We examine the list of awards winners from the prestigious 2023 Golden Joystick Awards, which took place in London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Friday night
Last night, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, the 41st Golden Joystick Awards announced its winners. Baldur’s Gate 3 clinched the Ultimate Game of the Year award along with six additional accolades. Following nearly five million public votes, Larian Studios emerged victorious, securing the coveted GOTY title, as well as winning in categories such as Best Game Community, Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, PC Game of the Year, and Studio of the Year.
Golden Joystick Awards 2023 winners and nominees list
Ultimate Game of the Year goes to…. @baldursgate3! Congratulations!! #GoldenJoystickAwards pic.twitter.com/jKu0zwhuX4
— Golden Joysticks (@GoldenJoysticks) November 10, 2023
Which games won at the Golden Joystick Awards 2023?
On Friday, November 20, the 2023 Golden Joystick Awards took place, marking the first return to an in-person format in London since 2019. The event, now in its 41st edition, celebrated talent in the video game industry, recognizing individuals who contribute to enhancing our lives through gaming experiences and captivating us in leisure, as well as those who bring characters and worlds to life.
This year saw an unprecedented number of votes, with millions of participants choosing their favorite games across many categories. Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios emerged as the major winner, securing an impressive seven Golden Joysticks, including the Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) award. Furthermore, Larian Studios received the Studio of the Year accolade. Neil Newbon, the actor behind Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, earned the title of Best Supporting Performer.
we examine the awards list and winners from the 2023 Golden Joystick Awards:
| Award Category | Winner |
| Best Storytelling | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios) |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Mortal Kombat 1 (Warner Bros. Games) |
| Best Visual Design | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios) |
| Best Game Expansion | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt) |
| Best Audio | Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix) |
| Best Indie Game | Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio) |
| Best VR Game | Horizon Call of the Mountain (Sony Interactive Entertainment) |
| Best Streaming Game | Valorant (Riot Games) |
| Still Playing Award | No Man’s Sky (Hello Games) |
| Best Gaming Community | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios) |
| Studio of the Year | Larian Studios |
| Best Lead Performer | Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield (Final Fantasy XVI) |
| Best Supporting Performer | Neil Newbon as Astarion (Baldur’s Gate 3) |
| Breakthrough Award | Cocoon (Annapurna Interactive) |
| PC Game of the Year | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios) |
| Best Gaming Hardware | PlayStation VR2 |
| PlayStation Game of the Year | Resident Evil 4 (Capcom) |
| Xbox Game of the Year | Starfield (Bethesda Softworks) |
| Nintendo Game of the Year | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo) |
| Best Game Trailer | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt) |
| Most Wanted Award | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) |
| Critics’ Choice Award | Alan Wake 2 (Epic Games Publishing) |
| Ultimate Game of the Year | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios) |
Which games received nominations for the 2023 Golden Joystick Awards?
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, despite receiving seven nominations, only secured victory in the Nintendo Game of the Year category. Similarly, Starfield experienced a comparable outcome, claiming the top spot solely in the Xbox category. The cross-platform game Resident Evil 4 clinched the title of PlayStation Game of the Year, while Final Fantasy XVI stood as the exclusive contender on the shortlist.
Geometric Interactive earned the Breakthrough Award for its outstanding creation, COCOON. However, the title fell short of securing the Best Indie Game honor, which was claimed by Sea of Stars. Despite its excellence, Diablo IV left empty-handed, underscoring the intense competition among blockbuster releases in 2023. Meanwhile, Alan Wake 2 received the prestigious Critics’ Choice Award.
know all the nominations for the 2023 Golden Joystick Awards:
| Award Category | Nominations |
| Best Storytelling | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Winner) |
| The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood | |
| Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon | |
| Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals | |
| Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo | |
| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | |
| Still Playing Award | No Man’s Sky (Winner) |
| Genshin Impact | |
| The Sims 4 | |
| Fortnite | |
| Naraka Bladepoint | |
| GTA Online | |
| Warframe | |
| Valorant | |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / Counter-Strike 2 | |
| Apex Legends | |
| Dota 2 | |
| Call of Duty | |
| Best Visual Design | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Winner) |
| Starfield | |
| Hi-Fi Rush | |
| Viewfinder | |
| Lies of P | |
| Street Fighter 6 | |
| Studio of the Year | Larian Studios (Winner) |
| Digital Eclipse | |
| Nintendo EPD | |
| Mimimi Games | |
| Remedy Entertainment | |
| CD Projekt Red | |
| Best Game Expansion | Power Wash Simulator DLC |
| Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (Winner) | |
| The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom | |
| The Case of the Golden Idol Mysteries: The Lemurian Vampire and Spider of Lanka | |
| Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania | |
| A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers | |
| Best Indie Game | Dave the Diver |
| Pizza Tower | |
| Dredge | |
| Cocoon | |
| Viewfinder | |
| Sea of Stars (Winner) | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Exoprimal |
| Diablo 4 | |
| Street Fighter 6 | |
| Remnant 2 | |
| Mortal Kombat 1 (Winner) | |
| We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip | |
| Best Audio | Stray Gods |
| Hi-Fi Rush | |
| Bomb Rush Cyberfunk | |
| Starfield | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | |
| Final Fantasy 16 (Winner) | |
| Best Game Trailer | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – Official Cinematic Trailer (Winner) |
| Alan Wake 2 – The Dark Place Gameplay Trailer | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Official Trailer #3 | |
| Baby Steps Reveal Trailer | |
| Mortal Kombat 1 – Official It’s In Our Blood Trailer | |
| Dave the Diver – Official Release Month And Accolades Trailer | |
| Best Game Community | Final Fantasy 14 |
| Warframe | |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 (Winner) | |
| Deep Rock Galactic | |
| Dreams | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | |
| Best VR game | C-Smash VRS |
| Horizon Call of the Mountain (Winner) | |
| Synapse | |
| Vertigo 2 VR | |
| F1 23 VR | |
| The Light Brigade | |
| Best Gaming Hardware | PlayStation VR2 (Winner) |
| Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Headset | |
| Alienware 34 AW3423DWF | |
| Nitro Deck | |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 | |
| Samsung 990 PRO | |
| Breakthrough Award | Cocoon / Geometric Interactive |
| Critics’ Choice Award | Alan Wake 2 |
| Best Streaming Game | Valorant |
| Best Lead Performer | Ben Starr – Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy 16 (Winner) |
| Yuri Lowenthal – Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | |
| Cameron Monaghan – Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | |
| Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta – Alan Wake in Alan Wake 2 | |
| Nadji Jeter – Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | |
| Ellise Chappell – Kathy Johanson in Deliver Us Mars | |
| Melanie Liburd – Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2 | |
| Best Supporting Performer | Laura Bailey – Mary Jane in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 |
| Neil Newbon – Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3 (Winner) | |
| Cissy Jones – Andreja in Starfield | |
| Amelia Tyler – Narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3 | |
| Ralph Ineson – Cidolfus Telamon in Final Fantasy 16 | |
| Patricia Summersett – Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | |
| Idris Elba – Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty | |
| Nintendo Game of the Year | Pikmin 4 |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Winner) | |
| Fire Emblem Engage | |
| Metroid Prime Remastered | |
| Octopath Traveller 2 | |
| Fae Farm | |
| PC Game of the Year | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Winner) |
| Diablo 4 | |
| Dave the Diver | |
| Tchia | |
| System Shock | |
| Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew | |
| PlayStation Game of the Year | Final Fantasy 16 |
| Resident Evil 4 (Winner) | |
| Street Fighter 6 | |
| Humanity | |
| Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon | |
| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | |
| Xbox Game of the Year | Starfield (Winner) |
| Chants of Sennaar | |
| Hi-Fi Rush | |
| Planet of Lana | |
| Dead Space | |
| Pentiment | |
| Most Wanted Game | Death Stranding 2 |
| Star Wars Outlaws | |
| Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (Winner) | |
| Tekken 8 | |
| Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 | |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl | |
| Hades 2 | |
| Fable | |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | |
| Everywhere | |
| Frostpunk 2 | |
| Ark 2 | |
| Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater | |
| Persona 3 Reload | |
| Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles | |
| Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | |
| Pacific Drive | |
| Black Myth: Wukong | |
| Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden | |
| Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin | |
| Ultimate Game of the Year | Baldur’s Gate 3 (Winner) |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | |
| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | |
| Alan Wake 2 | |
| Resident Evil 4 | |
| Cocoon | |
| Starfield | |
| Final Fantasy 16 | |
| Diablo 4 | |
| Forza Motorsport | |
| Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon | |
| Assassin’s Creed Mirage | |
| Super Mario Bros. Wonder | |
| Street Fighter 6 | |
| Metroid Prime Remastered | |
| Hi-Fi Rush | |
| Lords of the Fallen | |
| Dead Space | |
| Sea of Stars |