Gaming

Final Fantasy, Astro Bot lead nominees for The Game Awards 2024

Big nods to indie darlings Black Myth: Wukong and Balatro

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Christmas is always a fun time for gamers. Besides the opportunity to grab the latest consoles and titles, the season hosts the annual Game Awards, showcasing the best of the best in this year’s gaming industry. Today, a month before the ceremony, the show has revealed the nominations for 2024.

Though this year lacks a universally lauded title bagging all categories (such as 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3), 2024 features a varied list of titles spanning several genres. As expected, the slate is headlined by Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, grabbing nominations in seven categories including Game of the Year.

Astro Bot joins Final Fantasy atop the mountain, also bagging seven nominations. A bit more shocking are this year’s indie darlings, Black Myth: Wukong and Balatro, which also earned Game of the Year nominations outside of the more specialized categories.

The actual event should prove eventful this year, outside of the actual awarding. This year’s Game Awards marks the event’s 10th anniversary. It’s likely that the event has a lot more in store this year, compared to past ones. This year’s event will happen on December 12, 2024. Voting is open until December 11.

2024 Nominees

In the meantime, here’s the full list of nominees for The Game Awards 2024:

Game of the Year

Astro Bot

Balatro 

Black Myth: Wukong

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Best Game Direction

Astro Bot

Balatro

Black Myth: Wukong

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Best Narrative

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Metaphor: ReFantanzio

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Silent Hill 2

Best Art Direction

Astro Bot 

Black Myth: Wukong 

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Metaphor: ReFantazio 

Neva

Best Score and Music

Astro Bot

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Silent Hill 2

Stellar Blade

Best Audio Design

Astro Bot

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Silent Hill 2

Best Performance

Briana White, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Hannah Telle, Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Humberly González, Star Wars Outlaws

Luke Roberts, Silent Hill 2

Melina Juergens, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Innovation in Accessibility

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Diablo IV

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Star Wars Outlaws

Games for Impact

Closer the Distance

Indika

Neva

Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Best Ongoing Game

Destiny 2

Diablo IV

Final Fantasy XIV

Fortnite

Helldivers 2

Best Community Support

Baldur’s Gate 3

Final Fantasy XIV 

Fortnite

Helldivers 2

No Man’s Sky 

Best Independent Game

Animal Well

Balatro

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

Neva 

UFO 50

Best Debut Indie Game

Animal Well 

Balatro

Manor Lords

Pacific Drive

The Plucky Squire 

Best Mobile Game

AFK Journey 

Balatro

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket 

Wuthering Waves 

Zenless Zone Zero

Best VR/AR Game

Arizona Sunshine Remake

Asgard’s Wrath 2

Batman: Arkham Shadow

Metal: Hellsinger VR

Metro Awakening

Best Action Game 

Black Myth: Wukong

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 

Helldivers 2 

Stellar Blade

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Best Action/Adventure Game

Astro Bot 

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Silent Hill 2 

Star Wars Outlaws

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Best RPG

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Metaphor: ReFantazio 

Best Fighting Game

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO 

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics 

MultiVersus 

Tekken 8 

Best Family Game

Astro Bot 

Princess Peach: Showtime! 

Super Mario Party Jamboree 

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

The Plucky Squire 

Best Sim/Strategy Game

Age of Mythology: Retold 

Frostpunk 2

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Manor Lords

Unicorn Overlord

Best Sports/Racing Game

F1 24

EA Sports FC 25 

NBA 2K25 

Top Spin 2K25

WWE 2K24 

Best Multiplayer Game

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 

Helldivers 2

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Tekken 8

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Best Adaptation

Arcane

Fallout

Knuckles

Like a Dragon: Yakuza 

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Most Anticipated Game

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach 

Ghost of Yōtei 

Grand Theft Auto VI 

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond 

Monster Hunter Wilds 

Content Creator of the Year

CaseOh

IlloJuan

Techno Gamerz

TypicalGamer

Usada Pekora

Best Esports Game

Counter-Strike 2 

DOTA 2 

League of Legends 

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang 

Valorant 

Best Esports Athlete

33 (Neta Shapira)

Aleksib (Aleksi Virolainen)

Chovy (Jeong Ji-hoon)

Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok)

ZyWoO (Mathieu Herbaut)

ZmjjKk (Zheng Yongkang)

Best Esports Team

Bilibili Gaming (League of Legends)

Gen.G (League of Legends)

NAVI (Counter-Strike)

T1 (League of Legends)

Team Liquid (DOTA 2)

SEE ALSO: The Game Awards 2023: Full list of winners

Gaming

Dunk City Dynasty update adds new NBA stars, cosmetics

Jrue Holiday, Draymond Green added to roster; cosmetics available across title

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Dunk City Dynasty Season 6 Vol. 2 update has arrived with new NBA stars, Jrue Holiday and Draymond Green.

Aside from the new stars, there is a broad refresh of cosmetic content, as well as a multi-week slate of seasonal events though late April.

Players can also use a special Redemption Code for vouchers and coins, giving them a jumpstart for Season 6 Vol. 2.

Adding Holiday and Green to the roster means more elite defense and high basketball IQ for 3v3 squads. They are strong team utility role players, with Holiday offering controlled playmaking and two-way guard impact.

Green, meanwhile, brings versatile frontcourt presence, defense, and lineup flexibility. Green has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award back in 2017.

And although Holiday hasn’t won the same trophy, he has been an elite defender throughout his career and has been named to NBA all-defensive teams numerous times.

On the other hand, a large wave of cosmetic content across multiple in-game systems will be made available by the update. This includes rotating themed sets, treasure-hunt rewards, and an exclusive jersey release.

The update also rolls out a full progression cycle, featuring timed pass content, weekly quest activities, festival-themed missions, and login reward programs. These push players toward continuous goals and opportunities to stock up on resources throughout the event windows.

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Gaming

Nintendo might be working on an Ocarina of Time remake

It will reportedly launch in the second half of 2026.

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What is the greatest game of all time? There’s a substantial chance that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be on the board. Even beside the Switch’s critically acclaimed Breath of the Wild duology, the Nintendo 64 title is one of the most quintessential games you can ever play. That said, it’s pretty dated. But maybe, not for long.

According to Nintendo insider NatetheHate, the company is working on a rerelease of Ocarina of Time. The title is scheduled for launch within the second half of 2026.

The wording is important here. “Rerelease” can mean anything. To be fair, NatetheHate, through his latest podcast, says that it’s likely we’ll get either a like-for-like remake or a full reimagining of the essential game. However, he does not discount the possibility that it’s just an HD remaster for the new consoles. Either way, Ocarina of Time is coming back this year.

If you can’t wait, the title isn’t exactly missing from the shelves. You can play the original from the list of available games through Nintendo Switch Online. The game also got a remaster for the 3DS.

There is no shortage of Zelda-related news lately. The franchise is getting a live-action adaptation next year, which now becomes a worthy follow-up to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming early next month.

SEE ALSO: The Legend of Zelda film gets its first official photos

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Gaming

Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC

Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale

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Life is Strange: Reunion

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix have officially launched Life is Strange: Reunion, the latest entry in the narrative adventure series. Developed by Deck Nine Games, the title is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. A physical PlayStation 5 edition is also available across Southeast Asia.

The launch comes with an official trailer, marking the return of one of the franchise’s most beloved storylines.

A long-awaited reunion

Set 11 years after the original events, Life is Strange: Reunion brings back Max Caulfield and Chloe Price as they reunite to solve a new timeline-spanning mystery. This time, the stakes center on a devastating inferno threatening Caledon University–Max’s workplace as a photography teacher.

Returning from a trip, Max discovers the campus engulfed in flames, with lives lost across the university. She survives only by using her Rewind ability, a power that allows her to reverse time.

The situation takes an unexpected turn with Chloe’s sudden arrival–an outcome tied to the timeline-merging events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Now dealing with fractured memories and an unstable sense of reality, Chloe once again finds herself relying on Max.

Dual perspectives, new gameplay dynamics

For the first time in the series, players can take control of both Max and Chloe, switching perspectives as the story unfolds.

Max’s Rewind power lets players revisit decisions, reshape conversations, and manipulate environments to solve complex, time-based puzzles. Meanwhile, Chloe brings her signature Backtalk ability, allowing her to push conversations in her favor and access situations Max cannot.

This dual-character approach expands both narrative depth and gameplay variety, offering different ways to uncover clues and influence outcomes.

A character-driven finale

Life is Strange: Reunion continues the series’ focus on grounded, emotional storytelling, with choices that carry meaningful consequences. The game builds toward a dramatic climax that aims to close out Max and Chloe’s journey.

As the final chapter in their story, Reunion positions itself as both a continuation and a conclusion–tying together years of narrative threads while delivering a new mystery shaped by time, loss, and choice.

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