The DICE Awards were held in Las Vegas on February 23, the 20th edition of this long-running awards ceremony, whom many consider the video game equivalent of the Academy Awards.
And Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which was leading the nominees with a total of ten nominations won big in the night, bagging a total of four awards. This should come as no surprise to anyone taking into account that Naughty Dog’s PS4 exclusive was one of the best games of 2016 due to its superb gameplay, visuals and stellar story.
It was Overwatch, though, which won the big award of the night, as Blizzard’s game won the coveted Game of the Year award in this edition of the DICE awards.
Other AAA games like Battlefield 1 (which was in the running for eight awards) and The Last Guardian (which had been nominated in seven categories) were also winners in a night that celebrated all things gaming.
Additionally, Todd Howard, the game director behind the likes of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, was inducted into the Academy’s Hall of Fame at the awards ceremony, joining the likes of Japanese designer Hideo Kojima who received this honour during last year’s ceremony.
Here follows a list of the nominees and winners for the 20th DICE Awards, which took place on February 23 this year:
Game of the Year
- Battlefield 1
- Inside
- Overwatch * WINNER *
- Pokémon Go
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Inside
- The Last Guardian
- Overwatch
- Street Fighter V
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End * WINNER *
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Battlefield 1
- Firewatch
- Inside * WINNER *
- The Last Guardian
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Nick Reyes
- Firewatch – Delilah
- Firewatch – Henry
- The Last Guardian – Trico * WINNER *
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Nathan Drake
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Abzu
- Battlefield 1
- Doom * WINNER *
- The Last Guardian
- Titanfall 2
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
- Battlefield 1 * WINNER *
- Inside
- The Last Guardian
- Quantum Break
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Firewatch
- Inside
- Oxenfree
- That Dragon, Cancer
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End * WINNER *
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Battlefield 1
- No Man’s Sky
- Overwatch
- Titanfall 2
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End * WINNER *
Action Game of the Year
- Battlefield 1
- Doom
- Gears of War 4
- Overwatch * WINNER *
- Titanfall 2
Adventure Game of the Year
- Firewatch
- Inside
- King’s Quest: The Complete Collection
- The Last Guardian
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End * WINNER *
Family Game of the Year
- Dragon Quest Builders
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Ratchet & Clank * WINNER *
- Rock Band Rivals
- Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Fighting Game of the Year
- EA Sports UFC 2
- Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator
- Killer Instinct: Season 3
- Pokkén Tournament
- Street Fighter V * WINNER *
Racing Game of the Year
- DRIVECLUB VR
- Forza Horizon 3 * WINNER *
Role-Playing / Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
- Dark Souls 3 * WINNER *
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- Hyper Light Drifter
- Tom Clancy’s The Division
- World of Warcraft: Legion
Sports Game of the Year
- FIFA 17
- Madden NFL 17
- MLB The Show 16
- NBA 2K17
- Steep * WINNER *
Strategy / Simulation Game of the Year
- The Banner Saga 2
- Deus Ex GO
- Fire Emblem Fates
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VI * WINNER *
- XCOM 2
D.I.C.E. Sprite Award
- 1979 Revolution: Black Friday
- Firewatch
- Inside * WINNER *
- Superhot
- That Dragon, Cancer
Handheld Game of the Year
- Dragon Quest Builders
- Fire Emblem Fates
- Kirby: Planet Robobot
- Pokémon Sun and Moon * WINNER *
- Severed
Mobile Game of the Year
- Clash Royale
- Crashlands
- Gardenscapes – New Acres
- Pokémon Go * WINNER *
- Reigns
Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay
- Battlefield 1
- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
- Overwatch * WINNER *
- Titanfall 2
- Tom Clancy’s The Division
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- I Expect You To Die
- Inside
- Overwatch * WINNER *
- Owlboy
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- 1979 Revolution: Black Friday
- Battlefield 1
- Inside * WINNER *
- The Last Guardian
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End