It was December 2019. Geoff Keighley stood on that stage at the Microsoft Theater, and for a second, the air kinda felt like it was holding its breath. When the words "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice" actually left his mouth for Game of the Year, people lost it. Honestly, it was a bit of a shocker. Not because the game was bad—God, no—but because FromSoftware games usually get the "too hard for the mainstream" label.
Winning that big trophy changed things. But the story isn't just about the win. The sheer volume of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice nominations across the entire industry tells a much weirder, more interesting story about how we judge "perfection" in gaming.
The Night Everything Changed at The Game Awards
You’ve probably seen the clip. Hidetaka Miyazaki walking up there, looking humble as ever. But before that win, the game had to survive a gauntlet of categories. At The Game Awards 2019, it wasn't just up for the big one. It was basically everywhere.
The game pulled in nominations for:
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- Game of the Year (Which it won, obviously).
- Best Game Direction (It lost this to Death Stranding, which... okay, Kojima).
- Best Art Direction (Lost to Control).
- Best Action/Adventure Game (Another big win for Sekiro).
- Best Audio Design (Lost to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare).
Think about that for a second. It was fighting for its life against Resident Evil 2, Death Stranding, and Smash Bros. Ultimate. Most people thought Death Stranding had it in the bag because of the Hollywood star power. Sekiro winning was a massive win for "pure gameplay" over "cinematic experience." It proved that a game where you die 400 times to a guy on a horse can still be the best thing released all year.
Beyond the Big Stage: The Awards You Forgot
Everyone talks about Keighley’s show, but the industry respect for Sekiro went way deeper than a single night in LA. If you look at the BAFTA Games Awards, the British academy was surprisingly obsessed with it. They didn't just see a "hard ninja game." They saw a technical masterpiece.
At the 2020 BAFTAs, Sekiro was nominated for:
- Best Game
- Game Design
- Technical Achievement
- Animation
It didn't actually sweep the BAFTAs—Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium were the darlings that year—but getting a "Technical Achievement" nod is huge for FromSoftware. Historically, their games are known for being a bit... janky? Souls games have those weird frame-pacing issues. Sekiro was different. It was tight. It was polished. The sword clangs felt real.
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Then you’ve got the D.I.C.E. Awards. These are the ones voted on by actual developers—the peers. They nominated it for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design and Action Game of the Year. When the people who actually make games for a living say your game design is "outstanding," you’ve basically peaked.
Why Did It Get So Much Love?
Kinda comes down to the posture bar.
Before Sekiro, action games were mostly about dodging or blocking. Sekiro turned defense into offense. That "clink-clink-shred" rhythm was something nobody had seen done this well. Critics and award juries loved that it didn't have a "difficulty slider." It forced you to get good or quit. In a world of hand-holding tutorials, that felt revolutionary.
Also, can we talk about the art? Even though it lost some Art Direction awards to Control, the "Excellence in Visual Achievement" win at the SXSW Gaming Awards was well-deserved. The Fountainhead Palace alone should have won every award in existence. It’s basically a playable painting.
The Full List of Major Wins and Nods
If you’re a completionist, here’s the breakdown of where the game actually stood. It wasn't just a one-hit wonder.
- The Steam Awards: Won Game of the Year (voted by the fans, which is arguably harder than winning a jury prize).
- Japan Game Awards: Won the Award for Excellence.
- Golden Joystick Awards: Nominated for Ultimate Game of the Year and Best Audio (Lost to Resident Evil 2 and Days Gone respectively).
- Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA): Nominated for Game of the Year, Best Design, and Best Visual Art.
- NAVGTR Awards: It actually cleaned up here, winning Outstanding Game of the Year and Outstanding Costume Design.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Nominations
A lot of folks think Sekiro "stole" the 2019 GOTY from Resident Evil 2 or Death Stranding. There was a lot of salt on Reddit back then. But if you look at the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice nominations across the board, the game was consistently in the top three of almost every technical category.
It wasn't a "pity win." It was the most consistent game of the year. While Death Stranding was divisive and RE2 was a remake, Sekiro was a brand-new IP that executed its vision with zero compromises.
Actionable Insights for Players and Fans
If you’re looking back at these awards and wondering if the game is still worth your time in 2026, the answer is a massive yes. Here is what you should do:
- Watch the TGA 2019 Acceptance Speech: It’s a rare moment of seeing the "Souls" formula finally get its flowers from the mainstream.
- Ignore the "Hard" Reputation: Most of the nominations were for "Game Design." That means the difficulty isn't there to annoy you; it's there because the mechanics are perfectly balanced.
- Focus on the Sound: Since it was nominated for so many Audio Design awards, play it with a good pair of headphones. The sound of a "Perfect Deflect" is the most satisfying noise in gaming history.
- Check out the "Game of the Year Edition": It includes the "Reflections of Strength" which lets you re-fight bosses—basically a victory lap for all those award-winning combat encounters.
The legacy of these nominations isn't just a list of trophies in a glass case at FromSoftware’s office. It’s the fact that after Sekiro, "Parry-based combat" became the new gold standard for the entire industry. You see its DNA in Jedi: Fallen Order, Lies of P, and basically every action game that wants to be taken seriously now.
Sekiro didn't just win awards; it changed the way developers think about the dance of the blade.