of our gaming contributors that'll be bringing you coverage of the event as it happens, including every award presentation, world premiere, new game trailer, and more. As my colleague Samuel said, it's sure to be an interesting show — both because we don't know much about what will be there, and also because countless incredible games have launched this year.

My personal Game of the Year is Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, which I confidently gave a 5 out of 5 rating when I reviewed it back in August. It didn't get nominated for the official award, sadly (and let's be real, Baldur's Gate 3 totally deserves it), but I'm hoping it at least takes home Best Action Game. I'd also love to see another trailer for Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC (if you couldn't tell, I'm a bit of a diehard FromSoftware stan). No matter what, though, The Game Awards should be a good time! — Brendan Lowry, gaming contributor

Our own Jez Corden is generating some hype

Our own Mr Xbox, Jez Corden, apparently has some of his famous insider knowledge on what's coming at this year's The Game Awards. No spoilers (good man!) but if Jez is hyped, then that probably means the rest of us should be. — Richard Devine, Managing Editor

What to expect from The Game Awards 2023

Good morning everyone! We've made it to the big day, and at the time of writing, The Game Awards is now just 10 hours away. Ahead of the broadcast, I'd like to go over everything that we know we're going to see tonight, either due to direct confirmations or because of teasers and hints given ahead of the show.

The amount of details we have for the event this year are unusually sparse, though we still have information about a decent number of the incoming reveals and announcements. These include the following:

• Baldur's Gate 3's Xbox release date (Shadow drop? 👀)
• Microsoft might make some "important announcements"
• Sega is teasing something with the "New Era, New Energy" tagline
• More details about Warframe's Whisper of the Walls update
• The world premiere of Fortnite's Rocket Racing game mode
• The next character coming to Guilty Gear Strive in Season 3
• A look at a Dead by Daylight/Supermassive Games collab
• ATLUS "has something to show" for Metaphor: ReFantazio
• The Outlast Trials dev Red Barrels has something in store
• Official launch trailer for the Meta Quest VR title Asgard's Wrath 2

Beyond these, we're very much in the dark, though there's sure to be plenty more since this is a 2-3 hour long show. Personally, I'm hoping to see something from GSC Game World on the long-awaited STALKER 2, which has been delayed multiple times to Q1 2024 due to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. I'm a massive fan of that series, and am looking forward to seeing more of what GSC is cooking up. An announcement from 4A Games, another Ukrainian developer that created the popular Metro series, would also be very exciting. Oh, and as I wrote last night, show me more of the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, FromSoftware! — Brendan Lowry

Timothée Chalamet to present at TGA

Ahead of the show tonight, Geoff Keighley has announced that Timothée Chalamet will join Kratos voice actor Christopher Judge, Respawn Entertainment CEO Vince Zampella, and others as a presenter for The Game Awards.

Chalamet, star of the 2021 Dune film as well as its upcoming 2024 sequel and the Wonka movie that's scheduled to come to theaters on December 15, hasn't been shy about sharing his love of gaming before. Interestingly, he even visited Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions last month, with both Geoff Keighley and the official The Game Awards account replying to photos of the visit on X (formerly Twitter) with "eyes" and "monocle" emojis.

Could we see Kojima and Chalamet announce that he'll be playing a role in a new Kojima Productions game, much like Norman Reedus did in Death Stranding? Maybe he'll appear in Death Stranding 2, or Kojima's upcoming cloud-powered Xbox game? Only time will tell... — Brendan Lowry

More PlayStation games headed to PC?

In 2022, Sony pulled up to the Game Awards to share details on the timing for some PlayStation 5 games being ported to PC, letting players know when to expect Returnal and The Last of Us Part 1 would be getting ports. It seems reasonable to expect Sony could attend the Game Awards 2023 in a similar fashion. We know that Horizon Forbidden West is headed to Windows PC, so why not drop a quick trailer with the release date? Maybe Sony could even share details on what other PlayStation games are headed to PC soon. — Samuel Tolbert

Gonzo the Muppet is ready for The Game Awards 2023

Various Muppets have made appearances at The Game Awards over the years and this time The Great Gonzo will be taking stage as a presenter. In fact, it seems the Muppet is already at The Game Awards as revealed by a tweet from Geoff Keighley. "Gonzo just entered the building," it reads. 

Whether or not Gonzo will be accompanied by any other Muppets is currently unknown but it wouldn't be surprising if Camilla the Chicken is part of his act. In the past, Muppet character appearances at The Game Awards have included Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, Pepé the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef, and Animal. 

These appearances have previously served a dual purpose of providing comedic entertainment as well as a means of announcing new gaming content or revealing the winner of a category. It's currently uncertain which award Gonzo will present, but we're looking forward to seeing what unfolds. — Rebecca Spear

Is Baldur's Gate 3's director about to go to TGA in a suit of armor?

Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the biggest games appearing at this year's The Game Awards, with nominations for eight awards including the distinguished title of Game of the Year. And tonight, its director might walk on stage wearing a suit of full plate armor.

Swen Vincke, Baldur's Gate 3's Game Director and also Larian Studios' founder and CEO, is well-known for the gorgeous knightly armor he often wears in marketing materials and interviews. A few days ago, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to tease the idea of wearing it to The Game Awards, and eventually ended up proclaiming that he'd suit up if Larian's Lead Writer Adam Smith went in a bear costume. Smith, of course, was down with the idea.

Tragically, there's been a hiccup that threatens to ruin everything, as Larian's Director of Publishing Michael Douse said on X that the man transporting the armor to The Game Awards — a hero named "Nick" that we don't deserve — had his travel held up by a plane malfunction. However, "they gave Nick a brand new plane," so there's still hope.

"If all goes to plan," the armor will arrive in time, and Vincke will roll into The Game Awards with the drippiest outfit anyone's ever worn to the event (and he'll be accompanied by a suspiciously man-sized bear). As a huge nerd that fawns over medieval arms and armor, my fingers are definitely crossed. — Brendan Lowry

Life Is Strange, Jusant dev DON'T NOD teases an appearance

It looks like DON'T NOD, the studio behind narrative adventure games like Life Is Strange, Life Is Strange 2, Tell Me Why, and Twin Mirror, will be making an appearance at The Game Awards. In the hours leading up to the event, the developer posted a "videocassette" and "eyes" emoji while tagging The Game Awards. This post was then reposted by Geoff Keighley.

DON'T NOD — which also released the puzzle-filled climbing platformer Jusant at the end of October — is known for creating deep, story-rich games with attractive stylized visuals. We may see it reveal a new upcoming game tonight, though it's also possible it will have more to show of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. This third-person ghost hunting ARPG was announced at TGA 2022 and was originally slated to launch on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Windows PC in November, but was delayed to February 2024 due to 2023's crowded end-of-year release schedule. — Brendan Lowry

This TGA 2023 nominee is 90% off on Xbox for a limited time

For the survival horror crowd, one of the biggest game releases of 2023 was undoubtedly Dead Space (2023), also commonly referred to as the Dead Space remake. My colleague and fellow live blog writer Samuel Tolbert gave the remake a perfect 5/5 in his review, declaring that Motive Studios delivered "a love letter to the entire franchise" with its expanded narrative and incredibly impressive graphics, sound design, and musical score. The audio is so good, in fact, that the game's been nominated for Best Audio Design at The Game Awards 2023.

If you're interested in checking out what the hype's all about, you'll be happy to know that right now, you can snag the Digital Deluxe Edition of the Dead Space remake for just $7.99 on Xbox if you've got an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. That's a gargantuan 90% off the standard $79.99 price. Note that some of EA's other best games in years are on sale for the same discount, too, including Wild Hearts and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The latter is the prequel to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, another TGA 2023 nominee. — Brendan Lowry

• Dead Space (2023) Digital Deluxe Edition | was $79.99 now $7.99 at Microsoft w/ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• Wild Hearts: Karakuri Edition | was $89.99 now $8.99 at Microsoft w/ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Deluxe Edition | was $49.99 now $4.99 at Microsoft w/ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | $49.99 $31.69 at CDKeys (3-months)
• Xbox Gift Card | $25 $22.50 at Target ($25) | $50 $45 at Target ($50) | $100 $90 at Target ($100)

Respawn Entertainment teasing something?

The official Twitter account for Respawn Entertainment chimed in with a reply to the Game Awards, saying "We'll be there." Does this mean the studio has an announcement, or will simply have many members watching the show? It's hard to say. On one hand, that feels surprising considering that the team just launched Star Wars Jedi: Survivor earlier this year. 

On the other hand, Respawn is a large team, and the studio is known to be working on two other Star Wars projects right now, including a first-person shooter and a strategy game that's being co-developed with Bit Reactor, a studio itself founded by veterans at Firaxis. Maybe it's time for us to see one of these other games? — Samuel Tolbert

So it's Baldur's Gate 3, right?

The Game Awards 2023 is now under an hour-and-a-half away, and as I sit here looking over the six nominees for Game of the Year, I can't help but feel that Baldur's Gate 3 absolutely has this one in the bag. 

Don't get me wrong — Alan Wake 2, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4 (2023), Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are all amazing games, and they all deserve their place in the GOTY running. But to me, Baldur's Gate 3 is just...on an entirely different level. Much like 2022's Game of the Year Elden Ring before it, Larian's D&D CRPG dominated game industry discussions for months after its launch in August, with players around the world completely stunned by both its colossal size and its rich depth.

Everything from the game's deep choice-driven, multilayered narrative and stellar character writing to the ocean of diverse and creative builds you can put together to take through hundreds of turn-based combat scenarios is phenomenal, and all of it is supported by gorgeous visuals and music that bring the Forgotten Realms to life as well as terrific acting performances for minor enemies, companions, and everyone between (by the way, Neil Newbon, the actor that plays Astarion, is nominated for Best Performance).

To call Baldur's Gate 3 a landmark title is an understatement, and I can't imagine a world in which this masterpiece doesn't go home with the gold tonight. Even in a gaming year as absolutely stacked as 2023 is, it stands out. — Brendan Lowry

You could win a Legion Go or Steam Deck OLED while watching The Game Awards 

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Remember how last year there was a Steam Deck giveaway during The Game Awards? Well, things are even better this year since you have the chance to win one of 100 Steam Deck OLEDs or one of 100 Legion Go gaming handhelds — or maybe even both! You'll just have to sign up for the two sweepstakes!

🎮 Steam Deck OLED giveaway sign-up
 
🎮 Lenovo Legion Go giveaway sign-up

As explained by Geoff Keighley in a tweet, there is no purchase necessary. Entry is "open from 4:30pm PT – 8:00pm PT on 12/7/23.” But these giveaways are only available in the US and you must be 18 years old or older to participate. It's unclear exactly how the winners will be chosen, but more details are likely to be released after The Game Awards 2023 starts. 

BTW, I did our Legion Go review here at Windows Central and I walked away very impressed by this gaming handheld. If you're looking for something that can run Windows 11 out of the box and gives you access to a variety of gaming services then it's a great choice to go with. — Rebecca Spear 

Not much longer now!

The Game Awards 2023 is starting soon! The preshow is scheduled to kick off in about 15 minutes, while the main event should begin in around 45. Get a drink, grab a snack, and get comfy — I wish I went out and got some popcorn earlier myself, but at least I've got some soda to sip on.

Also, good news! Swen Vincke's armor made it to the Peacock Theater in time, so we're going to get to see Larian's CEO strutting around in full plate. Awesome. — Brendan Lowry

And we're off! Here's hoping tonight's show is an amazing one! — Brendan Lowry

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons remake announced for Feb. 28, 2024

A remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, an incredibly popular 2013 adventure game from director Josef Fares, has been announced. It's launching on February 28, 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Windows PC through Steam, Epic Games, and GOG.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes home Best Family award

Super Mario Bros. Wonder has won the Best Family award, beating out Disney Illusion Island, Party Animals, Pikmin 4, and Sonic Superstars.

Usual June, a new action hack-and-slash game, is coming 2025

Usual June, a new action hack-and-slash game from developer Finji, has been announced. The title has very colorful and stylized visuals, and is slated to release in 2025. Its platforms, however, are unknown.

Forza Motorsport (2023) wins Innovation in Accessibility

Forza Motorsport has taken home the Innovation in Accessibility award, coming out on top over Diablo 4, Hi-Fi Rush, Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Harmonium: The Musical coming to Game Pass, Netflix Games

Harmonium: The Musical, a new title about its deaf protagonist's beautiful relationship with music, is coming to Xbox Game Pass and Netflix Games in the future.

Motion Twin's Windblown coming to Steam Early Access in 2024

Windblown, a new action game from Dead Cells developer Motion Twin, is coming to Steam Early Access in 2024. Like Dead Cells, the game has a very stylized and colorful visual direction.

Thrasher, a new Drool rhythm game, is coming in 2024

Thrasher, a new rhythm game from Drool, the developer behind the popular title Thumper, has been announced for 2024. Little else is known about it beyond that, though it looks incredibly interesting.

WHAT? World of Goo 2 announced for 2024, and I'm LOSING IT

Out of NOWHERE, a sequel to the original World of Goo puzzler from 2008, has been announced for 2024. I played this game to pieces when I was younger, so to see that a second game is coming next year has me extremely excited. — Brendan Lowry

Dave the Diver x Dredge collab announced for Dec. 15

A collab between Dave the Diver and Dredge is coming to Dave the Diver in a Dec. 15 update. Once it goes live, you'll be able to explore environments and enjoy content inspired by Dredge. Dave the Diver is available on Windows PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch, and was one of the biggest hits in 2023.

Neil Newbon, as Astarion, wins Best Performance

Neil Newbon, the actor behind Baldur's Gate 3's Astarion, has won Best Performance at The Game Awards. The other nominees are Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield (Final Fantasy XVI), Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), Idris Elba as Solomon Reed (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty), Melanie Liburd as Saga Anderson (Alan Wake 2), and Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker (Marvel's Spider-Man 2).

The Rise of the Golden Idol coming to all platforms in 2024

The Rise of the Golden Idol, a new game from developer and publisher Playstack in which you'll "uncover the truth behind 15 strange cases of crime, death and depravity in the 1970s," is coming to all platforms in 2024.

Matthew McConaughey stars in Exodus, a sci-fi shooter coming to Xbox, PS5, and PC

Exodus, which appears to be a third-person sci-fi shooter that stars Matthew McConaughey, is coming to Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. There's no release date yet, though some gameplay was shown.

God of War: Ragnarok getting free "Valhalla" DLC on Dec. 12

God of War: Ragnarok is getting a free DLC on Dec. 12 called "Valhalla." In it, Kratos will head to Valhalla and engage in gameplay that blends God of War's action-packed combat with roguelike elements.

Big Walk is a very silly adventure game coming in 2025

Big Walk, which looks to be a hilarious adventure game with very goofy stick figure-like characters, is coming from developer House House in 2025. Not much is known about it yet, though we did get to see some scripted gameplay.

Pony Island 2: Panda Circus announced, coming to Steam in 2025 ... maybe?

Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, a sequel to the original bizarre suspense-driven puzzle game, was announced at TGA 2023. It's coming to Steam, and though the release date year flickered quite a bit in the trailer, it seems like it's coming in 2025.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II gets new trailer, 2024 release date

We finally got to see more of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II with a new trailer that came after an incredible live music performance. The game has been officially confirmed for 2024, and is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Steam, as well as Game Pass.

Alan Wake 2 takes home the Best Narrative award

Remedy Entertainment's mind-bending action thriller Alan Wake 2 has won the Best Narrative award, beating Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Final Fantasy XVI, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Ori dev Moon Studios announces No Rest for the Wicked for Xbox, PS5, and PC

Moon Studios, the developer behind the legendary Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps titles, has announced a new stylized action fantasy RPG called No Rest for the Wicked. It's coming to Xbox, PS5, and PC, and Moon Studios will have more to share about it come March 1, 2024.

Ikumi Nakamura's KEMURI teased by UNSEEN at TGA 2023

Ikumi Nakamura and the developer team at UNSEEN has released a teaser trailer for a new upcoming game called KEMURI. The trailer and its description seem to imply the game will be an action title with lots of parkour, and players will need to battle Yokai monsters in urban landscapes that hide amongst regular people.

COCOON wins the Best Debut Indie Game award

Geometric Interactive's COCOON has won the Best Debut Indie Game award. We gave the game a 4.5/5 score in our review earlier this year, calling it a "nearly perfect puzzle-adventure game."

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero announced for Xbox, PS5, and PC

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero was announced for Xbox, PS5, and PC at TGA 2023. It appears to be a new Dragonball fighting game, though we know nothing about it other than its title and platforms as of right now.

Square Enix announces Visions of Mana, coming in 2024 to Xbox, PC, and PS5

Square Enix has revealed a new game in its high fantasy RPG series Mana called Visions of Mana. It's scheduled to come in 2024 and release on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5.

The next batch of award announcements are here!

Geoff Keighley decided to announce several award winners at once. Here's what won in the following categories:

• Best Action Game: Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
• Best Art Direction: Alan Wake 2
• Best VR/AR: Resident Evil Village VR Mode
• Best Mobile Game: Honkai: Star Rail

SEGA announces 5 NEW GAMES in development in one big trailer

SEGA's next several games have been revealed in a new trailer. Upcoming titles include new Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and Crazy Taxi games.

Kojima's Xbox game, OD, gets a trailer and new details at The Game Awards — and Jordan Peele is working on it

Hideo Kojima's long-awaited Xbox title, revealed to officially be called "OD," got a trailer during The Game Awards. It doesn't have a release date yet, but Kojima said on-stage that it's a "new form of media" that leverages Microsoft's cloud technology and seems to be a blend of gaming and film. Jordan Peele also came out on stage, and revealed that he's collaborating with "the GOAT" on the ... game?

New Jurassic Park game "Survival" gets announced for Xbox, PS5, and PC

A new dinosaur-filled adventure called Jurassic Park: Survival was announced for Xbox, PS5, and PC. The game doesn't have a release date yet, but I assume it'll be a survival game based on the title!

The Best Audio Design award goes to Hi-Fi Rush

The Best Audio Design game award goes to Hi-Fi Rush, which edged out Alan Wake 2, Dead Space (2023), Resident Evil 4 (2023), and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with its incredible rhythm-based music mechanics.

Black Myth: Wukong gets official August 20, 2024 release date

Black Myth: Wukong, an upcoming action game from Game Science inspired by the beloved Chinese novel Journey to the West, is coming to Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC via Steam and Epic Games on August 20, 2024. It got a new trailer at The Game Awards that showed off lots of gameplay.

Warframe's Whisper in the Walls update gets gameplay trailer ahead of Dec. 13 release

Whisper in the Walls, a major content update coming to the popular live service game Warframe, got a new gameplay trailer during TGA 2023. The update is slated to drop on Dec. 13, 2024.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden gets fresh trailer, Feb. 13 release date

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, a new action RPG from DON'T NOD, was delayed to 2024 earlier this year, but got a new trailer and Feb. 13 release date at The Game Awards. You can watch the trailer above.

The award for Games for Impact goes to Tchia

Tchia, a "tropical open-world adventure" from Awaceb, took home the Games for Impact award this year. It was up against A Space for the Unbound, Chants of Sennaar, Goodbye Volcano High, Terra Nil, and Venba.

Action platformer Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is coming April 23, 2024 on all platforms, preorders live after TGA

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, a new action platformer, is headed to Xbox, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch in Spring 2024. Specifically, the game is scheduled to release on April 23, and preorders for it will go live after The Game Awards is over. It was announced with a trailer.

The First Berserker: Khazan is coming to Xbox, Steam, and PS5

A brand new Soulslike from publisher Nexon called The First Berserker: Khazan is headed to Xbox and PS5 consoles, as well as Windows PC through Steam. It's based on the Dungeon & Fighter franchise that's been running for 18 years now.

Here come more awards!

Geoff has hit us with five more award announcements, which I've listed for you below:

• Best Music: Final Fantasy XVI
• Best Independent Game: Sea of Stars
• Best Community Support: Baldur's Gate 3
• Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter 6
• Most Anticipated Game: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Arkane Lyon reveals it's working on Marvel's Blade

Arkane Lyon, the wing of Arkane Studios that's created the Dishonored games as well as Deathloop, announced that it was working on Marvel's Blade. This new game will be centered around the iconic comic book character, and will be a single player "mature action-adventure game where you'll get to play your Blade your way."

Cyberpunk 2077 wins Best Ongoing Game

Cyberpunk 2077 has won the Best Ongoing Game award in recognition of how much it's improved since its 2020 launch, as well as the acclaim of the Phantom Liberty DLC. It was up against Apex Legends, Final Fantasy XIV, Fortnite, and Genshin Impact.

Lightspeed LA announces Last Sentinel, a cyberpunk open world game

Developer Lightspeed LA revealed a new open world sci-fi game called Last Sentinel. Very little is known about it at the moment, though we know it's set in a dystopian cyberpunk-like future and seems to be a shooter.

Zenless Zone Zero is a game about anime girls fighting giant robots, and it's scheduled to release in 2024

During The Game Awards, we got a new trailer for Zenless Zone Zero. In it, a large squad of heavily armed anime characters do battle with some massive and terrifying robots in the middle of an urban landscape. It's coming in 2024, though the trailer didn't reveal platforms or a specific release date.

Amazon Seasun Games shows off Mecha BREAK, and a closed alpha test is coming soon

Mecha BREAK, a "multiplayer mech combat game set in a futuristic sci-fi realm" from Amazon Seasun Games, was shown off in a trailer at The Game Awards. It's coming to Xbox, Steam, and PS5, with closed alpha tests coming soon.

DON'T NOD announces Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, coming in late 2024

DON'T NOD, the studio behind Life Is Strange, Life Is Strange 2, Tell Me Why, Jusant, and others, has announced Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. It seems to be a narrative adventure game like most of the developer's titles, and is slated to release in late 2024 on Xbox, PS5, and PC.

Exoborne, an open world extraction sci-fi shooter, announced

A new sci-fi extraction shooter called Exoborne that features exoskeleton-style armor was shown off. Very little is known about it aside from the fact it's coming to Xbox, PS5, and Steam, though we do know it'll have both PvE and PvP elements like most games in the genre. More about Exoborne is reportedly coming in 2024.

The Last of Us' TV show wins Best Adaptation

The TV show adaptation of Naughty Dog's fan-favorite The Last of Us PlayStation exclusive won the Best Adaptation award at The Game Awards, topping Castlevania: Nocturne, Gran Turismo, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Twisted Metal.

No Man's Sky devs reveal Light No Fire, a new multiplayer open world title

Light No Fire, a new multiplayer open world game from No Man's Sky developer Hello Games, was announced at The Game Awards with a new trailer. No release date or platform details yet, but we expect it'll probably at least be on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom wins Best Action/Adventure

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes home Best Action/Adventure, beating Alan Wake 2, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4 (2023), and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

The Baldur's Gate 3 awards continue!

More awards, and big surprise ... plenty of them are for Larian's Baldur's Gate 3!

• Best RPG: Baldur's Gate 3
• Best Sim/Strategy: Pikmin 4
• Best Sports/Racing: Forza Motorsport
• Best Multiplayer: Baldur's Gate 3
• Players' Voice: Baldur's Gate 3

The Best Direction award goes to Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 wins Best Direction at The Game Awards, edging out Baldur's Gate 3, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Something that Baldur's Gate 3 didn't win? Crazy.

Embark Studios' The Finals shooter STEALTH DROPS on Xbox, PC, and PS5

The Finals, a new team-focused, action-packed, and free-to-play FPS from Embark Studios, has been STEALTH DROPPED on Xbox, PS5, and PC during The Game Awards. The game places a strong emphasis on taking advantage of its destructible environments, which can give you an edge against other players if you're clever.

Monster Hunter: Wilds revealed, coming in 2025 to Xbox, PC, and PS5

At the tail end of The Game Awards, the next Monster Hunter game, Monster Hunter: Wilds, was announced by Capcom via a special reveal trailer. It's scheduled to come in 2025, and will release on Xbox, PC, and PS5. More information about the game will come in Summer 2024.

BALDUR'S GATE 3 WINS GAME OF THE YEAR 2023!

This year's Game of the Year nominees are, without a doubt, some of the best games that have ever been made. Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are all absolutely phenomenal, landmark titles, but if you ask me, one was the clear winner — and The Game Awards' voters agreed.

That's right: Baldur's Gate 3 has taken home Game of the Year 2023, and as I write this, Game Director Swen Vincke is onstage accepting the award with his jaw-dropping suit of full plate armor. Congratulations, Larian Studios — Baldur's Gate 3 is a monumental achievement, and every single developer working at the studio should be so, so proud. — Brendan Lowry

Right after winning GOTY, Baldur's Gate 3 goes LIVE on Xbox!

The Game Awards 2023 is over, but after its Game of the Year winner Baldur's Gate 3 took home the gold, Larian Studios shadow dropped Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox. That's right: it's available now on Xbox Series X|S for $70, so if you've been waiting to experience the masterpiece on Microsoft's consoles, now you can! — Brendan Lowry

And that's the show!

Hey everyone — thanks for joining my colleagues and I here at Windows Central for our live coverage of The Game Awards! It was an...interesting show — I'll be sharing my thoughts on it here shortly — but I am glad to see this year's amazing games get the awards they deserve. I hope you are, too, and I hope you have a great rest of your night. — Brendan Lowry

The Game Awards 2023 let down the devs who make the games we love

The Game Awards 2023 is over, and while I was hoping to end the event feeling happy about how the show went, I'm ultimately left feeling incredibly disappointed and angry.

What was supposed to be a celebration of the games we love and the developers who make them ended up actually being a cynical, rushed, and ad-filled mess. It put more of a spotlight on commercials, giveaways, and Hollywood actor appearances than the ACTUAL GAME AWARDS THEMSELVES, and now it's come out that devs giving acceptance speeches were limited to 30 seconds of time by a "Please Wrap It Up" teleprompter. But, sure, let's let Anthony Mackie ramble on for five minutes!

Then you have the fact that not a single word was spoken about the countless game developers who have lost their jobs in the unprecedented amounts of layoffs this year, despite the fact that what The Game Awards is (supposed to be) celebrating wouldn't exist without their hard work and immense talent. I get that you have to advertise your Legion Go giveaway, but this is the biggest gaming show of the year, and you had an opportunity to speak on very serious issues damaging the industry and the people you're representing. And yet, nothing.

Just...ugh. — Brendan Lowry