The inaugural Game Awards show will set the stage for as many as twelve “world premieres”, the event’s producer has announced.
Geoff Keighley, a broadcast journalist who helped establish the new awards event, made the promise on his personal Twitter account, stating “this Friday night we will showcase more than a dozen world premieres.”
This Friday night we will showcase more than a dozen world premieres @thegameawards Which games would you like to see? More to share soon.
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) November 30, 2014
It is unclear how many of these premieres will be of new, previously unannounced games. One already confirmed is Metal Gear Solid Online–the multiplayer component of Konami’s 2015 title, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. GameSpot understands that at least one other “premiere” will showcase a game already announced and far into development.
The Game Awards 2014 will take place Friday, December 5, starting at 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern / 2 AM UK. GameSpot will bring you all the winners as they’re annnounced.
Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Hearthstone, and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor are up for the top prize of overall Game of the Year.
Dark Souls II, Hearthstone, Shadow of Mordor, and South Park: The Stick of Truth lead the way with three nominations each across all categories. Meanwhile, Nintendo was the most nominated publisher with 12 nominations.
Below is a breakdown of nominees by category. Nominees were selected by a jury of 28 international media outlets, including GameSpot and sister site Giant Bomb.
Game of the Year:
- Bayonetta 2
- Dark Souls II
- Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Hearthstone
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Best Independent Game:
Best Narrative:
- South Park: The Stick of Truth
- The Walking Dead — Season 2
- The Wolf Among Us
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War
- Wolfenstein: The New Order
Best Performance:
- Adam Harrington as Bigby Wolf — The Wolf Among Us
- Kevin Spacey as Jonathan Irons — Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Melissa Hutchinson as Clementine — The Walking Dead — Season 2
- Trey Parker as various voices — South Park: The Stick of Truth
- Troy Baker as Talion — Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Best Remaster:
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
- The Last of Us Remastered
- The Master Chief Collection
- Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Best Action/Adventure:
- Alien: Isolation
- Assassin’s Creed Unity
- Bayonetta 2
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Sunset Overdrive
Best Fighting Game:
- Killer Instinct: Season 2
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
- Super Smash Bros. 3DS
- Super Smash Bros. Wii U
- Ultra Street Fighter IV
Best Sports/Racing Game:
Best Shooter:
Best Role-Playing Game:
- Bravely Default
- Dark Souls II
- Divinity
- Dragon Age: Inquisition
- South Park: The Stick of Truth
Best Family Game:
Best Online Experience:
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Dark Souls II
- Destiny
- Hearthstone
- Titanfall
Best Mobile/Handheld Game:
- Bravely Default
- Hearthstone
- Monument Valley
- Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
- Threes!
Developer of the Year:
- Blizzard
- Monolith
- Nintendo
- Telltale
- Ubisoft Montreal
Best Score/Soundtrack:
- Alien: Isolation
- Child of Light
- Destiny
- Sunset Overdrive
- Transistor
Games for Change:
- Mountain
- Never Alone
- The Last of Us: Left Behind
- This War of Mine
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Most Anticipated Game:
eSports Player of the Year:
- Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson (League of Legends)
- Xu “Fy” Linsen (DOTA2)
- James “Firebat” Kostesich (Hearthstone)
- Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund (Counter-Strike: GO)
- Matt “NaDeSHoT” Haag (Call of Duty)
eSports Team of the Year:
- Samsung White (League of Legends)
- Evil Geniuses (DOTA2)
- Edward Gaming (League of Legends)
- Newbee (DOTA2)
- Ninjas in Pajamas (Counter-Strike: GO)
Trending Gamer:
- Evan “Vanoss” Fong
- Jeff Gerstmann
- PewDiePie
- StampyLongHead
- TotalBiscuit
Best Fan Creation:
- BEST Zelda Rap EVER!! By Egoraptor
- Luigi Death Stare by CZBwoi and Rizupicorr
- Mine the Diamond (Minecraft Song) by Tobuscus
- Minecraft — TITAN City by Colonial Puppet
- Twitch Plays Pokemon by Anonymous