The Game Awards 2021: A Strong Show That Still Doesn’t Care Nearly Enough About Workers
After an unsurprisingly weak 2020 event, this year’s Game Awards felt like a proper celebration again, but plenty of underlying issues need to be dealt with as soon as possible.
The gaming industry has worked hard to regain a sense of normalcy since the pandemic started, and it all has paid off big time this year: many studios have put out amazing releases in 2020 despite the limitations the last 21 months or so have put on productions as complex as video games, and the “event schedule” has felt much tighter and satisfying (given the circumstances) this time around. Geoff Keighley’s 2021 Game Awards extravaganza kind of represented the gaming world we’re living in right now — it feels good to be fully back and regain lost strength, but we need to talk about crucial matters too…
The big elephant in the room this year was Activision Blizzard’s gigantic mess of workplace abuse and sexism, a toxic culture that has been cultivated across different studios and positions within the gargantuan publisher for years. Since they’ve been exposed (and many key figures have walked out), plenty of big-name partners such as Sony and Microsoft have told Activision execs they expect them to make big changes, as in… releasing more than just measly generic statements. Investors have put additional pressure on the company as well, and the bravest of the studios’ workers are organizing walkouts and trying to unionize. It’s not looking too good for the company that owns Call of Duty and Blizzard’s highly profitable IPs, but no one should forget about this matter until impactful changes are made. We personally refused to review Diablo II: Resurrected a few months ago, as Blizzard currently lies at the center of the turmoil. Of course, Call of Duty is Activision’s flagship franchise at the moment, but we’re also aware of the uphill battle the Sledgehammer folks have fought during the bulk of the pandemic, so we did review Vanguard after careful consideration.
Geoff Keighley remained neutral for as long as possible, as he’s a showman first and foremost, plus Activision figures are part of the Game Awards’ spine. But he couldn’t go on rambling about the future of the games industry and the positive values the medium promotes while also neglecting its ugliest side — he finally said last week that Activision wouldn’t be a part of The Game Awards 2021. Understandably, Keighley put out the most sterilized statement possible, but at least he acted. Moreover, the show kicked off with a rather serious monologue by him that reminded us of all the bad shit going on (and the pressing need to improve and be better) before we could have fun.
However, Keighley and his team quickly ruined the “good faith momentum” they had going on with the release of the first teaser trailer for Star Wars Eclipse right after that speech — the game’s being developed by Quantic Dream, another company hit by a sizable wave of abuse allegations and claims of a problematic internal culture. Lucasfilm Games will have to deal with plenty of negativity in order to promote the game in the coming years, and the timing of its debut during the ceremony was absolutely tone-deaf and made the impressive, gorgeous CG preview a bit of a downer. The organizers really fumbled the bag there.
Among all the (good) musical performances and an unbearable amount of small, disorganized ads, we got plenty of cool trailers and reveals. Many of them were, as usual, for games (big and small) already announced, but there were a fair amount of surprises and stuff we suspected was gonna be shown sooner rather than later, plus Sonic 2 and Halo got trailers in the film/TV side of things. Star Wars Eclipse generated lots of buzz on social media, mainly due to its all-new setting for Star Wars video games: the High Republic era, a period that’s only been mined in books and comics so far, with the Disney Plus series The Acolyte soon bringing it to TV. Besides that game, these were the biggest reveals and previews of the night:
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre comes from the creators of the Friday the 13th game (a game with its ups and many downs) and promises yet another horror-themed asymmetrical multiplayer experience. The trailer only sets the tone, with gameplay nowhere to be found. A new film is arriving on Netflix on February 18, too.
- Homeworld 3 is happening thanks to Gearbox, who acquired the IP and released hefty remasters of the original space sim/strategy games in 2015. Blackbird Interactive, who handled the 2016 prequel Deserts of Kharak, is developing the title.
- The Expanse will end next month, but Telltale Games, who already have plenty of experience with TV properties such as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, will be telling their own story set within that universe.
- Hellblade 2 unleashed a lengthy gameplay segment that felt even more cinematic and immersive than anything in the original game, which isn’t surprising, as developer Ninja Theory is now handling Microsoft-level money after its acquisition in 2018.
- Monolith Productions, one of the most versatile studios around, is handling Wonder Woman for WB Games. This was a total surprise, as rumors about the project hadn’t surfaced, plus the developer had remained silent ever since they were done with the post-launch content for 2017’s Middle-earth: Shadow of War. The teaser was brief and didn’t show any gameplay, but we’re guessing it’s been in development for a few years now.
- WB Games also took the chance to debut the first-ever gameplay from Rocksteady’s upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. We saw an in-game story trailer earlier this year, but now we’ve got an idea of how the game actually plays. The publisher is now committing to a launch sometime in 2022.
- Alan Wake is back! Remedy Entertainment surprised everyone with the announcement of Alan Wake 2, currently set to launch in 2023. The titular character appeared in Control, Remedy’s latest game, setting up a shared universe focused on the paranormal, but the sequel has taken a bit longer to materialize. Legendary writer Sam Lake also confirmed this will be Remedy’s first venture into full-blown survival horror, so don’t expect a completely familiar experience.
- Studio MDHR has finally given the long-awaited Cuphead DLC The Delicious Last Course, first announced in 2018, a release date: June 30, 2022. We wouldn’t be surprised if, after four years, this expansion is almost sequel-sized.
- Alongside the trailer for the second Sonic film, SEGA shared a first look at Sonic Frontiers, which looks very much like Breath of the Wild but make it Sonic. I’m down with that.
- Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive (World War Z, Evil Dead) wowed everyone by unveiling the least likely Warhammer game sequel ever: Space Marine II. Tyranid hordes are now the main enemy, and its blood-soaked, third-person action looks splendid. The first installment was developed by (typically RTS maestros) Relic Entertainment and published by SEGA, who recently released an Anniversary Edition free for all owners of the game.
- Dune is making a video game comeback too! And, unsurprisingly, its return to the gaming world will be a 4X RTS title aptly called Spice Wars. Funnily enough, I recently wrote a piece elsewhere about the need for new Dune video games, so this one put a smile on my face.
- From Software gifted fans a story-focused CG trailer for Elden Ring, the highly anticipated action-RPG in the vein of the Dark Souls series. They always release one or two trailers like this one, and they’re always beautiful and epic. February 22 is the launch date, and I’m pretty sure fans (such as myself) couldn’t handle another delay.
- ARC Raiders comes from Embark Studios, a Stockholm-based studio formed by ex-DICE devs, and promises post-apocalyptic multiplayer action against evil robots. It might not sound very original, but its large-scale environments and off-beat aesthetic look very refreshing. It’s coming in 2022, and we can’t wait to see more.
- The Matrix Awakens, a free interactive UE5 tech demo for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, had been announced in advance (and could be pre-loaded), but Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss introduced it to viewers and let everyone know it was available to play right after the ceremony. I’ve already played the thing, and it’s a mind-blowing ultra-realistic graphical showcase that you have to experience firsthand. Trust me, videos and streams don’t do it justice. Hopefully, game studios will be able to harness all that untapped power in the coming years to craft full-scale triple-A experiences that border photorealism.
Hazelight Studios’ lovable co-op adventure It Takes Two took the big “Game of the Year” prize home in one of the show’s biggest twists in recent memory. Competition was strong, and most people were looking at Deathloop, Ratchet & Clank, or even Metroid Dread as the likely winners, but EA bagged the win with one of their smaller studios. Filmmaker-turned-developer Josef Fares, a Game Awards icon by now, and his team have been relentlessly trying to innovate in the realm of co-op adventures for years now, and it’s great to see an “underdog” title get the biggest level of recognition possible.
Among the much-discussed “snubs” was Deathloop winning “Best Art Direction” over the other four, more stylish competitors. I mean, it looks great and has a strong style, but the general opinion is that the other picks felt way more visually refreshing and unique. Kena: Bridge of Spirits nabbing “Best Indie Game” was a head-scratcher as well, since other nominees such as Inscryption and Loop Hero came up with more out-of-the-box experiences with way less resources, plus Kena got the “Best Debut Indie Game” award too. It was also disappointing to see the hosts blast through plenty of smaller categories in order to cram more ads and previews into the show. The Game Awards won’t feel like “video game Academy Awards” until they stop feeling like a big fat commercial. Don’t get me wrong, we’re all tuning in for the reveals and trailers above everything else, but let’s show and give the folks behind our favorite games the love and respect they deserve. And by that I mean the actual people that make them and not just the visible heads. I’ve got more recurring complaints, but I already covered those in last year’s recap article, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record.
Check out the full list of winners below:
Game of the Year
Deathloop – Arkane Studios
It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
Metroid Dread – MercurySteam, Nintendo
Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
Resident Evil Village – Capcom
Best Game Direction
Deathloop
It Takes Two
Returnal
Psychonauts 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Best Narrative
Deathloop
It Takes Two
Life is Strange: True Colors
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Psychonauts 2
Best Art Direction
Deathloop
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Psychonauts 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The Artful Escape
Best Score/Music
Cyberpunk 2077
Deathloop
Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
The Artful Escape
Best Audio Design
Deathloop
Forza Horizon 5
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Resident Evil Village
Returnal
Best Performance
Erika Mori, Life is Strange
Giancarlo Esposito, Far Cry 6
Jason E. Kelley, Deathloop
Maggie Robertson, Resident Evil Village
Ozioama Akagha, Deathloop
Games for Impact
Before Your Eyes
Boyfriend Dungeon
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Life is Strange: True Colors
No Longer Home
Best Ongoing Game
Apex Legends
Call of Duty: War Zone
Final Fantasy XIV Online
Fortnite
Genshin Impact
Best Indie Game
12 Minutes
Death’s Door
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Inscryption
Loop Hero
Best Debut Indie Game
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Sable
The Artful Escape
The Forgotten City
Valheim
Best Mobile Game
Fantasian
Genshin Impact
League of Legends
MARVEL Future Revolution
Pokémon Unite
Best Community Support
Apex Legends: Escape
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Final Fantasy XIV Online
Fortnite
No Man’s Sky
Best VR/AR Game
Hitman III
I Expect You to Die 2
Lone Echo II
Resident Evil 4
Sniper Elite VR
Innovation in Accessibility
Far Cry 6
Forza Horizon 5
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Best Action Game
Back 4 Blood
Chivalry II
Deathloop
Far Cry 6
Returnal
Best Action/Adventure Game
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Metroid Dread
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Resident Evil Village
Psychonauts 2
Best RPG
Cyberpunk 2077
Monster Hunter Rise
Scarlet Nexus
Shin Megami Tensei V
Tales of Arise
Best Fighting Game
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles
Guilty Gear -Strive-
Melty Blood: Type Lumina
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Best Family Game
It Takes Two
Mario Party Superstars
New Pokémon Snap
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
WarioWare: Get It Together!
Best Sports/Racing Game
F1 2021
Fifa 22
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Forza Horizon 5
Riders Republic
Best SIM/Strategy Game
Age of Empires IV
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Humankind
Inscryption
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Best Multiplayer Game
Back 4 Blood
It Takes Two
Knockout City
Monster Hunter Rise
New World
Valheim
Content Creator of the Year
Dream
Fuslie
Gaules
Ibai
TheGrefg
Best Esports Athlete
Chris “Simp” Lehr
Heo “ShowMaker” Su
Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
Best Esports Coach
Airat “Silent” Gaziev
Andrey “ENGH” Sholokhov
Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi
James “Crowder” Crowder
Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
Best Esports Event
The International 2021
2021 League of Legends World Championship
Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters
PGL Major Stockholm 2021
PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020
Best Esports Game
Call of Duty
CS:GO
DOTA2
League of Legends
Valorant
Best Esports Team
Atlanta FaZe, Call of Duty
DWG KIA, League of Legends
NAVI, CS:GO
Team Spirit, DOTA2
Sentinels, Valorant
Most Anticipated Game
Elden Ring
God of War: Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
The Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Starfield
Francisco J. Ruiz is that guy who has watched Jurassic Park a thousand times and loves Star Wars. His hunger for movies is only matched by his love for video games. He graduated in English Studies from the University of Malaga, in Spain. As he keeps writing about what he enjoys (and doesn’t) for websites all over, he’s continuing his studies.
