Golden Joystick SweepBy Jared Elliott
Published November 22, 2024
The 2024 Golden Joystick Awards have concluded with a popular victory for Black Myth: Wukong, a AAA Souls-like action game from Chinese developer Game Science.
Founded in 1983, the Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People’s Choice Awards, is one of the longest-running video game awards ceremonies in existence. Winners of each category are chosen by popular vote, which provides insight into the public opinion and enthusiasm for each nominee.
While Black Myth: Wukong walked away with the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award as well as Best Visual Design, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Helldivers 2 each secured an impressive number of victories in important categories with four awards each.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth from Square Enix won Best Soundtrack and Best Storytelling, while actors Cody Christian (voice of Cloud) and Briana White (voice of Aerith) won Best Lead Performer and Best Supporting Performer, respectively. These achievements are quite praiseworthy, especially considering Final Fantasy VII’s legacy and the perilous tight-rope act of expanding upon a beloved story’s canon.
Helldivers 2, a multiplayer third-person shooter from Arrowhead Games, also had a great night, picking up wins for Best Multiplayer Game, Console Game of the Year, Critics’ Choice Award, and Best Game Trailer. Boasting a base of over 15 million players since its release in February 2024, Helldivers 2 now has enjoyed immense success in both sales and accolades alike.
Here’s the complete list of winners from this year’s Golden Joystick Awards:
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Storytelling | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth |
| Best Visual Design | Black Myth: Wukong |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Helldivers 2 |
| Best Audio Design | Astro Bot |
| Best Game Expansion | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree |
| Best Indie Game - Self Published | Another Crab's Treasure |
| Best Indie Game | Balatro |
| Studio of the Year | Team Asobi |
| Best Soundtrack | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth |
| Best Game Trailer | Helldivers 2 |
| Best Early Access Game | Lethal Company |
| Still Playing Award (Mobile) | Honkai: Star Rail |
| Still Playing Award (PC & Console) | Minecraft |
| Streamers' Choice | Chained Together |
| Breakthrough | Balatro |
| Best Gaming Hardware | Steam Deck OLED |
| Best Game Adaptation | Fallout |
| Best Supporting Performer | Briana White (FFVII Rebirth) |
| Best Lead Performer | Cody Christian (FFVII Rebirth) |
| PC Game of the Year | Satisfactory |
| Console Game of the Year | Helldivers 2 |
| Critics' Choice | Helldivers 2 |
| Most Wanted Game | Grand Theft Auto VI |
| Ultimate Game of the Year | Black Myth: Wukong |
Meet the AuthorJared Elliott is a lifelong gamer, network engineer, and founder of Fan Fugue. He lives in the Great Plains region with his wife, Shayn, and his dog, Elvis.