The DICE Awards (previously called Interactive Achievement Awards) started in 1998 and has grown to become the equivalent of the Academy Awards for the video game industry. The 27th edition of the DICE Awards was held on Thursday, February 15, 2024, and it was a memorable outing for Baldur’s Gate 3 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
A total of 56 games released in 2023 were nominated across 23 categories for the DICE Awards which was held at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas. Spider-Man 2 cleared six awards while Baldur’s Gate 3 took home 5, including the coveted Game of the Year. Recall that Baldur’s Gate 3 was also named the Game of the Year at The Game Awards last December.
“We don’t have shareholders, but we also don’t think about them,” said David Walgrave, Larian Studios head of production. “Building a community, building a player base, building games that are actually fun is going to make you the most money.”
Ash Parrish of The Verge believes Walgrave’s comment was directed at Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors, who said in the latest earnings report that the company’s “overruling principle is to always maximize shareholder value in any given situation”.
Unlike The Game Awards 2023 where the winners rarely had time to express themselves, the DICE Awards gave them ample time to do so. Several members of the team that worked on Baldur’s Gate 3 took turns to talk about the abysmal state of the industry.
“Many, many people were let go at the start of this year,” said Michael Douse, Larian Studios director of publishing Michael Douse. “I want you all to know that you are talented, and that you matter, and that you are the future of this industry.”
Full list of Winners at the DICE Awards 2024
Other big hits of 2023 including Alan Wake 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were not left out of the winner list. Alan Wake 2 won the Ard Direction Prize while The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom won Adventure Game of the Year.
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Koji Kondo, the veteran sound director behind Nintendo’s classics like the Zelda series and Mario, became the first composer to be inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame. The list is mostly dominated by studio heads including Ed Boon (NetherRealm Studios), Todd Howard (Bethesda Game Studios), and Gabe Newell (Valve Corporation). Below is the full list of winners.
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Final Fantasy 16
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Winner
- Mortal Kombat
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Alan Wake 2 – Winner
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Starfield
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Alan Wake 2 – Saga Anderson
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Astarion
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Karlach
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Miles Morales – Winner
- Thirsty Suitors – Jala
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Alan Wake 2
- Diablo IV
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Winner
- Planet of Lana
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Alan Wake 2
- Cocoon
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Winner
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
ALSO READ: Baldur’s Gate 3 Shines At The Game Awards 2023
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Dave the Diver
- Thirsty Suitors
- Venba
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Alan Wake 2
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Winner
- Hogwarts Legacy
- The Finals
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Action Game of the Year
- Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon
- Dead Space
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Winner
- Remnant II
Adventure Game of the Year
- Alan Wake 2
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Winner
Family Game of the Year
- Disney Illusion Island
- Fae Farm
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Midnight Girl
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Winner
Fighting Game of the Year
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
- Pocket Bravery
- Street Fighter 6 – Winner
Racing Game of the Year
- F-Zero 99
- Forza Motorsport – Winner
- Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged
- Lego 2K Drive
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Diablo IV
- Final Fantasy 16
- Starfield
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Sports Game of the Year
- EA Sports FC 24
- MLB The Show 23 – Winner
- WWE 2K23
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Against the Storm
- Cobalt Core
- Dune: Spice Wars – Winner
- The Last Spell
- Wartales
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Asgard’s Wrath 2
- Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
- Horizon: Call of the Mountain – Winner
- Vertigo 2
- We Are One
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Asgard’s Wrath 2 – Winner
- Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
- Horizon: Call of the Mountain
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice
- Vertigo 2
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Cocoon – Winner
- Dredge
- El Paso, Elsewhere
- Thirsty Suitors
- Venba
Mobile Game of the Year
- Gubbins
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Honkai: Star Rail
- Terra Nil
- What the Car? – Winner
Online Game of the Year
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Diablo IV – Winner
- Omega Strikers
- Street Fighter 6
- The Finals
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Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Cocoon
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Game of the Year
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
- Cocoon
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
If you missed the show but want to re-experience every bit of it, we have embedded the video of the show below. Check it out.
