Game Developers Choice Awards 2021

Overview

The twenty-first annual Choice Awards were broadcast on July 21, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 virus, the ceremony was a recorded presentation during a virtual Game Developers Conference.

Personal Awards

Pioneer Award

• Tom Fulp

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Laralyn McWilliams

Game of the Year

Hades Developer: Supergiant Games Publisher: Supergiant Games Runners-up Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo) Half-Life: Alyx (Valve Corporation) Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch / SIEA) The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / SIEA) Honorable Mentions Spelunky 2 (Blitworks / Mossmouth) Doom Eternal (id Software / Bethesda Softworks) Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games / SIEA) Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios) Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Square Enix) Genshin Impact (miHoYo)

Best Audio

Hades Developer: Supergiant Games Publisher: Supergiant Games Runners-up Doom Eternal (id Software / Bethesda Softworks) Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix) Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch / SIEA) The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / SIEA) Honorable Mentions Half-Life: Alyx (Valve Corporation) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios / iam8bit) Fuser (Harmonix Music Systems / NCsoft)

Best Debut Developer

Phasmophobia Developer: Kinetic Games Publisher: Kinetic Games Runners-up Carrion (Phobia Game Studio / Devolver Digital) Mortal Shell (Cold Symmetry / PlayStack) Raji: An Ancient Epic (Nodding Heads Games / SUPER.COM) Umurangi Generation (Origame Digital / AGM Playism) Honorable Mentions Call of the Sea (Out of the Blue / Raw Fury) Röki (Polygon Treehouse / CI Games) If Found... (Dreamfeel / Annapurna Interactive)

Best Design

Hades Developer: Supergiant Games Publisher: Supergiant Games Runners-up Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo) Half-Life: Alyx (Valve Corporation) Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch / SIEA) The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / SIEA) Honorable Mentions Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix) Crusader Kings III (Paradox Development Studio / Paradox Interactive) Spelunky 2 (Blitworks / Mossmouth) Dreams (Media Molecule / SIEA)

Best Mobile Game

Genshin Impact Developer: miHoYo Publisher: miHoYo Runners-up Alba: a Wildlife Adventure (USTWO / PID Publishing) If Found... (Dreamfeel / Annapurna Interactive) Legends of Runeterra (Riot Games) The Pathless (Giant Squid / Annapurna Interactive) Honorable Mentions Pokémon Café Mix (Genius Sonority / Nintendo / The Pokémon Company) Reigns: Beyond (Nerial / Devolver Digital)

Innovation Award

Dreams Developer: Media Molecule Publisher: SIEA Runners-up Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (Mediatonic / Devolver Digital) Hades (Supergiant Games) Half-Life: Alyx (Valve Corporation) Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios) Honorable Mentions Astro's Playroom (Sony Japan / Team Asobi / SIEA) Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch / SIEA) The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / SIEA) Watch Dogs: Legion (Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft)

Best Narrative

The Last of Us Part II Developer: Naughty Dog Publisher: SIEA Runners-up Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix) Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch / SIEA) Hades (Supergiant Games) Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (Cardboard Computer / Annapurna Interactive) Honorable Mentions Spiritfarer (Thunder Lotus Games) Half-Life: Alyx (Valve Corporation) Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt) If Found... (Dreamfeel / Annapurna Interactive) Marvel's Spirder-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games / SIEA) 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Vanillaware / Atlus)

Best Technolgy

Microsoft Flight Simulator Developer: Asobo Studio Publisher: Xbox Game Studios Runners-up Dreams (Media Molecule / SIEA) Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch / SIEA) Half-Life: Alyx (Valve Corporation) The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / SIEA) Honorable Mentions Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Square Enix) Astro's Playroom (Sony Japan / Team Asobi / SIEA) Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games / SIEA)

Best Visual Art

Ghost of Tsushima Developer: Sucker Punch Publisher: SIEA Runners-up Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red / CD Projekt SA) Hades (Supergiant Games) The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / SIEA) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios) Honorable Mentions Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Square Enix) Spiritfarer (Thunder Lotus Games) Umurangi Generation (Origame Digital / AGM Playism) Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games / SIEA)

Best VR/AR Game

Half-Life: Alyx Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation Runners-up Dreams (Media Molecule / SIEA) Paper Beast (Pixel Reef) Star Wars: Squadrons (Motive Studios / Electronic Arts) The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (Skydance Interactive) Honorable Mentions Phasmophobia (Kinetic Games) The Room VR: A Dark Matter (Fireproof Games) Marvel's Iron Man VR (Camouflaj / SIEA) Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios) Until You Fall (Schell Games)