Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
The 42nd Golden Joystick Awards delivered its verdicts to a massive 12-million voter turnout in London on November 21. Host Ben Starr kept the ceremony moving with self-deprecating humor and sharp timing – proving an unknown face can bring fresh energy to gaming’s longest-running awards show.
Black Myth Wukong
Chinese action RPG Black Myth Wukong secured Ultimate Game of the Year and Best Visual Design. Game Science’s win marks the first Chinese-developed title to take the top award – not a revolution in gaming, but a clear sign of China’s growing development strength.
Swedish developer Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 grabbed three major awards despite its rocky but super-sucessful launch: Console Game of the Year, Best Multiplayer, and Critics’ Choice. The cooperative shooter’s success, complete with its killer soundtrack that surprisingly missed out on audio awards, proves staying power matters more than perfect starts.
Square Enix
Square Enix maintained their powerhouse status with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, collecting four awards, including Best Storytelling and Best Soundtrack. The performance wins for Cody Christian (Cloud) and Briana White (Aerith) reinforced the Japanese studio’s consistent excellence.
Notable surprises at the 42nd Golden Joystick Awards included Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 walking away empty-handed despite its technical polish, and Microsoft’s relative quiet showing as Senua’s Saga missed opportunities in visual categories. These results hint at shifting player preferences rather than quality issues, indicating a potential change in the gaming landscape.
Long-Standing Steamdeck From Valve
The hardware category may spark discussion. Steam Deck OLED’s victory comes at an interesting time – while cementing Valve’s current handheld dominance, growing competition from other manufacturers suggests this lead isn’t guaranteed for the next generation of Handhelds.
COMPLETE GOLDEN JOYSTICK AWARDS 2024 WINNERS AND NOMINEES
Ultimate Game of the Year WINNER: Black Myth: Wukong
- Animal Well
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Helldivers 2
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Satisfactory
- Silent Hill 2
- Tekken 8
Studio of the Year WINNER: Team ASOBI
- 11 Bit Studios
- Arrowhead Game Studios
- Capcom
- Digital Eclipse
- Visual Concepts
PC Game of the Year WINNER: Satisfactory
- Animal Well
- Balatro
- Frostpunk 2
- Tactical Breach Wizards
- UFO 50
Console Game of the Year WINNER: Helldivers 2
- Astro Bot
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Most Wanted Game WINNER: Grand Theft Auto VI
- Atomfall
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Deadlock
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Exodus
- Fable
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Light No Fire
- Mafia: The Old Country
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Skate
- Slay the Spire 2
- South of Midnight
Best Storytelling WINNER: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- 1000xResist
- Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Tactical Breach Wizards
Best Visual Design WINNER: Black Myth: Wukong
- Astro Bot
- Harold Halibut
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Multiplayer Game WINNER: Helldivers 2
- Abiotic Factor
- EA Sports College Football 25
- Sons Of The Forest
- Tekken 8
- The Finals
Best Audio Design WINNER: Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Robobeat
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Still Wakes the Deep
Best Game Expansion WINNER: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Alan Wake 2 Expansion Pass
- Destiny 2: The Final Shape
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
- God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
- World of Warcraft: The War Within
Best Indie Game – Self Published WINNER: Another Crab’s Treasure
- Arctic Eggs
- Crow Country
- Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
- I Am Your Beast
- Little Kitty, Big City
- Riven
- Tactical Breach Wizards
- Tiny Glade
- UFO 50
Best Indie Game WINNER: Balatro
- Animal Well
- Arco
- Beyond Galaxyland
- Conscript
- Indika
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- The Plucky Squire
- Ultros
Best Soundtrack WINNER: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- A Highland Song
- Astro Bot
- Hauntii
- Silent Hill 2
- Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Best Early Access Game WINNER: Lethal Company
- Enshrouded
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
- Hades 2
- Manor Lords
- Palworld
Best Gaming Hardware WINNER: Steam Deck OLED
- Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
- Backbone One (2nd Gen)
- LG UltraGear 32GS95UE
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
- Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra
Best Game Trailer WINNER: Helldivers 2 – “The Fight for Freedom Begins”
- Caravan Sandwitch – Launch Trailer
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach – State of Play
- Kingmakers – Official Announcement
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – Narrator Reveal
- The Plucky Squire – Launch Trailer
Best Game Adaptation WINNER: Fallout Series
- Borderlands
- Halo Season 2
- Knuckles
- Like a Dragon: Yakuza
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Best Lead Performer WINNER: Cody Christian (Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth)
- Kaiji Tang (Ichiban Kasuga in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth)
- Humberly Gonzalez (Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws)
- Luke Roberts (James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2)
- Melina Juergens (Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II)
- Sonequa Martin-Green (Alvilda in Asgard’s Wrath 2)
Best Supporting Performer WINNER: Briana White (Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth)
- Abbi Greenland & Helen Goalen (The Furies in Hellblade II)
- Dawn M. Bennett (Aigis in Persona 3 Reload)
- Debra Wilson (Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad)
- Matt Berry (Herbert in Thank Goodness You’re Here!)
- Neve McIntosh (Suze in Still Wakes the Deep)
Still Play Award – Mobile WINNER: Honkai: Star Rail
- Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile
- Free Fire
- Roblox
- Marvel Snap
- Monopoly Go!
- Mini Motorways
- PUBG: Battlegrounds
- Squad Busters
- Star Wars: Hunters
- Subway Surfers
- The Sims Mobile
Still Playing Award – Console & PC WINNER: Minecraft
- Apex Legends
- Counter-Strike 2
- EA Sports FC
- Dota 2
- Fortnite
- GTA Online
- Naraka: Bladepoint
- Roblox
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Valorant
- Warframe
Critics’ Choice Award WINNER: Helldivers 2
Breakthrough Award WINNER: Balatro
Streamers’ Choice Award WINNER: Chained Together
Regional Distribution of Winners: Asian Studios:
- Game Science (China): Black Myth Wukong
- Square Enix (Japan): Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Team ASOBI (Japan): Studio of the Year
- FromSoftware (Japan): Best Game Expansion
- miHoYo (China): Mobile Still Playing Award
European Studios:
- Arrowhead Games (Sweden): Helldivers 2
- Coffee Stain Studios (Sweden): Satisfactory
- Mojang Studios (Sweden): Still Playing Award
North American Studios:
- Bethesda/Amazon: Fallout adaptation
- LocalThunk: Balatro
- Zeekerss: Lethal Company
- Aggro Crab: Another Crab’s Treasure
Key Numbers:
- 24 total awards presented
- 12 million voters participated
- 4 awards decided by critics
- 20 awards voted by the public
- Over 250 games nominated
Multiple Award Winners:
- Black Myth: Wukong (2)
- Helldivers 2 (3)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (4)
Conclusion of the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards
The 42nd Golden Joystick Awards reflected gaming’s current state while pointing toward its future. Chinese developers strengthened their global presence, Swedish studios proved their versatility, and Japanese powerhouses maintained their excellence. This was a successful and fair event despite some surprising misses from established franchises.
