In lieu of SXSW 2020’s cancelation, the list of Gaming Awards winners was announced online, in which Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice won Game of the Year.
It certainly put a damper on things this year when it was announced that SXSW 2020 would be canceled due to risk of the COVID-19 pandemic and a decision from the powers that be in the city of Austin, but that doesn’t mean the best can’t be made of a bad situation. A major showcase of the event is the SXSW Gaming Awards, and instead of getting rid of them outright, SXSW decided to announce all of this year’s winners online.
SXSW announced the 2020 Gaming Awards winners on March 25, 2020 in a list posted on the SXSW website. Some highlights of the list include Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which won Game of the Year. Other unique awards included Game Industry Champion of Change, awarded to AbleGamers COO Steven Spohn, and Game Industry Journalist of the Year, awarded to Wired’s Cecilia D’Anastasio. You can see the full list of awards, nominees and winners below.
2020 SXSW Game Awards winners
Special Recognition Award – Game Industry Champion of Change
Winner: Steven Spohn
Special Recognition Award – Game Industry Journalist of the Year
Winner: Cecilia D’Anastasio
Video Game of the Year
Winner: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – FromSoftware/Activision
Nominees
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – FromSoftware/Activision
- Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
- Devil May Cry 5 – Capcom
- Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
Mobile Game of the Year
Winner: Sky: Children of the Light – thatgamecompany
Nominees
- Sky: Children of the Light – thatgamecompany
- Call of Duty Mobile – TiMi Studios / Activision
- Sayonara Wild Hearts – Simogo / Annapurna Interactive
- Where Cards Fall – The Game Band / Snowman
- Whispers of a Machine Clifftop Games / Raw Fury
Tabletop Game of the Year
Winner: Paladins of the West Kingdom – Renegade Game Studios
Nominees
- Paladins of the West Kingdom – Renegade Game Studios
- Parks – Keymaster Games
- Pax Pamir – Wehrlegig Games
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon – Awaken Realms
- Taverns of Tiefenthal – North Star Games
XR Game of the Year
Winner: No Man’s Sky BEYOND VR – Hello Games
Nominees
- No Man’s Sky BEYOND VR – Hello Games
- Blood & Truth – Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Pistol Whip – Cloudhead Games
- The Under Presents – Tender Claws
- tori – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, Inc.
Trending Game of the Year
Winner: Pokemon Sword and Shield – Game Freak / The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
Nominees
- Pokemon Sword and Shield – Game Freak / The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
- Apex Legends – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
- Borderlands 3 – Gearbox Software / 2K Games
- Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Super Mario Maker 2 – Nintendo
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award
Winner: Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
Nominees
- Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
- Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Knights and Bikes – Foam Sword / Double Fine Productions
- Overland – Finji
- Sea of Solitude – Jo-Mei Games / Electronic Arts
Most Promising New Intellectual Property
Winner: The Outer Worlds – Obsidian Entertainment / Private Division
Nominees
- The Outer Worlds – Obsidian Entertainment / Private Division
- Astral Chain – PlatinumGames / Nintendo
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – ArtPlay / 505 Games
- Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
- Katana ZERO – Askiisoft / Devolver Digital
Excellence in Animation
Winner: KINGDOM HEARTS III – Square Enix
Nominees
- KINGDOM HEARTS III – Square Enix
- Apex Legends – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
- Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Luigi’s Mansion 3 – Nintendo
- Mortal Kombat 11 – NetherRealm Studios / Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Excellence in Art
Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Nintendo
Nominees
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Nintendo
- Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
- Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
- Luigi’s Mansion 3 – Nintendo
- Sayonara Wild Hearts – Simogo / Annapurna Interactive
Excellence in Design
Winner: Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
Nominees
- Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
- Astral Chain – PlatinumGames / Nintendo
- Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
- Luigi’s Mansion 3 – Nintendo
- Outer Wilds – Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive
Excellence in Gameplay
Winner: Devil May Cry 5 – Capcom
Nominees
- Devil May Cry 5 – Capcom
- Astral Chain – PlatinumGames / Nintendo
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Infinity Ward / Activision
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – FromSoftware / Activision
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
Excellence in Multiplayer
Winner: FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers – Square Enix
Nominees
- FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers – Square Enix
- Apex Legends – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Infinity Ward / Activision
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – Capcom
- Mortal Kombat 11 – NetherRealm Studios / Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Excellence in Musical Score
Winner: Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Nominees
- Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Devil May Cry 5 – Capcom
- Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
- Outer Wilds – Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive
- Sayonara Wild Hearts – Simogo / Annapurna Interactive
Excellence in Narrative
Winner: Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
Nominees
- Disco Elysium – ZA/UM
- Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
- Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Outer Wilds – Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive
- A Plague Tale: Innocence – Asobo Studio / Focus Home Interactive
Excellence in SFX
Winner: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
Nominees
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Infinity Ward / Activision
- Luigi’s Mansion 3 – Nintendo
- Mortal Kombat 11 – NetherRealm Studios / Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Resident Evil 2 – Capcom
Excellence in Technical Achievement
Winner: Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Nominees
- Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Concrete Genie – Pixelopus / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
- Devil May Cry 5 – Capcom
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – FromSoftware / Activision
Excellence in Visual Achievement
Winner: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – FromSoftware/Activision
Nominees
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – FromSoftware/Activision
- Control – Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games
- Death Stranding – Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- The Outer Worlds – Obsidian Entertainment / Private Division
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
The coronavirus pandemic may have put a damper on matters in 2020 with the cancelation of SXSW, but at the very least, these winners deserve to be recognized and we’re happy they got their due respect. Want to see what was turning heads last year? Be sure to check out the games that made the list on the 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards.
