Watch the Global Industry Game Awards 2022 here.
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is celebrating its second Global Industry Game Awards (GIGA), the peer-determined awards to celebrate the contributions of individuals and discipline teams across the many facets of game development, on 26 October, 2022 at 5pm UTC.
To fill an absence in game awards, which often value the accomplishments of studios over individuals and their teams, IGDA has created seven categories and dozens of subcategories to celebrate the people involved in every aspect of a game’s creation.
We received so many amazing nominations and thank everyone who voted. Voting for the 2022 GIGAs closed as of 28 April, 2022.
Award subcategories under Art include 2D Animation, 2D Character Design, 2D Environment Art, 3D Animation, 3D Character Design, 3D Environment Art, Cinematography, UI Art, and VFX. The Writing and Narrative category celebrates achievements in Dialogue, Narrative Design, Story, and World Building, while Engineering and Technology puts the spotlight on New Technology, AI, Audio Technology, Engine Technology, Gameplay Technology, Graphics Technology, Networking Technology, and Systems Technology.
The Audio category will award significant achievement in Music Composition, Sound Design, and Voice Acting. Design observes Accessibility Innovation, Gameplay Design, Level Design, Systems Design, and UI/UX. The final categories are Support, recognizing Community Management, Customer Support, Marketing, Production/Marketing, Quality Assurance, and Research & Analytics, and Miscellaneous, with awards Representation, Upcoming Indie, and Workplace Diversity and Inclusivity and Trust/Safety.
Nominees
Art
2D Animation
- Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games
- Greak: Memories of Azur – Navegante
- Unpacking – Witch Beam
- What Lies in the Multiverse – Studio Voyager, IguanaBee
- Wild at Heart – Moonlight Kids
2D Character Design
- Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games
- What Lies in the Multiverse – Studio Voyager, IguanaBee
- Wild at Heart – Moonlight Kids
- Wildermyth – Worldwalker Games
2D Environment Art
- Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games
- Greak: Memories of Azur – Navegante
- The Artful Escape – Beethoven & Dinosaur
- Unpacking – Witch Beam
- Wild at Heart – Moonlight Kids
3D Animation
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- NieR Replicant – Toylogic, Square Enix
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
- Returnal – Housemarque
3D Character Design
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
- Returnal – Housemarque
- Tales of Arise – BANDAI NAMCO Studios
3D Environment Art
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- Returnal – Housemarque
Cinematography
- Destiny 2: The Witch Queen – Bungie Inc
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine, Square Enix
- Returnal – Housemarque
UI Art
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Inscryption – Daniel Mullins Games
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- NieR Replicant – Toylogic, Square Enix
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
VFX
- Destiny 2: The Witch Queen – Bungie Inc
- Returnal – Housemarque
- Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales – Next Games – Next Games
- Tales of Arise – BANDAI NAMCO Studios
- Scarlet Nexus – BANDAI NAMCO Studios, Tose
Audio
Music Composition
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- Greak: Memories of Azur – Navegante
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- NieR Replicant – Toylogic, Square Enix
Sound Design
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- Metroid Dread – Mercury Steam, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
- Returnal – Housemarque
Voice Acting
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine, Square Enix
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos-Montréal
Design
Accessibility Innovation
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos-Montréal
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown – Falling Squirrel, Creative Bytes Studios
Gameplay Design
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Inscryption – Daniel Mullins Games
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
- Returnal – Housemarque
Level Design
- Death’s Door – Acid Nerve
- Eastward – Pixpil
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Little Nightmares 2 – Tarsier Studios, Supermassive Games
- Metroid Dread – Mercury Steam, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Systems Design
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Death’s Door – Acid Nerve
- Dorfromantik – Toukana Interactive
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
UI/UX
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- Greak: Memories of Azur – Navegante
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- Returnal – Housemarque
Engineering/Technology
Achievements in New Technology
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Hell Let Loose – Black Matter Pty Ltd
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
- Returnal – Housemarque
Artificial Intelligence
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Old World – Mohawk Games
- Psychonaughts 2 – Double Fine
- Returnal – Housemarque
Audio Technology
- Call of Duty: Vanguard – Sledgehammer Games
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
Engine Technology
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
Gameplay Technology
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Hell Let Loose – Black Matter Pty Ltd
- Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
Graphics Technology
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
- Returnal – Housemarque
Networking Technology
- Call of Duty: Vanguard – Sledgehammer Games
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Valheim – Iron Gate AB
Systems Technology
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games
- Returnal – Housemarque
Support
Community Management
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales – Next Games
Customer Support
- Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studio
Marketing
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- Little Nightmares 2 – Tarsier Studios, Supermassive Games
- Social Cipher – Social Cipher
Production/Management
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Returnal – Housemarque
Quality Assurance
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Destiny 2: The Witch Queen – Bungie Inc
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine
- Returnal – Housemarque
Research & Analytics
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries
- Vidaly – Vidaly
Writing/Narrative
Dialogue
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos-Montréal
- Switchcraft – Wooga GmbH
Narrative Design
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos-Montréal
- Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition – Thunder Lotus Games
- Unpacking – Witch Beam
Story
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- House of Ashes – Supermassive Games
- Inscryption – Daniel Mullins Games
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos-Montréal
World Building
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios
- Returnal – Housemarque
- Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
Miscellaneous
Representation
- Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios
- Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft Toronto
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine, Square Enix
- Switchcraft – Wooga GmbH
Upcoming Indie
- Acid Nerve
- Daniel Mullins Games
- Double Loop Games
- Ember Lab
- Navegante
Workplace Diversity and Inclusivity
- 2K Games
- Arkane Studios
- Double Loop Games
- Niantic
- Schell Games
Trust/Safety
- Arkane Studios
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – Square Enix
- Hazelight Studios
- Navegante
- Valorant – Riot Games
