Some key takeaway from the night include the Hazelight-developed co-op platformer It Takes Two bagging the Game of the Year award over the likes of Deathloop, Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart, Inscryption, and Returnal.

Apart from that, other winners included 343 Industry’s Halo Infinite bagging the Action Game of the Year and Online Game of the Year, along with Insomniac Games’ Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart bagging four awards: Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Technical Achievement, and Family Game of the Year.

Additionally, the night also saw Xbox boss Phil Spencer receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, and NetherRealm Studios’ Ed Boon getting inducted to the DICE Hall of Fame.

The full list of winners for DICE Awards 2022 can be read below (via GamesIndustry):

THE DICE AWARDS SHOW 2022 WINNERS

• Game of the Year: It Takes Two (Hazelight)
• Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: It Takes Two (Hazelight)
• Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Outstanding Technical Achievement: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Family Game of the Year: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: Returnal (Housemarque)
• Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design: Returnal (Housemarque)
• Outstanding Achievement in Story: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Square Enix)
• Adventure Game of the Year: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Square Enix)
• Action Game of the Year: Halo Infinite (343 Industries)
• Online Game of the Year: Halo Infinite (343 Industries)
• Fighting Game of the Year: Guilty Gear Strive (Arc System Works)
• Racing Game of the Year: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games)
• Role-Playing Game of the Year: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (Square Enix)
• Sports Game of the Year: Mario Golf: Super Rush (Camelot/Nintendo)
• Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: Age of Empires IV (World’s Edge/Microsoft)
• Immersive Reality Technical Achievement: Lone Echo II (Ready at Dawn)
• Immersive Reality Game of the Year: Lone Echo II (Ready at Dawn)
• Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game: Unpacking (Witch Beam)
• Mobile Game of the Year: Pokémon Unite (TiMi Studio)
• Outstanding Achievement in Character: Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Science (AIAS), which hosts the yearly game awards called the DICE Awards, has announced that the CEO of Microsoft Gaming and the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, will be receiving the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming 25th Annual DICE Awards. The awards show is planned to be held on February 24th, where Bethesda’s Todd Howard will be presenting the award to Spencer.

AIAS president Meggan Scavio spoke a little bit about the announcement, saying that Spencer demonstrated both passion and leadership throughout his entire career at Microsoft, while also being responsible for the countless impactful and pivotal initiatives that he’s kickstarted.

She said: “Phil Spencer has demonstrated both passion and leadership throughout his entire career at Microsoft. He’s responsible for countless impactful and pivotal initiatives that have reverberated throughout the entire gaming industry. On behalf of the Academy’s Board of Directors, we are looking forward to celebrating Spencer’s important impact on video game history by presenting him with our Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Some of the past recipients of the AIAS Lifetime Achievement award include PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi, ESA founder Doug Lowenstein, former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, and more.

In total, 59 games are being nominated this year, with Insomniac Games’ Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart heading the nomination race by bagging nine nominations under its belt, followed by Arkane Lyon’s Deathloop bagging eight nominations. Some other prominent nominations include Inscryption and It Takes Two securing six nominations each, along with Returnal receiving five nominations.

The race for winning Game of the Year is being run by Deathloop, Inscryption, It Takes Two, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal. The show is scheduled to be streamed on IGN, who are the official media partners, on 24 January, where the winners will be revealed.

Check out the full list of nominees down below.

25th Annual DICE Awards nominees

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Call of Duty: Vanguard
• Deathloop
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Resident Evil Village

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Call of Duty: Vanguard
• Deathloop
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Resident Evil Village

Outstanding Achievement in Character

• Deathloop – Colt Vahn
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Kena
• Life is Strange: True Colors – Alex Chen
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Rivet
• Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Deathloop
• It Takes Two
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Psychonauts 2
• Returnal

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Forza Horizon 5
• Halo Infinite
• It Takes Two
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Returnal

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Before Your Eyes
• Inscryption
• MARVEL’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• Psychonauts 2
• The Forgotten City

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Battlefield 2042
• Forza Horizon 5
• Moncage
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Returnal

Action Game of the Year

• Deathloop
• Halo Infinite
• Metroid Dread
• Returnal
• The Ascent

Adventure Game of the Year

• Death’s Door
• It Takes Two
• MARVEL’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• Psychonauts 2
• Resident Evil Village

Family Game of the Year

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise
• Cozy Grove
• Mario Party Superstars
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Warioware: Get it Together

Fighting Game of the Year

• GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-
• Melty Blood: Type Lumina
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl

Racing Game of the Year

• F1 2021
• Forza Horizon 5
• Hot Wheels Unleashed

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
• Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
• Shin Megami Tensei V
• Tales of Arise
• Wildermyth

Sports Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS FIFA 22
• Mario Golf: Super Rush
• NBA 2k22
• Riders Republic
• The Climb 2

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• Age of Empires IV
• Gloomhaven
• Griftlands
• Inscryption
• Loop Hero

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Lone Echo II
• Puzzling Places
• Resident Evil 4 VR
• Song in the Smoke
• YUKI

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Demeo
• I Expect You To Die 2
• Lone Echo II
• Resident Evil 4 VR
• Song in the Smoke

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• Death’s Door
• Inscryption
• Loop Hero
• Sable
• Unpacking

Mobile Game of the Year

• Behind the Frame
• Fantasian
• League of Legends: Wild Rift
• Moncage
• Pokémon UNITE

Online Game of the Year

• Back 4 Blood
• Call of Duty: Vanguard
• Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
• Halo Infinite
• Knockout City

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Deathloop
• Inscryption
• It Takes Two
• Loop Hero
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Deathloop
• Inscryption
• It Takes Two
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• The Artful Escape

Game of the Year

• Deathloop
• Inscryption
• It Takes Two
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Returnal

Today, The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences announced the winners for the 24th annual D.I.C.E. Awards in a livestream. If you missed the proceedings, fret not; we’ve got you covered.

The big winner was Supergiant Games’ Hades, which beat out Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima, and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 2 for Game of the Year. Hades also lead the pack with 5 total awards, also winning Outstanding Achievement for Game Direction, Outstanding Achievement for Game Design, Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, and Action Game of the Year.

Ghost of Tsushima took home four awards, with wins for Adventure Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, and Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design.

The Last of Us Part 2 and Half-Life: Alyx were the only other games to win multiple awards, each winning two apiece. The Last of Us Part 2 won Outstanding Achievement in Animation and Outstanding Achievement in Story. Half-Life: Alyx won Immersive Reality Technical Achievement and Immersive Reality Game of the Year.

The winners aren’t surprising. While The Last of Us Part 2 spent most of the year as an early favorite, Hades was clearly the game to beat once awards season rolled around. You can check out the rest of the winners here, and watch the awards ceremony below, courtesy of IGN.

Hideo Kojima was awarded the DICE Award for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain in the best action adventure game category- but he wasn’t there to accept it. Neither, for that matter, was anyone from Konami. The entire episode held shades of when Kojima was forbidden from attending Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards show last December by Konami- something on which they were publicly called out by Keighley live, on stage.

But Kojima no longer works with Konami, who would therefore no longer be able to stop him from attending any awards show or function- so why did he not attend the show to accept the award? As it turns out, he chose to not accept it, according to what spokesperson of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences told Polygon.

“Konami was unable to send someone to the awards and Kojima-San preferred not to accept it. The Academy thought the solution of having the presenters accept on behalf of the title was best for all parties.”

That’s all well and good, but I do wonder why Kojima didn’t want the award. Maybe he is trying to distance himself from Metal Gear, and all things Konami, as much as possible.

Bioware’s Dragon Age: Inquisition has been a strong success for the company, mopping up most Game of the Year awards (including our own) for 2014. It also recently won Game of the Year at the DICE Awards and EA CFO Blake Jorgenson says the company is excited for the future.

“Longer-term, we’re very excited. BioWare, they just won Game of the Year at the DICE Awards. We’re very excited about the success of that team and what we can do with that team. I think there’s a huge opportunity for [Dragon Age].”

There won’t be any Dragon Age in 2015 so don’t worry about the publisher fast-tracking a sequel like Dragon Age 2 again. The key was in retaining what made Bioware’s games a success while still breaking new ground as producer Mike Darrah told GameSpot.

“I think really it’s both a return to form, a return to what BioWare did in its roots: exploration, story-telling, character development. Us starting to explore new areas [being] deeper, open-world gameplay. I think just that combination is what really resonated with people.”

Though Bioware recently cancelled Shadow Realms, its upcoming MMO, the future looks bright for the studio with the success of Dragon Age Inquisition and the next Mass Effect on the way.

The DICE Awards have recently concluded and Bioware’s Dragon Age: Inquisition not only walked away with the award for Best RPG of the Year but also with Game of the Year. Surprising, right?

It would be if one were in attendance. Monolith Productions’ Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor won several awards up to that point including Outstanding Achievement in Story, Animation, Technical and much more. The Lord of the Rings-based title even won an award for Adventure Game of the Year.

Another interesting surprise was in the number of awards that Bungie’s Destiny won. It was awarded Action Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design. Recently, it was announced that Destiny would be receiving its second major expansion House of Wolves in Q2 2015.

What are your thoughts on this year’s winners though? Let us know in the comments.