Red Dead Redemption 2 was initially poised for a full sweep, but in the end it was God of War who took home the Game of the Year award at the 2018 The Game Awards. God of War would also take home the Best Action-Adventure and Best Game Direction awards for a total of three awards.
Red Dead Redemption 2 would earn the most awards with four: Narrative, Score/Music, Audio Design, and Best Performance.
The big indie winner was Celeste, winning the Best Independent Game and Games for Impact Awards. Fortnite also came away with two awards in Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer, though Overwatch would win Best Esports Game for the second year in a row. And despite dominating the category, Nintendo lost The Best Family Award to Overcooked 2 (read our review)
The Game Awards was hosted by creator and media personality Geoff Keighley and streamed live to Twitch and other streaming services on Thursday, December 6. It featured numerous reveals, trailers, and developer spotlights, akin to an E3 presentation, in between presenting awards. You can watch the full three hour plus broadcast above.
The voting jury is made up of industry press and creators, as well as blending in fan votes online. The cutoff date for the 2018 year was November 16, rendering games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ineligible until next year’s awards.
Below are the full list of winners in each category.
Game of the Year
- God of War
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Celeste
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Monster Hunter: World
- Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Ongoing Game
- Fortnite
- Destiny 2: Forsaken
- No Man’s Sky
- Overwatch
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Best Game Direction
- God of War
- A Way Out
- Detroit: Become Human
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Narrative
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Detroit: Become Human
- God of War
- Life is Strange 2: Episode 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
Best Art Direction
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- God of War
- Octopath Traveler
- Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Score/Music
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Celeste
- God of War
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
- Octopath Traveler
Best Audio Design
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- Forza Horizon 4
- God of War
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
Best Performance
- Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption 2)
- Bryan Dechart (Detroit: Become Human)
- Christopher Judge (God of War)
- Melissanthi Mahut (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey)
- Yuri Lowenthal (Marvel’s Spider-Man)
Games for Impact
- Celeste
- 11-11 Memories Retold
- Florence
- Life is Strange 2: Episode 1
- The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories
Best Independent Game
- Celeste
- Dead Cells
- Into the Breach
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- The Messenger
Best Mobile Game
- Florence
- Donut County
- Fortnite
- PUBG Mobile
- Reigns: Game of Thrones
Best VR/AR Game
- ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission
- Beat Saber
- Firewall Zero Hour
- Moss
- Tetris Effect
Best Action Game
- Dead Cells
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- Destiny 2: Forsaken
- Far Cry 5
- Mega Man 11
Best Action/Adventure Game
- God of War
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Best Role Playing Game
- Monster Hunter: World
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
- Octopath Traveler
- Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Best Fighting Game
- Dragon Ball FighterZ
- BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
- Soul Calibur VI
- Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
Best Family Game
- Overcooked 2
- Mario Tennis Aces
- Nintendo Labo
- Starlink: Battle for Atlas
- Super Mario Party
Best Strategy Game
- Into the Breach
- Banner Saga 3
- Battletech
- Frostpunk
- Valkyria Chronicles 4
Best Sports/Racing Game
- Forza Horizon 4
- FIFA 19
- Mario Tennis Aces
- NBA 2K19
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2019
Best Multiplayer Game
- Fortnite
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- Destiny 2: Forsaken
- Monster Hunter: World
- Sea of Thieves
Best Student Game
- Combat 2018
- Dash Quasar
- JERA
- LIFF
- RE: Charge
Best Debut Indie Game
- The Messenger
- Donut County
- Florence
- Moss
- Yoku’s Island Express
Content Creator of the Year
- Ninja
- Dr. Lupo
- Myth
- Pokimane
- Willyrex
Best Esports Game
- Overwatch
- CSGO
- DOTA2
- Fortnite
- League of Legends
See the official website for a breakdown of Esports winners in each category, including player, team, and coach.
