Summary
In various mediums, the bestowing of an award is used as a symbol of appreciation for the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears exerted when creating a certain thing, from abstract theory to tangible pieces of art. Video games are no different and, in 2014, journalist and presenter Geoff Keighley founded the prestigious Game Awards, which celebrates the achievements in the sphere of video games annually.
RELATED:Best Trailers Shown At The Game Awards
Though many developers have been recognized and represented throughout The Game Awards' nine-year history, and indeed by the very nature of competition, only one victor can emerge in each category every year. Battling to be crowned winner in approximately 30 categories per annum, a select few developers have managed to nab not just one win but several, with these multiple honors cementing their places in the annals of video game history.
10ZA/UM & Riot Games (4 Wins)
Founded in 2016, indie developer ZA/UM’s first gameDisco Elysiummade an enormous splash in the video game industry upon its release, charming gamers and critics alike with its off-beat narrative and unique visual style. American developerRiot Games, on the other hand, made its reputation with thelive-service gamesLeague of Legendsand laterValorant.
ZA/UM’s debut effort swept the 2019 Game Awards, withDisco Elysiumwinning in every category it was nominated for, including Best Narrative, Best Independent Game, Best Role Playing Game, and Fresh Indie Game. In doing so, ZA/UM beat out contenders such as Square Enix and Kojima Productions. After a string of nominations in prior years, Riot Games nabbed the top spot in Best Esports Game four years in a row withLeague of Legendsfrom 2019 to 2021 andValorantin 2022.
9Capcom & Rockstar (5 Wins)
Showing that nominations do not necessarily translate into wins, industry titansCapcomandRockstarhave each earned 5 wins overall from 30 and 13 nominations respectively. With franchises likeResident EvilandGrand Theft Autoup their sleeves, it is no surprise that both developers have seen healthy representation at The Game Awards.
Capcom secured their wins through games such asMonster Hunter: World, which won Best Role Playing Game in 2018, andDevil May Cry 5, which won Best Action Game in 2019. Rockstar Games picked up the majority of its winsthrough epic westernRed Dead Redemption2, which won awards including Best Narrative and Best Performance in the same year.
8Playground Games (5 Wins)
Hailing from the UK, developerPlayground Gamesis widely known for its work on theForza Horizonseries. Despite its body of work being exclusively made upof racing games, the developer has recently been chosen to reboot the landmark Xbox franchiseFable.
As is expected from Playground Games' backlog, its winning presence at The Game Awards can be solely put down to theForza Horizonfranchise. 2021 saw Playground Games' most successful year at the ceremony, withForza Horizon 5picking up wins in Best Sports/Racing Game plus Best Audio Design and Innovation in Accessibility.
7CD Projekt Red & Kojima Productions (5 Wins)
Credentials such asThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntandCyberpunk 2077secure the place of Polish developerCD Projekt Redamong the most recognized companies in the video game sphere. Despite its relative youth, the same can be said forKojima Productions. After auteur Hideo Kojima set up the companyafter parting ways with Konami, Kojima Productions kept Kojima’s unique brand of video game creation withDeath Stranding.
RELATED:The Most Influential Figures In The Japanese Gaming Industry
Regarding wins at the Game Awards, CD Projekt Red had its best year in 2015, withThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntwinning Game of the Year and Best Role Playing Game along with the developer itself snagging Developer of the Year. In 2019, Kojima Productions took home awards for Best Game Direction and Best Score/Music forDeath Stranding, as well as the Best Performance award for actor Mads Mikkelsen.
6Ubisoft (6 Wins)
Being at the head ofmassive open-world franchisessuch asAssassin’s CreedandFar Cry, French developer/publisherUbisoftand its various subsidiaries have seen success after success commercially and often critically with its video game releases. It will come as no surprise that this success in the industry is mirrored in Ubisoft’s presence at The Game Awards, although the gargantuan company has only managed 6 wins out of 35 nominations.
Half of these wins came at the inaugural Game Awards ceremony in 2014, withValiant Hearts: The Great Warnetting Ubisoft wins for Best Narrative and Games for Change, whilstFar Cry 4bagged a win in the Best Shooter category. The other two wins came in 2022 withMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopewinning Best Sim/Strategy Game.
5Square Enix (7 Wins)
The conglomerate that isSquare Enixjuggles many entertainment mediums as part of its business practices, with video games being a favored market. FromKingdom HeartstoFinal Fantasy, Square Enix oversees some of the most famous JRPG franchises in existence.
At The Game Awards, Square Enix’s most successful years came consecutively in 2021 and 2022 when MMORPGFinal Fantasy 14won Best Ongoing Game and Best Community Support in both years. OtherFinal Fantasyfranchise games make up the vast majority of the company’s victories at The Game Awards.
4FromSoftware & Blizzard Entertainment (8 Wins)
Avid gamers will be aware thatFromSoftwarehas made a name for itself by creating games that are in equal parts brutally punishing and enthrallingly cryptic, whether against the backdrop of Yharnam fromBloodborneor Ashina fromSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. American developerBlizzardEntertainment is squarely in the wheelhouse of online multiplayer games, boasting franchises likeWorld of WarcraftandOverwatch.
RELATED:Overwatch 2: Hardest Heroes To Play As, Ranked
Regarding accolades, FromSoftware has taken home the coveted Game of the Year award twice withSekiro: Shadows Die TwiceandElden Ringin 2019 and 2022 respectively. Alongside being crowned Game of the Year,Elden Ringwon Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Role Playing Game. In Blizzard Entertainment’s camp,Overwatchachieved Best Esports Game three times consecutively and grabbedGame of the Yearin 2016.
3Santa Monica Studio (9 Wins)
Known for creating the acclaimedGod of Warseries (and developing six entries in the franchise),Santa Monica Studiohas nurtured Kratos as he slashed his way through two pantheons of gods over 17 years. When looking at wins at the Game Awards, it is the 2018 reboot of the franchise and its sequel that have garnered attention.
These wins include Best Game Direction and the prestigious Game of the Year award forGod of War (2018).God of War: Ragnarökbagged Best Narrative, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Performance forChristopher Judge’s stellar performanceas the god-butcher Kratos himself.
2Naughty Dog (10 Wins)
After developing the belovedCrash BandicootPlayStation 1 trilogy, developerNaughty Dogdecided to surprise fans bymastering yet another genrethat was not the collectible platformer, that being the cinematic action-adventure genre with UnchartedandThe Last of Us.
The Game Awards have been kind to Naughty Dog, with the developer amassing 10 wins from 28 nominations over the years. The final entry in theUnchartedseriesUncharted 4: A Thief’s Endnabbed a win in 2016 with Best Narrative, but it wasThe Last of Us Part 2that was Naughty Dog’s crowning glory, winning 6 awards in 2020 including Game of the Year.
1Nintendo (16 Wins)
It is no exaggeration to describe Japanese developerNintendoas a titan of the video game industry. One only needs to list a fraction of its own franchises to understand the influence and impact of the company within the video game sphere:Mario,The Legend of Zelda,Pokemon, andMetroidto name a few.
Out of a whopping 46 nominations at The Game Awards, Nintendo has taken the top spot 16 times. Indeed, bar 2018, there has not been a year in Game Awards history that Nintendo has not won in at least one category. Its biggest single year was in 2017, with one win forSuper Mario Odysseyand three wins forThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including the illustrious Game of the Year award.
MORE:The Most Exciting Xbox Series X Games Revealed At The Game Awards 2022
