More awards than Swen Vincke can carry: Baldur’s Gate 3 bags seven Golden Joysticks
By now, nobody is surprised when Baldur’s Gate 3 is praised to the skies. The role-playing game is breaking all records this year and bagged heaps of top ratings on release. We are also slowly approaching the time of year when various award ceremonies take place. And you can guess three times which game each jury member has in mind for these awards
On November 10, 2023, the 34th Golden Joysticks Awards took place in London and it was here that Baldur’s Gate 3 showed for the first time how it dominates the entire gaming year. The role-playing game bagged a total of seven awards during the ceremony. More than any other game before it.
A picture of studio boss Swen Vincke is circulating on X, who can barely carry all these awards – although even one of the awards is still missing here.
– Very AFK (@Cromwelp) November 10, 2023
All Golden Joystick Awards 2023
In total, awards were handed out in 23 categories, seven of which went to Baldur’s Gate 3 – or to the studio or to actor Neil Newbon for his role as the forbiddingly charming bloodsucker Astarion. These are all the winners of the evening:
- Best Storytelling: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Best Multiplayer Game: Mortal Kombat 1
- Best Visual Design: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Best Game Expansion: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Best Audio: Final Fantasy 16
- Best Indie Game: Sea of Stars
- Best VR Game: Horizon Call of the Mountain
- Best Streaming Game: Valorant
- Still Playing Award: No Man’s Sky
- Best Gaming Community: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Studio of the Year: Larian Studios
- Best Lead Performer: Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield (Final Fantasy 16)
- Best Supporting Performer: Neil Newbon as Astarion (Baldur’s Gate 3)
- Breakthough Award: Cocoon
- PC Game of the Year: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Best Gaming Hardware: PlayStation VR2
- PlayStation Game of the Year: Resident Evil 4
- Xbox Game of the Year: Starfield
- Nintendo Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Best Game Trailer: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Most Wanted Award: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Critics’ Choice Award: Alan Wake 2
- Ultimate Game of the Year: Baldur’s Gate 3
The golden joysticks are among the oldest awards in the games industry and therefore also among the most prestigious – alongside other important awards such as the Game Awards or the BAFTA.
The first presentation of the golden trophy took place back in 1983 Back then, the 2D shooter Jetpac won the Game of the Year
  award, while The Hobbit was named best strategy game. In 2022, the award for Ultimate Game of the Year went to Elden Ring
Now you can have your say! Do you also think Baldur’s Gate 3 is by far the best game of the year or are you surprised that various other games didn’t manage to dust off the golden joystick in some categories? Which games would you have liked to have seen at the top in all categories? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments!
