The results of this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Gaming Awards are in. The winners for each of the twelve categories were decided both by the public, as well as the staff of the SXSW Gaming Awards and its advisory board.The event was held onlinedue to the COVID-19 situation, and it showed segments of behind-the-scenes work for some of the games.
The SXSW Gaming Awards is presented by IGN in partnership with Discord, and is usually held in Texas butwas canceled last year due to coronavirusand changed to an online format this year. Developers can send games to be considered for the awards, and only games released during the year before the event can participate. The top four or five games of each category are selected by the board and the SXSW staff, but the public gets the final vote and decides which games should win.
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Yesterday was the final day of the event which started on March 16. In addition to the award ceremony, SXSW offered conferences and a music festival for pass holders. However, the award ceremony is available to watch on IGN’s Twitch account. In total, 43 titles were competing to earn one of the awards. This year, games such asHalf-Life: Alyx, Ghost of Tsushima,The Last of Us 2, andDoom Eternalwon a SXSW Award. Most notably, bothHadesandDeep Rock Galactictook top accoladesin two categories.
Hades’s success did not come as a surprise, since this Supergiant Games title has received amazing review scores in the past. However, it was somewhat unexpected that the indie title would win Game of the Year over other major games such asDOOM Eternal, Ghost of Tsushima, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and most notablyThe Last of Us 2. The Naughty Dog sequel was the favorite to win Game of the Year givenits success at the Game Awards 2020where it won seven of the nine titles it was nominated for.
On the other hand, audience opinions play a big role in selecting the winners for the SXSW Gaming Awards, and titles likeDeep Rock GalacticandHadesreceived excellent reviewsever since they were released. In that sense, it was only natural these titles would be recognized as some of the best, even when competing againstThe Last of Us 2and other major games.
Here is the list of winners for the 2021 SXSW Gaming Awards:
Deep Rock Galactic— Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
Tabletop Game of the Year
The Search for Planet X— Renegade Game Studios / Foxtrot Games
Hades— Supergiant Games
Excellence in Score
Ori and the Will of the Wisps— Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
Excellence in Narrative
The Last of Us Part II— Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment
