The nominees for this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards are out, and The Last of Us Part II leads the pack with 11 nominations, while 2020 highlights like Hades and Ghost of Tsushima made it into several categories.
The D.I.C.E. Awards are put together by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Last year, Untitled Goose Game scored a surprise Game of the Year win at the event, making this year’s show worth keeping an eye on.
This year’s Game of the Year nominees are The Last of Us Part II, Hades, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Ghost of Tsushima. That’s nearly identical to the crop at this year’s Game Awards, minus Doom Eternal.
The Last of Us Part II could likely repeat its big night at the Game Awards thanks to nominations in most of the show’s biggest categories, including Outstanding Technical Achievement and Outstanding Achievement in Story.
Indie hit Hades is in a great position this year with eight nominations. The game will go up against such major studio titles as Half-Life: Alyx in categories like Best Action Game.
While there are no big surprises here, it’s worth noting that Cyberpunk 2077 was eligible for these awards and scored one nomination for Role-playing Game of the Year. CD Projekt Red’s controversial open-world game was ineligible for this year’s Game Awards due to its December release date and is expected to compete next year.
Noticeably absent from the list is Among Us, which scored multiple wins at the Game Awards. The game received nominations at the 2020 event despite coming out in 2018.
Voting for the D.I.C.E. Awards begins today and the winners will be revealed on April 8 during a digital ceremony.
