If you were paying attention to the industry a decade ago, you know that 2016 wasn't just a good year for games. It was an anomaly. We didn't just get one or two hits; we got a fundamental shift in how developers approached everything from shooters to narrative RPGs. When people talk about Game of the Year 2016, the conversation usually starts and ends with Overwatch. But honestly? That’s only half the story.
Blizzard’s hero shooter took the world by storm. It was colorful. It was loud. It was everywhere. It eventually snatched the top trophy at The Game Awards, marking the first time a multiplayer-only title won the big one. Some people hated that. They thought a game without a "real" story shouldn't be the face of the industry. Yet, looking back, the impact Overwatch had on the "live service" era we’re currently stuck in is undeniable. It changed the math.
The Year That Shooters Found Their Soul Again
For a long time, first-person shooters were basically just "gritty military simulator #42." Then 2016 happened. While Overwatch was winning the popularity contest, id Software was busy reinventing the wheel with DOOM.
Think about it. Before DOOM (2016), everyone thought the "boomer shooter" was dead. We were all crouching behind chest-high walls, waiting for our health to regenerate. Then Mick Gordon’s industrial metal soundtrack kicked in, and suddenly we were performing glory kills and moving at 60 miles per hour. It was a revelation. It didn't win the consensus Game of the Year 2016 title across every publication, but for a certain segment of the hardcore audience, it was the only game that mattered.
Then you had Titanfall 2. This is the one that breaks my heart a little. It was released in a "death sandwich" between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. EA basically sent it out to die. But if you play that campaign today—specifically the "Effect and Cause" level where you shift between time periods—it still feels more innovative than almost anything released in the last five years. It’s a masterclass in level design. It’s also a reminder that being the "best" doesn't always mean you sell the most copies.
Why Overwatch Actually Won Game of the Year 2016
So, why did a team-based shooter with no campaign beat out a masterpiece like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End?
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It came down to "The Feeling."
You remember the first time you landed a perfect Dragonstrike with Hanzo? Or the way the music swelled when you were pushing the payload in overtime? Blizzard captured lightning in a bottle. They created a roster of characters that felt like they belonged in a Pixar movie, then gave them abilities that felt breaking-the-game powerful. It was inclusive before that was a marketing buzzword. It was polished to a mirror sheen.
Critics at the time, including the jury for The Game Awards (which is comprised of dozens of global media outlets), were looking for something that moved the needle. Uncharted 4 was the peak of the "cinematic" era, sure. It was beautiful. It was emotional. But it was also the fourth one. Overwatch felt like the future. It felt like a cultural moment that transcended gaming.
The Underdogs and the Quiet Masterpieces
We can't talk about 2016 without mentioning The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine. Technically, it's a DLC. But CD Projekt Red put so much content into that expansion that it actually won Best RPG at several ceremonies. Think about that for a second. An add-on was better than most full-priced games released that year. It took Geralt to Toussaint, a land that looked like a postcard but hid some truly dark, vampiric secrets.
And then there’s Inside.
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Playdead’s follow-up to Limbo is a game I still think about once a week. It’s short. You can beat it in three hours. There’s no dialogue. But the ending? The "Huddle"? It’s one of the most disturbing, confusing, and brilliant sequences in the history of the medium. It proved that indie games weren't just "small" games; they were the vanguard of artistic risk.
The Controversy of the "Live Service" Legacy
Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, the legacy of the Game of the Year 2016 is complicated. Overwatch paved the way for the loot box craze. It showed publishers that you could make billions of dollars by selling skins and emotes rather than just selling a $60 disc and moving on.
Is that a good thing? Probably not for our wallets.
But it also forced developers to support games for years. It turned games into "hobbies" rather than just products. Whether you love or hate where gaming is now, 2016 is the year the foundation was poured.
A Quick Reality Check on the Nominees
If you look at the major "Big Five" categories from 2016, the diversity of genres was actually insane:
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- Overwatch: Multiplayer Hero Shooter (The Winner)
- DOOM: Fast-paced Arena Shooter
- Uncharted 4: Cinematic Action-Adventure
- Inside: Atmospheric Puzzle-Platformer
- Titanfall 2: High-mobility Mech Shooter
- Dishonored 2: Immersive Sim/Stealth
Compare that to some recent years where every nominee feels like a third-person, over-the-shoulder action game with RPG elements. 2016 was weird. It was experimental. It gave us Stardew Valley, for crying out loud! Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) spent years making a farming sim in his basement, and it ended up becoming one of the most influential games of the decade.
What We Get Wrong About 2016
Most people think Pokemon GO was just a mobile fad. They're wrong. It was a tectonic shift. In the summer of 2016, for a few glorious weeks, world peace actually seemed possible because everyone was outside catching a Dratini at the local park. It didn't win "Game of the Year" in the traditional sense, but it redefined what a "game" could be to the general public. It brought gaming into the sunlight, literally.
Also, people tend to forget that 2016 was the year VR finally "arrived" with the launch of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. It was the year of Dark Souls III, which many fans still consider the most refined entry in the trilogy. It was the year The Last Guardian finally came out after a decade in development hell. It was a year of endings and beginnings.
How to Experience the Best of 2016 Today
If you’re looking to go back and see what the fuss was about, don't just look at the awards. Awards are a snapshot of a moment, but quality is permanent.
- Play Titanfall 2's campaign. It's cheap, it's short, and it's better than almost any modern FPS campaign.
- Grab Inside. Play it in the dark. Don't look up the ending. Just let it happen to you.
- Check out Stardew Valley. If you haven't played it by now, you're missing out on the most relaxing digital experience ever created.
- Revisit DOOM (2016). While DOOM Eternal added a lot of mechanics, the 2016 version has a purity and a vibe that some people actually prefer. It's more focused.
The Game of the Year 2016 wasn't just about one winner. It was about an industry that was firing on all cylinders, taking risks on new IPs like Overwatch and Horizon Zero Dawn (which was teased heavily that year), and proving that gaming was the most dominant form of entertainment on the planet.
Basically, 2016 was the last time the "console wars" felt like they were about the games themselves rather than acquisition deals and subscription services. It was a high-water mark. We're still living in its shadow, for better and for worse.