22nd D.I.C.E. Awards Honors the Video Game Industry’s Most Outstanding Achievements

The votes have been counted! Members of the interactive entertainment
industry gathered this evening at the 22^nd D.I.C.E. Awards,
at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, to celebrate the year’s
biggest triumphs in video games. The event is held annually by The
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), the non-profit
organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the
interactive arts representing its 30,000+ membership base. This year’s
Game of the Year was awarded to God of War by developer SIE Santa
Monica Studio and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment, which takes
players on a journey as the Spartan warrior Kratos, a man living outside
the shadow of the gods, who with his son Atreus, venture into the brutal
Norse wilds and fight to fulfill a deeply personal quest.

The Academy membership honored games in 23 award categories, with God
of War receiving the most accolades of the evening with nine awards.
Another multi-award winner, Celeste earned two awards. Other top
honorees were Florence for Portable Game of the Year, Super
Smash Bros. Ultimate for Fighting Game of the Year, Beat Saber
for Immersive Game of the Year, Mario Tennis Aces for Sports Game
of the Year, Monster Hunter: World for Role-Playing Game of the
Year, and Fortnite for Outstanding Achievement in Online
Gameplay, among others.

“Tonight, at the 22^nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the interactive
entertainment industry gathered together from all over the world to
celebrate their trailblazers – the very best in video games and the
teams who - with their amazing talent and vision - have created boundary
defying experiences that have captivated global audiences,” said Meggan
Scavio, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “On
behalf of the Academy, I congratulate not only this year’s incredible
nominees, but the esteemed winners chosen by their peers.”

In addition to the awards for the industry’s best games and creators
from the previous year, the D.I.C.E. Awards also celebrated Bonnie Ross,
Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Head of 343 Industries, which
oversees the Halo franchise, with the special honor of being the 2019
recipient of the Academy’s Hall of Fame Award. Ross has been integral in
the vision and expansion of the Halo franchise that has continued to
excite generations of fans, generating nearly $6 billion in worldwide
sales to date and has transcended video games to grow into a global
entertainment phenomenon. In addition, Ross is a key voice in promoting
STEM and diversity efforts across the gaming industry amongst women,
under-represented minorities and children.

The 22^nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony, with Greg Miller,
co-founder of internet video show and podcast Kinda Funny, and
Jessica Chobot of Nerdist News, who returned for their third time
as co-hosts, included industry professionals who attended the event live
and game fans worldwide who tuned in for the live stream. The show was
the culmination of the annual three-day D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate,
Communicate, Entertain) Summit (#DICE19), which is known for drawing
many of the interactive entertainment industry’s most respected and
influential leaders, decision makers and visionaries.

The complete list of winners includes:

Game of the Year

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Portable Game of the Year

Florence

• Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
• Developer: Mountains

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

Celeste

• Publisher: Matt Makes Games
• Developer: Matt Makes Games

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

Beat Saber

• Publisher: Beat Games
• Developer: Beat Games

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

Tónandi

• Publisher: Magic Leap
• Developer: Magic Leap and Sigur Rós

Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay

Fortnite

• Publisher: Epic Games
• Developer: Epic Games

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

Into the Breach

• Publisher: Subset Games
• Developer: Subset Games

Sports Game of the Year

Mario Tennis Aces

• Publisher: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
• Developer: Nintendo Co., Ltd. and Camelot Co. Ltd.

Role-Playing Game of the Year

Monster Hunter: World

• Publisher: CAPCOM
• Developer: CAPCOM

Racing Game of the Year

Forza Horizon 4

• Publisher: Microsoft Studios
• Developer: Playground Games

Fighting Game of the Year

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

• Publisher: Nintendo of America
• Developer: Nintendo, Sora Ltd., and BANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc.

Family Game of the Year

Unravel Two

• Publisher: Electronic Arts
• Developer: ColdWood Interactive

Adventure Game of the Year

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Action Game of the Year

Celeste

• Publisher: Matt Makes Games
• Developer: Matt Makes Games

Outstanding Technical Achievement

Red Dead Redemption 2

• Publisher: Rockstar Games
• Developer: Rockstar Games

Outstanding Achievement in Story

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music
Composition

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Character

God of War - Kratos

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

God of War

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Marvel’s Spider-Man

• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Developer: Insomniac Games

Since 1996, the D.I.C.E. Awards have recognized outstanding games,
individuals and development teams that push the boundaries of
technology, creativity and artistic expression in the worldwide
interactive entertainment industry. The Academy’s 30K+ members,
comprised of the interactive publishing and development communities,
recognize excellence in 23 different interactive game categories in one
of the highest forms of recognition in the industry. Titles were played
and evaluated by members of the Academy’s peer panels to determine final
nominees. These panels, one for each award category, are comprised of
the game industry’s most experienced and talented men and women who are
experts in their chosen fields. Winners are determined as part of a
confidential voting process which are revealed on the evening of the
show. A list of all the peer panelists can be found here.

The 22^nd D.I.C.E. Awards was produced by the AIAS, and will
be available to watch in-full at www.interactive.org.

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