Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 Make the DICE Awards a PlayStation 5 Festival

Nine out of 23 game categories at this year's DICE Awards were won by the two standout titles, Astro Bot and Helldivers 2. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, developed by MachineGames, and Balatro, created by solo developer LocalThunk, each took home three awards.

The 28th Academy Awards in gaming were dominated by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and PlayStation 5, although the DICE Awards do not honor publishers or platforms but rather developers. However, the PS5's dominance among the winners was undeniable: with five awards, Astro Bot, developed by first-party studio Team ASOBI, claimed the most accolades. Another four awards went to Sweden’s Arrowhead Game Studios for their shooter Helldivers 2, which—like its predecessor—was published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and released exclusively on PS5 and PC.

The induction of Ted Price into the Hall of Fame alongside Nintendo of America veteran Don James further highlighted the success of Sony-affiliated teams. Price is the founder and president of Insomniac Games, which became part of SIE Worldwide Studios in 2019. The studio is known for developing the Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, and Marvel's Spider-Man franchises.

Despite Sony’s strong presence, studios outside the PlayStation ecosystem also saw success. MachineGames, another Swedish studio and part of Microsoft-owned Bethesda, won three DICE Awards for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Solo developer LocalThunk also secured three awards, impressing once again with Balatro.

The DICE Awards, the official honors of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), are the gaming industry's equivalent of the Oscars, Grammys, and Emmys. Nominees and winners are selected by the Academy’s members, now numbering over 30,000.

The complete list of winners from the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards:

• Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Astro Bot
  
• Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: Black Myth: Wukong
  
• Outstanding Achievement in Character: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones
  
• Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: Helldivers 2
  
• Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design: Helldivers 2
  
• Outstanding Achievement in Story: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  
• Outstanding Technical Achievement: Astro Bot
  
• Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game: Balatro
  
• Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: Astro Bot
  
• Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: Animal Well
  
• Immersive Reality Technical Achievement: Starship Home
  
• Immersive Reality Game of the Year: Batman: Arkham Shadow
  
• Action Game of the Year: Helldivers 2
  
• Adventure Game of the Year: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  
• Family Game of the Year: Astro Bot
  
• Fighting Game of the Year: Tekken 8
  
• Racing Game of the Year: F1 24
  
• Role-Playing Game of the Year: Metaphor: Refantazio
  
• Sports Game of the Year: MLB® The Show 24
  
• Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: Balatro
  
• Online Game of the Year: Helldivers 2
  
• Mobile Game of the Year: Balatro
  
• Game of the Year: Astro Bot
  

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