Winners Announced for the Golden Joystick Awards Presented with OMEN by HP

The results of the 35th Golden Joystick Awards presented with OMEN by HP are finally revealed. The winners in 25 categories were announced on Friday 17th, November 2017 during an awards ceremony at the Bloomsbury Big Top and live on Twitch.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took home Ultimate Game of the Year, Nintendo Game of the Year, Critics’ Choice Award, Best Audio, with Nintendo EPD also collecting Studio of the Year
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds won Best Multiplayer Game and PC Game of the Year
Horizon Zero Dawn wins Best Storytelling and PlayStation Game of the Year with Ashly Burch scooping Best Gaming Performance and Breakthrough Award
Indie shooter Cuphead wins Xbox Game of the Year and Best Visual Design
Industry legends Sid Meier and Debbie Bestwick MBE recognised

Dan Dawkins, Global Editor-In-Chief, GamesRadar+ said: “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild picks up an incredible five awards, including the Best Studio category, making it the first game to win both the Critics’ Choice Award and public-voted Ultimate Game of the Year award. It’s a remarkable haul and Nintendo’s once-in-a-generation adventure deserves the universal acclaim. Breath of the Wild changes the way we view open worlds, with instinctive yet deep controls that encourage experimentation, appealing to gamers of all ages and abilities.

“Among the other winners, Horizon Zero Dawn is an epic which showcases the power – and storytelling potential – of the medium, with hundreds of developers working to create a unified vision.

“At the other extreme, it’s delightful to see gorgeous indie shooter Cuphead win two awards, one for each of its creators. Every video game is a minor miracle, and it’s thrilling to work in an industry that is so creative, daring and empowering, where creators face so many challenges, both technical, financial and personal.”

New eSports categories were added this year with Overwatch winning the coveted eSports Game of the Year category. Yvonne Hobden, PS Consumer Marketing Lead HP Inc. UK&I said: “With the increased focus on eSports games globally we were extremely happy to see a new entrant win in this highly competitive space. Congratulations Blizzard on winning this highly regarded award, you nailed it this year and we are very excited to see what will happen with Overwatch going into the future.”

“Sid Meier was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award and Debbie Bestwick MBE with Outstanding Contribution to the UK Games Industry.

Over the course of 35 years, Sid Meier has developed a tremendous reputation as one of the most influential designers in the history of the games industry. The Civilization series that bears his name introduced a whole generation of players to the joys of history, and through games like Pirates! and Alpha Centauri he has granted players freedom to explore wildly different worlds at their own pace. He’s a worthy recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sid Meier said: “I would not be here without the fans. Whether you played Pirates!, Railroad Tycoon, or Civilization, all of our fans around the globe have allowed me to have the best job in the world and I want to thank them all.”

As co-founder of Team17, Debbie Bestwick MBE is a stalwart presence in the UK games industry. From Alien Breed and Worms to recent hits like Overcooked, Team17 has remained a hotbed for creativity in the British games development scene – and none of it would be possible without her ongoing support.

Debbie Bestwick MBE said: “Receiving the Golden Joystick for Outstanding Contribution to the UK Gaming Industry is an incredible honour. My goal for Team17 is to help pave the way for the next generation of game creators, to help talented individuals and studios build sustainable businesses in their own right. Only at this point do creators control their future to create more amazing experiences for our passionate gamers, this award shows that we are achieving this with a number of partners however we’re only just getting started. Watch this space!”

Here is the full list of winners:

Best Storytelling – Horizon Zero Dawn
Best Visual Design – Cuphead
Best Audio – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Best Gaming Performance sponsored by The Sun – Ashly Burch (Horizon Zero Dawn)
Best Indie Game in collaboration with Square Enix Collective – Friday the 13th: The Game
Best Multiplayer Game sponsored by GT Omega – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Studio of the Year – Nintendo EPD
Best VR Game – Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
eSports Play of the Year sponsored by Intel – Agilities
eSports Team of the Year – Seoul Dynasty (formerly Lunatic-Hai)
eSports Game of the Year sponsored by OMEN by HP – Overwatch
Best Streamer / Broadcaster – Markiplier
Handheld / Mobile Game of the Year sponsored by Bespoke Arcades – Pokémon Sun and Moon
Nintendo Game of the Year – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
PlayStation Game of the Year – Horizon Zero Dawn
Xbox Game of the Year – Cuphead
PC Game of the Year – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Critics’ Choice Award – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breakthrough Award sponsored by Badfly – Ashly Burch
Hall of Fame – Final Fantasy
Most Wanted Award – The Last of Us Part II
Still Playing Award – World of Tanks
Outstanding Contribution to the UK Games Industry sponsored by The Telegraph – Debbie Bestwick MBE
Lifetime Achievement – Sid Meier
Ultimate Game of the Year – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Golden Joystick Awards presented with OMEN by HP honour the people and products that have transformed the games industry in 2017. The event features 25 categories, the majority of which are voted for by the global gaming public. The event was first held in 1983 and has grown to become the world’s largest public voted gaming awards brand.”

For more information on the Golden Joystick Awards, visit its Facebook page.