Gaming
Final Fantasy, Astro Bot lead nominees for The Game Awards 2024
Big nods to indie darlings Black Myth: Wukong and Balatro
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)
Gaming
Dunk City Dynasty update adds new NBA stars, cosmetics
Jrue Holiday, Draymond Green added to roster; cosmetics available across title
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.
Gaming
Nintendo might be working on an Ocarina of Time remake
It will reportedly launch in the second half of 2026.
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
Gaming
Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC
Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale
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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