The 25th annual DICE Awards take place next month and will honor the best and brightest titles releasing in 2021. Unlike the Game Awards, which are a bit more mainstream and include Consisting of votes from both the media and the public, the DICE Awards (which stands for Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) are run by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. It is also an industry-specific event often considered the most prestigious awards ceremony in the business field. Today, we discovered this year’s event honors 59 nominees across 23 categories.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart leads in the number of nominations with nine. Deathloop did not fall behind, garnering eight nominations. Academy members, including a jury of industry peers, begin voting today. IGN will live stream the ceremony, hosted by The discovery of Jessica Chobot and Kinda Funby Greg Miller, February 24. The nominees are as follows:
Game of the year
- Deathloop
- Encode
- It takes two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Profit
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 Personality
- Deathloop – Colt Vahn
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Kena
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Alex Chen
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Rivets
- Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu
Outstanding Achievement in Composing Original Music
- Deathloop
- It takes two
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Profit
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
- Forza Horizon 5
- Halo Infinite
- It takes two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Profit
Excellent achievement in the story
- Before your eyes
- Encode
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- The Forgotten City
Outstanding technical achievements
- Battlefield 2042
- Forza Horizon 5
- Moncage
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Profit
Action Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- Halo Infinite
- Metroid Dread
- Profit
- Rise
Adventure Game of the Year
- Door of death
- 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: Together
Fighting Game of the Year
- Guilty Gear -Strive-
- Melty Blood: Type of 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 DRAW
- Tales of Arise
- Wildermyth
Sports game of the year
- 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
- Encode
- Loop Hero
Immersive Realistic Technical Achievements
- Lone Echo II
- Confusing place
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
- Yuki
Reality Role Playing Game of the Year
- Demeo
- I hope you die 2
- Lone Echo II
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
Outstanding achievement for an indie game
- Door of death
- Encode
- Loop Hero
- Black
- Open the package
Mobile Game of the Year
- Behind the frame
- Fantasian
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Moncage
- Pokémon Unite
Online Game of the Year
- Back to 4 health
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Halo Infinite
- Knockout City
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Deathloop
- Encode
- It takes two
- Loop Hero
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Deathloop
- Encode
- It takes two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Artistic escape
It will be interesting to see who walks away with what, but in the meantime you can check out last year’s DICE winners here.
