With the Bafta Games Awards Ceremony less than a month away, the British Academy has unveiled its nominations for 18 different categories.
Control and Death Stranding lead the charge with no less than eleven and ten nominations each, a record-breaking tally never before seen in Bafta Games Awards history.
BAFTA Gaming Nominations
Bafta has nominated Death Stranding in the Animation, Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Debut Game, Game Beyond Entertainment, Music, Original Property, Performer In A Lead Role, Performer In A Supporting Role, and Technical Achievement categories. Death Stranding doesn’t, however, feature in the Best Game category, presumably fruit of its divisiveness and wavering reception among players.
Death Stranding creator, Hideo Kojima, will also pick up the highest Bafta honor in the shape of a Fellowship.
Control is up for the Animation, Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Best Game, Game Design, Music, Narrative, Original Property, Performer In A Lead Role, Performer In A Supporting Role, and Technical Achievement awards.
Somewhat missed by many players, Control nevertheless received rave reviews and inched its way to the top of many Game of the Year lists.
Interestingly, the majority of the nominations are for brand new intellectual properties rather than fresh entries in existing franchises. Nominees include the likes of Untitled Goose Game, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, Disco Elysium, and Outer Wilds – all exploring brand new game worlds. It’s a full pallet of titles that offers an expansive take of the wide variety that defines the modern gaming landscape.
That’s not to say that mainstays like Fortnite and Call of Duty are missing out – they’ve been nominated in multiple categories – but there’s a sense the Baftas will reward the games that push the medium forward rather than reward those that stick to the tried and tested.
The British Academy Games Awards ceremony takes place on April 2nd.