Baldur’s Gate 3 is leading the pack in this year’s Bafta Games Awards nominations, securing a total of 10 nominations. Not only is it in the running for the best game award, but the talented actors behind the beloved characters Karlach and Astarion are also up for individual accolades.
Sony’s highly anticipated sequel, Spider-Man 2, received nine nominations, closely followed by Alan Wake 2 with eight nods. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor both earned six nominations each.
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the prestigious awards, which is considered one of the most significant events in the gaming industry. The ceremony will take place on April 11, 2024.
In the UK, gaming sales surpassed £4.7 billion last year, more than double the revenue generated by the music industry, according to the digital entertainment and retail association (ERA).
Samantha Béart, who portrayed Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3, expressed her excitement at being nominated for the Performer in a Leading Role award. She described it as an “absolutely incredible” feeling and acknowledged the abundance of outstanding performances this year.
The critical acclaim received by both Baldur’s Gate and Zelda solidifies their status as smash hits. They are among the top 30 highest-rated games of all time, according to review aggregator Metacritic. These two titles will compete against Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Bros Wonder, and surprise hit Dave the Diver in the Best Game category. The winners of the awards are determined by specially selected juries. This year, over 1,200 Bafta members – professionals with extensive gaming experience – will have the opportunity to vote for the Best Game and Best British Game awards. They face the challenging task of selecting the winners in a year where gamers have an abundance of choices.
2023’s unexpected success, Baldur’s Gate 3, which is based on Dungeons and Dragons, has already secured the top prize at the 2023 Game Awards. In addition to being nominated for Best Game, it is also in the running for the Music and Artistic Achievement categories at the Bafta Games Awards. Furthermore, five of its performers are nominated for individual golden masks.
“We are delighted for the entire team behind Baldur’s Gate 3 and the prestigious recognition that accompanies these eight category nominations,” said the game’s director, Swen Vincke, in an interview with the BBC. It acts as a fantastic motivator for us to keep pushing ahead with increased excitement.
On the other hand, both Nintendo and Sony have games that have been nominated and broke sales records in 2023. Tears of the Kingdom sold 10 million units in just three days, while Spider-Man 2 became the fastest-selling game developed by PlayStation.
Spider-Man features three voice actors who have received individual award nominations, as well as being a strong contender for recognition in the Game Design and Technical Achievement categories. It will be competing against Zelda in these two categories, with Nintendo’s game also receiving nominations for the Music and Audio Achievement awards. The battle for Best Game could potentially be between Baldur’s Gate, Zelda, and Spider-Man, but Bafta has a history of surprising outcomes – as seen in last year’s awards.
In 2023, the award went to the indie game Vampire Survivors, while the mystery title What Remains of Edith Finch emerged victorious in 2018. This gives hope to the developers of Dave the Diver that their unexpected hit involving fishing and managing a sushi restaurant could potentially win the top prize.
Tara Saunders, the head of the Bafta Games committee, believes that 2023 will be remembered as one of the best years for new video game releases. She commended the continuous flow of innovative and imaginative work from the industry’s brightest developers, describing it as magical.