The 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards are approaching, and after being totally virtual last year, the game awards ceremony from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) will be returning in person at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas in 2022.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart leads the way with nine nominations in this year’s peer-judged D.I.C.E. Awards, which will have 59 nominated titles competing in 23 categories.
The 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards received 59 nominations in 2
021, with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart receiving the most with nine nominations. Deathloop received eight nominations, Inscryption and It Takes Two received six nominations each, Returnal received five, while Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Resident Evil Village received four each. Game of the Year nominees include Deathloop, Inscryption, It Takes Two, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal.
In addition to the titles being honoured, Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios will deliver the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award to Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Ed Boon, the CCO of NetherRealm Studios, will also be honoured as the AIAS Hall of Fame’s 25th inductee. Matt Booty of Xbox Game Studios will present Boon with the 2022 Hall of Fame award.
The 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Categories and Nominees
Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Deathloop – Colt Vahn
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Kena
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Alex Chen
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Rivet
- Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Forza Horizon 5
- Halo Infinite
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Before Your Eyes
- Inscryption
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- The Forgotten City
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Battlefield 2042
- Forza Horizon 5
- Moncage
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Action Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- Halo Infinite
- Metroid Dread
- Returnal
- The Ascent
Adventure Game of the Year
- Death’s Door
- It Takes Two
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- Resident Evil Village
Family Game of the Year
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise
- Cozy Grove
- Mario Party Superstars
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Warioware: Get it Together
Fighting Game of the Year
- Guilty Gear Strive
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Racing Game of the Year
- F1 2021
- Forza Horizon 5
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- Shin Megami Tensei V
- Tales of Arise
- Wildermyth
Sports Game of the Year
- FIFA 22
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- NBA 2k22
- Riders Republic
- The Climb 2
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Age of Empires IV
- Gloomhaven
- Griftlands
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Lone Echo II
- Puzzling Places
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
- Yuki
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Demeo
- I Expect You To Die 2
- Lone Echo II
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Death’s Door
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
- Sable
- Unpacking
Mobile Game of the Year
- Behind the Frame
- Fantasian
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Moncage
- Pokémon Unite
Online Game of the Year
- Back 4 Blood
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Halo Infinite
- Knockout City
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Loop Hero
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- The Artful Escape
