The wait is finally over as the results of the 35th Golden Joystick Awards presented with OMEN by HP are finally revealed. The winners in 25 categories were announced during an awards ceremony at the Bloomsbury Big Top and live on Twitch.
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took home Ultimate Game of the Year, Nintendo Game of the Year, Critics’ Choice Award, Best Audio, with Nintendo EPD also collecting Studio of the Year
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds won Best Multiplayer Game and PC Game of the Year
- Horizon Zero Dawn wins Best Storytelling and PlayStation Game of the Year with Ashly Burch scooping Best Gaming Performance and Breakthrough Award
- Indie shooter Cuphead wins Xbox Game of the Year and Best Visual Design
- Industry legends Sid Meier and Debbie Bestwick MBE recognised
Dan Dawkins, Global Editor-In-Chief, GamesRadar+ said: “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild picks up an incredible five awards, including the Best Studio category, making it the first game to win both the Critics’ Choice Award and public-voted Ultimate Game of the Year award. It’s a remarkable haul and Nintendo’s once-in-a-generation adventure deserves the universal acclaim. Breath of the Wild changes the way we view open worlds, with instinctive yet deep controls that encourage experimentation, appealing to gamers of all ages and abilities.
“Among the other winners, Horizon Zero Dawn is an epic which showcases the power – and storytelling potential – of the medium, with hundreds of developers working to create a unified vision.
“At the other extreme, it’s delightful to see gorgeous indie shooter Cuphead win two awards, one for each of its creators. Every video game is a minor miracle, and it’s thrilling to work in an industry that is so creative, daring and empowering, where creators face so many challenges, both technical, financial and personal.”
Photo credits: Brendan Greene, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds; Eiji Aonuma, Nintendo, Bastian Seelbach and Tommy de Roos, Guerilla Games (left to right)
New eSports categories were added this year with Overwatch winning the coveted eSports Game of the Year category. Yvonne Hobden, PS Consumer Marketing Lead HP Inc. UK&I said: “With the increased focus on eSports games globally we were extremely happy to see a new entrant win in this highly competitive space. Congratulations Blizzard on winning this highly regarded award, you nailed it this year and we are very excited to see what will happen with Overwatch going into the future.”
Sid Meier was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award and Debbie Bestwick MBE with Outstanding Contribution to the UK Games Industry.
Over the course of 35 years, Sid Meier has developed a tremendous reputation as one of the most influential designers in the history of the games industry. The Civilization series that bears his name introduced a whole generation of players to the joys of history, and through games like Pirates! and Alpha Centauri he has granted players freedom to explore wildly different worlds at their own pace. He’s a worthy recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sid Meier said: “I would not be here without the fans. Whether you played Pirates!, Railroad Tycoon, or Civilization, all of our fans around the globe have allowed me to have the best job in the world and I want to thank them all.”
As co-founder of Team17, Debbie Bestwick MBE is a stalwart presence in the UK games industry. From Alien Breed and Worms to recent hits like Overcooked, Team17 has remained a hotbed for creativity in the British games development scene – and none of it would be possible without her ongoing support.
Debbie Bestwick MBE said: “Receiving the Golden Joystick for Outstanding Contribution to the UK Gaming Industry is an incredible honour. My goal for Team17 is to help pave the way for the next generation of game creators, to help talented individuals and studios build sustainable businesses in their own right. Only at this point do creators control their future to create more amazing experiences for our passionate gamers, this award shows that we are achieving this with a number of partners however we’re only just getting started. Watch this space!”
Here is the full list of winners:
- Best Storytelling – Horizon Zero Dawn
- Best Visual Design – Cuphead
- Best Audio – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Best Gaming Performance sponsored by The Sun – Ashly Burch (Horizon Zero Dawn)
- Best Indie Game in collaboration with Square Enix Collective – Friday the 13th: The Game
- Best Multiplayer Game sponsored by GT Omega – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- Studio of the Year – Nintendo EPD
- Best VR Game – Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- eSports Play of the Year sponsored by Intel – Agilities
- eSports Team of the Year – Seoul Dynasty (formerly Lunatic-Hai)
- eSports Game of the Year sponsored by OMEN by HP – Overwatch
- Best Streamer / Broadcaster – Markiplier
- Handheld / Mobile Game of the Year sponsored by Bespoke Arcades – Pokémon Sun and Moon
- Nintendo Game of the Year – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- PlayStation Game of the Year – Horizon Zero Dawn
- Xbox Game of the Year – Cuphead
- PC Game of the Year – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- Critics’ Choice Award – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Breakthrough Award sponsored by Badfly – Ashly Burch
- Hall of Fame – Final Fantasy
- Most Wanted Award – The Last of Us Part II
- Still Playing Award – World of Tanks
- Outstanding Contribution to the UK Games Industry sponsored by The Telegraph – Debbie Bestwick MBE
- Lifetime Achievement – Sid Meier
- Ultimate Game of the Year – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Golden Joystick Awards presented with OMEN by HP honor the people and products that have transformed the games industry in 2017. The event features 25 categories, the majority of which are voted for by the global gaming public. The event was first held in 1983 and has grown to become the world’s largest public voted gaming awards brand.