Folks, I’m afraid we’ve gotta hand it to the BAFTA Game Awards. After a night in which prestigious, expensive Sony titan God of War: Ragnarok swept six awards and Elden Ring took home two, it felt like the Best Game trophy was a dead heat between the pair of them. But the judges went and surprised us, giving it to Vampire Survivors instead.
Vampire Survivors was one of six games that were up for top gong at last night’s BAFTAs. The others were, of course, Elden Ring and GoW: Ragnarok, plus Cult of the Lamb, Stray, and Marvel Snap.
Those are some pretty good games! But VS managed to beat them all out in the eyes of the BAFTA jury, which was made up of “industry practitioners across a range of developers and publishers” and chaired by a BAFTA Games Committee member. My invitation must have been lost in the post.
VS took home another award last night, too: It nabbed the BAFTA Game Design trophy, where it was in competition with Cult of the Lamb, Elden Ring, GoW: Ragnarok, Tunic, and Horizon: Forbidden West.
Those weren’t the only awards handed out last night, of course. Here’s the full list of awards, nominees, and winners for your perusal:
Animation
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE II Mark Grigsby, Bruce Ferris, Khoa Le – Infinity Ward/Activision Publishing, IncWinner – GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Bruno Velazquez, Erica Pinto, Mehdi Yssef – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentHORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive EntertainmentLEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA Development Team – TT Games/Warner Bros. Interactive EntertainmentSIFU Development Team – Sloclap/Sloclap & Kepler InteractiveSTRAY Jophray Mikolajczyk, Jean-Marie Vouillon, Simon Jacquart – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
Artistic Achievement
ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco EuropeGOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Raf Grassetti, Dan McKim, Eric Valdes – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentIMMORTALITY Doug Potts, Stephanie Reese, Kerry Hennessy – Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid ProductionsPENTIMENT Hannah Kennedy, Soojin Paek – Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game StudiosA PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Development Team – Asobo Studio/Focus EntertainmentWinner – TUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJI
Audio Achievement
Winner – GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Jodie Kupsco, Michael Kent, Sean LaValle – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentHORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive EntertainmentMETAL: HELLSINGER Elvira Björkman, Nicklas Hjertberg – The Outsiders/Funcom Oslo ASA PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Development Team – Asobo Studio/Focus EntertainmentSTRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna InteractiveTUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJI
Best Game
CULT OF THE LAMB Development Team – Massive Monster/Devolver DigitalELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco EuropeGOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Eric Williams, Chad Cox, Yumi Yang – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentMARVEL SNAP Development Team – Second Dinner Studios/NuverseSTRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna InteractiveWinner – VAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
British Game
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin, Guillaume Singelin, Amos Roddy – Jump Over the Age/Fellow TravellerOLLIOLLI WORLD Development Team – Roll7/Private DivisionWinner – ROLLERDROME Development Team – Roll7/Private DivisionTOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER III Development Team – Creative Assembly/SEGATWO POINT CAMPUS Development Team – Two Point Studios/SEGAVAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
Debut Game
AS DUSK FALLS Caroline Marchal, Charu Desodt – INTERIOR/NIGHT/Xbox Game StudiosTHE CASE OF THE GOLDEN IDOL Andrejs Kļaviņš, Ernests Kļaviņš – Color Gray Games/PlaystackSTRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna InteractiveTROMBONE CHAMP Development Team – Holy Wow Studios/ Holy Wow StudiosWinner – TUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJIVAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
Evolving Game
APEX LEGENDS Development Team – Respawn/Electronic ArtsDREAMS Development Team – Media Molecule/Sony Interactive EntertainmentTHE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE Development Team – ZeniMax Online Studios/Bethesda SoftworksWinner – FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE Development Team – Creative Business Unit III/Square EnixFORZA HORIZON 5 Development Team – Playground Games/Xbox Game StudiosNO MAN’S SKY Development Team – Hello Games/Hello Games
Family
DISNEY DREAMLIGHT VALLEY Development Team – Gameloft/ GameloftWinner – KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND Development Team – HAL Laboratory/NintendoLEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA Development Team – TT Games/Warner Bros. Interactive EntertainmentMARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE Development Team – Ubisoft Milan; Ubisoft Paris/UbisoftNINTENDO SWITCH SPORTS Development Team – Nintendo EPD/NintendoTEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHREDDER’S REVENGE Development Team – Tribute Games/Dotemu
Game Beyond Entertainment
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin, Guillaume Singelin, Amos Roddy – Jump Over the Age/Fellow TravellerWinner – ENDLING – EXTINCTION IS FOREVER Development Team – Herobeat Studios/HandyGamesGIBBON: BEYOND THE TREES Development Team – Broken Rules/Broken RulesI WAS A TEENAGE EXOCOLONIST Development Team – Northway Games/FINJINOT FOR BROADCAST Development Team – NotGames/tinyBuildWE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS Marina Sciberras, Duncan Steele – Cowleyfornia Studios/Cowleyfornia Studios
Game Design
CULT OF THE LAMB Development Team – Massive Monster/Devolver DigitalELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI NAMCO EuropeGOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Jason McDonald, Andrew Chrysafidis, Luis Sanchez – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentHORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive EntertainmentTUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJIWinner – VAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
Multiplayer
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE II Development Team -Infinity WardActivision Publishing, Inc.EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Development Team -EA Vancouver, EA Romania/EA SPORTSWinner – ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco EuropeOVERWATCH 2 Development Team – Blizzard Entertainment/Blizzard EntertainmentSPLATOON 3 Development Team – Nintendo/NintendoTEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHREDDER’S REVENGE Development Team – Tribute Games/Dotemu
Music
CUPHEAD – THE DELICIOUS LAST COURSE Kristofer Maddigan – Studio MDHR/Studio MDHRELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco EuropeWinner – GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Bear McCreary, Keith Leary, Peter Scaturro – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentA PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Olivier Derivière – Asobo Studio/Focus EntertainmentSTRAY Development Team -BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna InteractiveTUNIC Lifeformed, Janice Kwan – TUNIC Team/FINJI
Narrative
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin – Jump Over the Age/Fellow TravellerGOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Matt Sophos, Richard Gaubert – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentWinner – IMMORTALITY Sam Barlow, Amelia Gray, Allan Scott – Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid ProductionsPENTIMENT Josh Sawyer, Kate Dollarhyde, Zoe Franznick – Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game StudioA PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Writing Team – Asobo Studio/Focus EntertainmentSTRAY Writing Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
Original Property
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin, Guillaume Singelin, Amos Roddy – Jump Over the Age/Fellow TravellerCULT OF THE LAMB Development Team – Massive Monster/Devolver DigitalWinner – ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco EuropeSIFU Development Team – Sloclap/Sloclap & Kepler InteractiveSTRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna InteractiveVAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
Performer in a Leading Role
ALAIN MESA as Alejandro Vargas in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare IICHARLOTTE MCBURNEY as Amicia de Rune in A Plague Tale: RequiemWinner – CHRISTOPHER JUDGE as Kratos in God of War RagnarökMANON GAGE as Marissa Marcel in ImmortalitySIOBHAN WILLIAMS as Laura in The QuarrySUNNY SULJIC as Atreus in God of War Ragnarök
Performer in a Supporting Role
ADAM J. HARRINGTON as Sindri in God of War RagnarökALISON JAYE as Alva in Horizon Forbidden WestCHARLOTTA MOHLIN as The One in ImmortalityDANIELLE BISUTTI as Freya in God of War RagnarökWinner – LAYA DELEON HAYES as Angrboða in God of War RagnarökRYAN HURST as Thor in God of War Ragnarök
Technical Achievement
ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI NAMCO EuropeGOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Josh Hobson, Jon Burke – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentWinner – HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive EntertainmentIMMORTALITY Connor Carson, Lizi Attwood, Dylan Nelkin – Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid ProductionsTHE LAST OF US PART I Development Team – Naughty Dog/Sony Interactive EntertainmentSTRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
EE Game of the Year (Voted for by the Public)
ELDEN RING FromSoftware/BANDAI NAMCO EuropeWinner – GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive EntertainmentHORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Guerrilla/Sony Interactive EntertainmentIMMORTALITY Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid ProductionsMARVEL SNAP Second Dinner Studios/NuverseSTRAY BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
And that’s your lot. I have to say, I’m happy Vampire Survivors won out. We gave Elden Ring our game of the year award last year, so I’d hardly be one to criticise if the BAFTAs had opted to award FromSoft’s wide-open opus, and hey, I’m sure GoW: Ragnarok is pretty good too. But nevertheless, Vampire Survivors is a special and tightly-designed thing. It’s good to see it get the accolades it deserves on a big and glitzy stage.
