The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the British Academy Games Awards in 2016. A total of 44 games have been recognised across 17 categories, showcasing the very best games of the past 12 months and highlighting an outstanding level of creative excellence from a broad range of UK and international development teams.
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture leads the way with 10 nominations across Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Best Game, British Game, Game Innovation, Music, Original Property, Story and two Performer nominees.
Her Story receives nominations in seven categories: British Game, Debut Game, Game Design, Game Innovation, Mobile & Handheld, Original Property and Story. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt also receives seven nominations in Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Best Game, Game Design, Performer, Persistent Game and Story.
Three games receive five nominations apiece: Batman: Arkham Knight is nominated for Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, British Game, Music and Performer; Life is Strange is nominated for Best Game, Game Innovation, Performer, Original Property and Story; and Rocket League is recognised in Best Game, Family Game, Game Design, Multiplayer and Sports.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Ori and the Blind Forest and Until Dawn all receive four nominations each, while Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime and Splatoon have three nominations each. Destiny: The Taken King, Fallout 4, FIFA 2016, Guitar Hero: LIVE, LEGO Dimensions, Prison Architect and Prune receive two nominations each.
Nominated in the Performer category are Ashly Burch (Chloe Price) in Life is Strange, Doug Cockle (Geralt of Rivia, Witcher) in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Mark Hamill (The Joker) in Batman: Arkham Knight, Masasa Moyo (Vella) in Broken Age: Act 2, Merle Dandridge (Kate Collins) and Oliver Dimsdale (Stephen Appleton) in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.
Other nominated games are Alphabear, Bloodborne, DiRT Rally, Disney Infinity 3.0: Play Without Limits, Fallout Shelter, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Football Manager 2016, Forza Motorsport 6, Grow Home, Halo 5: Guardians, Lara Croft GO, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Mini Metro, PES 2016, The Room Three, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Star Wars Battlefront, Super Mario Maker, Tearaway Unfolded, World of Warships and Undertale.
Showcasing the very best in young games development and design talent, the BAFTA Ones To Watch Award in association with Dare to be Digital finalists are Selfienation, Sundown and The Wall Shall Stand.
The nominations for the AMD eSports Audience Award are Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, League of Legends and SMITE. The winner of this award will be voted for by the public and presented at the ceremony.
Comedian and gamer Dara O’Briain will return as host of the British Academy Games Awards with the ceremony taking place on Thursday 7th April at Tobacco Dock, London. The awards will be preceded by a Champagne Taittinger reception and followed by a seated dinner and after-party for guests.
On the night, the ceremony will be streamed live at Twitch.tv. BAFTA’s website, www.bafta.org,
