Game Awards History: The Best and Worst Moments
▼ Summary
– The Game Awards, created by Geoff Keighley, is an annual show that highlights major games and creators, but has a history of blending artistic celebration with awkward or controversial sponsor moments.
– A defining viral moment was in 2017 when director Josef Fares shouted “Fuck the Oscars!” on stage, creating one of the show’s most famous clips.
– The show has had significant, sincere highlights, such as the 2015 eulogy for Satoru Iwata and the 2023 live performance of a musical number from *Alan Wake 2*.
– It has also been marked by notable low points, including rushed acceptance speeches, awkward celebrity appearances, and a 2022 stage-crasher interrupting the Game of the Year announcement.
– The awards have evolved, reflecting changes in the industry by retiring categories like “Trending Gamer” and shifting from bizarre early sponsorships to more sophisticated orchestral music performances.
Over the past decade, The Game Awards has cemented itself as a premier event in the gaming calendar, blending celebration with spectacle. Born from the remnants of the Spike Video Game Awards, Geoff Keighley’s annual production aims to honor creative achievements while navigating the tricky waters of corporate sponsorships and live television. Its history is a rollercoaster of genuine emotion, bizarre marketing, and unforgettable surprises. From heartfelt tributes to awkward celebrity appearances, here are some of the most defining moments that have shaped the show’s legacy.
One moment stands above all others for sheer viral notoriety. During the 2017 ceremony, Josef Fares, the director behind A Way Out and It Takes Two, seized the microphone and delivered a passionate, expletive-laden rant culminating in the now-iconic shout, “Fuck the Oscars!” The clip, featuring a stunned Geoff Keighley, has become synonymous with the show’s unpredictable energy.
Humor of a different, more protracted kind arrived in 2020 with the announcement of Ark 2. The sequel’s reveal was surprising enough, but the appearance of Vin Diesel in the trailer sent waves through the audience. The joke has aged in an unexpected way, as the game remains unreleased years later, transforming the announcement into a curious footnote about the perils of premature hype.
A rare display of industry unity occurred in 2018. The leaders of Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation, Reggie Fils-Aimé, Phil Spencer, and Shawn Layden, shared the stage, speaking about gaming as a unifying medium beyond corporate rivalries. It was a symbolic gesture that foreshadowed the more collaborative, cross-platform approach gaining traction today.
Not all awards have aged well. In 2017, the Trending Gamer prize was awarded to Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm. At the time, it celebrated his massive influence on platforms like Twitch. The accolade took on a deeply troubling context years later when Beahm was banned from Twitch following revelations about inappropriate communications with a minor. The category was quietly retired after that year.
Amidst a somewhat lackluster inaugural show in 2014, a bright spot emerged with the first Industry Icon Award presented to pioneers Ken and Roberta Williams. Their recognition was a reminder of the medium’s rich history, a type of sincere homage that many fans wish the show would feature more frequently.
The show’s attempt to refine its creator award led to Ninja winning Content Creator of the Year in 2018. His victory, however, was overshadowed by a painfully unfunny skit with a Muppet that highlighted the occasional struggle to translate online charisma to a staged awards show format.
Musical performances have evolved into highlights, exemplified by flautist Pedro Eustache’s electrifying performance at the 2022 event. His passionate playing during the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 segment captivated viewers and demonstrated the powerful artistry of video game scores.
Some promotional segments have missed the mark spectacularly. The 2015 reveal of Rock Band VR was a confusing, lengthy trailer made more awkward in hindsight by the involvement of Palmer Luckey, whose subsequent career path has been controversial.
A dose of much-needed self-awareness came from an unexpected source in 2024. The classic Muppets Statler and Waldorf made several appearances to mercilessly roast the show and its host. Their cynical commentary was a fan-favorite moment of meta-humor.
Early editions of the show were financially reliant on unusual sponsorships, none more visually striking than the Schick Hydrobot at the 2016 ceremony. This terrifying razor-blade robot mascot periodically wandered the stage, embodying the strange fusion of art and advertising.
A moment of raw, real emotion broke through in 2015. Geoff Keighley publicly revealed that Konami had legally barred Hideo Kojima from attending, despite Metal Gear Solid V‘s nominations. The audience’s loud boos toward the publisher were followed by a solemn musical tribute, creating a powerful statement about creator rights.
Efficiency sometimes clashes with celebration, as Larian Studios discovered upon winning Game of the Year in 2023. Director Swen Vincke was cut off by a “wrap it up” sign just as he began honoring deceased team members, a misstep that sparked criticism about the show’s rushed pace.
Another poignant 2015 moment saw Reggie Fils-Aimé and Geoff Keighley pause the show’s glitz to honor the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. It was a heartfelt, human interval that proved the show’s most memorable moments often come from sincerity, not spectacle.
The 2019 ceremony closed on a notably awkward note. Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel presented a poorly received Fast & Furious game, then fumbled through banter before handing out the final award. The segment is often cited as one of the show’s most cringe-worthy conclusions.
Acceptance speeches have their own legacy. Christopher Judge’s nine-minute speech after winning Best Performance in 2022 was a marathon of gratitude and personal stories. Its length directly led to Keighley enforcing stricter time limits in subsequent years, though Judge had earlier set a high bar with his iconic 2018 line, “Read it, boy.”
Pure, bizarre chaos erupted at the end of the 2022 show when a stage-crasher interrupted the Elden Ring Game of the Year celebration. The intruder’s nonsensical shout-out to “my reformed Orthodox Rabbi Bill Clinton” created a surreal live television moment that prompted immediate increases in security.
Finally, a moment of pure joy. The 2023 show featured a live recreation of the musical number from Alan Wake 2. The energetic, faithful performance was a triumphant celebration of one of the year’s best games, highlighting the creative spirit the awards aim to champion. It serves as a perfect example of what the show does at its very best.
(Source: NewsAPI Tech Headlines)
