Opinion: Baldur’s Gate 3 Winning Big at the Golden Joystick Awards a Trailer for the Game Awards 2023?

The official nomination announcement to Game of the Year 2023 is moments away. One of the most anticipated gaming carnivals will be unfolding in a matter of days but the celebrations seem to have already begun with the aftermath of Golden Joystick Awards. Baldur’s Gate 3 has been crowned as the community’s favorite to win the Game of the Year! But is the overwhelming love from the community convincing enough to expect similar domination in the showdown? 

Ever since its release, Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a strong contender to claim the crown of GOTY. Although the year has witnessed a phenomenal lineup of games following Larian’s role-playing adventure, the title has managed to stay in the race. The Dungeons & Dragon adaptation has even appealed to the critics giving it an extra edge over the mentions from the possible list of GOTY contenders. Well, the results of the Golden Joystick Awards would only help the Baldur’s Gate 3 case. However, the roadmap might not be as easy as some fans expect. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 a clear fan favorite with 7 Golden Joystick Awards! 

The 41st Golden Joystick Awards took place in London on November 10, and not so surprisingly it was a ‘one-man show’. The Larian Studios’ D&D creation bagged Best Storytelling, Best Game Community, PC Game of the Year, Best Visual Design, and Studio of the Year. Moreover, the actor Niel Newbon who voiced Astraion in the game bagged Best Supporting Perform. Well, if all these stamps weren’t convincing enough, Baldur’s Gate 3 also went on to win the Game of the Year at the event. 

The Joystick Awards are based on audience voting. This year’s results were deduced after the casting of around five million public votes, and Baldur’s Gate 3 had no near competition to the next ranked title in terms of votes. While BG3 got 72% of the votes, Diablo 4 stood next with 12% votes whereas Dave The Driver managed to get 6% votes.

As a public opinion, these numbers account for the impact BG3 has had on gaming enthusiasts this year. So, it won’t be a shock to any eSports pundit if the winning streak is carried on to the ultimate moment of truth. If it was up to the fans, the title would already be celebrating the victory of the Game Awards. But let’s not forget Game Awards are just 10% fan polls and 90% jury decisions. 

Which other titles can compete with the Larian Studios’ action-adventure? 

There’s no denying the fact that 2023 has been among the busiest gaming years of all time. Fans have enjoyed an exhilarating lineup of releases across all the genres and spectrum of eSports. Thus, the hype built around this year’s Game Awards is at a whole new level. While there’s a long list of fan choices like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Starfield, Diablo 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Street Fighter 6, and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a lot of these mentions also have a solid critical backing.

Read More: Does Starfield Have a Shot at Game of the Year Title in 2023 in This Star-Studded Lineup?

Besides Starfield every game mentioned above has been received with great ‘critic thumbs up’. Street Fighter 6 and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom recorded a full 40/40 score at Famitsu. Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 scored a 92 and 90 on Metacritic. Of course, the late yet banger entry of Alan Wake 2 only spices up the contest. 

So, would you still bank on Baldur’s Gate 3 to keep up with its dominance or has your preference changed?

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