CD Projekt’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was on target once again as it collected another “Game of the Year” win this weekend at the SXSW Gaming Awards. In addition to its big win, The Witcher 3 won two other awards: “Excellence in Technical Achievement” and “Excellence in Narrative.”
The Witcher 3 faced stiff competition from several of last year’s other big releases, including Bloodborne and Rise of the Tomb Raider, both of which won a pair of 2016 SXSW Gaming Awards. From Software’s gothic RPG was recognized for its gorgeous environments in the “Excellence in Art” and “Excellence in Design” categories. Meanwhile, Lara Croft herself was named “Most Enduring Character” and her tomb raiding skills were honored with an “Excellence in Animation” win.
Finally, Her Story picked up some more hardware this weekend, winning SXSW’s “Mobile Game of the Year” award.
A complete look at all of this year’s winners can be found after the break.
Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt / CD Projekt)
Tabletop Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre
- Pandemic Legacy (Z-Man Games)
Mobile Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a unique gaming experience on any handheld device
- Her Story (Sam Barlow / Sam Barlow)
Excellence in Gameplay: Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Konami / Kojima Productions)
Excellence in Art: Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative artistic style
- Bloodborne (Sony Computer Entertainment / From Software)
Excellence in Animation: Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animation effects and graphics
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (Square Enix / Crystal Dynamics)
Excellence in Technical Achievement: Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt / CD Projekt)
Excellence in Visual Achievement: Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals
- The Order: 1886 (Sony Computer Entertainment / Ready at Dawn)
Excellence in Narrative: Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt / CD Projekt)
Excellence in Design: Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution
- Bloodborne (Sony Computer Entertainment / From Software)
Excellence in SFX: Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects
- Star Wars: Battlefront (Electronic Arts / EA DICE)
Excellence in Musical Score: Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game
- Ori and the Blind Forest (Microsoft Studios / Moon Studios)
Excellence in Multiplayer: Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience
- Rocket League (Psyonix / Psyonix)
Excellence in Convergence: Awarded to the game that excels in crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more
- Batman: Arkham Knight (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady Studios)
Most Enduring Character: Awarded to the best game character that left an overwhelming impression
- Lara Croft (Rise of the Tomb Raider)
Most Fulfilling Crowdfunded Game: Awarded to the game that was primarily produced via crowdfunding platforms and had excelled beyond the expectations set before it
- Undertale (Toby Fox / Toby Fox)
Most Promising New Intellectual Property: Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year
- Splatoon (Nintendo / Nintendo)
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award: Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay
- Undertale (Toby Fox / Toby Fox)
Most Valuable Esports Team: Awarded to the professional team that excels in performance and provides the most valuable impact in its competitive scene
- Evil Geniuses
Most Entertaining Online Personality: Awarded to the online gaming-related personality that consistently entertains and keeps us watching with its humor, stories, special effects, and more
- Greg Miller (Kinda Funny)
Gamer’s Voice Award: Awarded to the favorite game in the Indie Corner as decided exclusively by attendees on the SXSW Gaming Expo floor. Indie Corner is a spot in the Expo where anyone can test out 40 indie games. This year’s Gamer’s Voice Award is split between unique multiplayer and singleplayer categories.
Multiplayer Finalists:
- Gang Beasts (Bone Loaf)
Single-Player Finalists
- Superhot (Superhot)
