The lights of Las Vegas shone on the gaming industry's finest as the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences hosted the 21st annual DICE Awards. It was a night where legends were celebrated, new heroes emerged, and one title in particular proved its enduring mastery of the craft. The atmosphere was electric, a fitting tribute to a year of incredible interactive storytelling and innovation.

🏆 The Champion of Hyrule

Nintendo's monumental open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was the undisputed star of the evening. The game, which had already captured the hearts of millions, solidified its legendary status by claiming the night's highest honor: Game of the Year. But its triumph didn't stop there. Link's sprawling journey across Hyrule also earned the awards for:

  • Adventure Game of the Year

  • Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

  • Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

This quartet of awards was a powerful testament to the game's revolutionary approach to exploration, player freedom, and meticulous world-building. It wasn't just a victory for a single game; it felt like a celebration of a new benchmark for the entire adventure genre.

a-night-of-legends-the-21st-dice-awards-crowns-breath-of-the-wild-image-0

🎨 The Stylish Challengers

While Breath of the Wild dominated the major categories, other games carved out their own well-deserved legacies with multiple wins. The most notable was the painstakingly crafted Cuphead, which dazzled the academy with its unique visual and auditory style. Studio MDHR's run-and-gun masterpiece sprinted away with three awards:

  • Outstanding Achievement in Animation

  • Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

  • Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

Its wins highlighted how a cohesive, singular artistic vision could create an unforgettable experience.

Several other titles proved their excellence by securing double victories. Guerrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn, with its breathtaking robotic fauna and rich narrative, won for Outstanding Achievement in Character (Aloy) and Outstanding Achievement in Story. The viral phenomenon PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was recognized as the Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay and took home the award for Action Game of the Year. Not to be outdone, the charming cooperative puzzle game Snipperclips won both Family Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, showcasing that innovation often comes in small, delightful packages. Finally, the VR space was championed by Lone Echo/Echo Arena, which swept the immersive reality categories, winning both Immersive Reality Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Immersive Reality Game Design.

🎭 A Celebration of Diversity

The awards showcased the incredible breadth of the gaming landscape in 2017. From the intimate, narrative-driven experience of What Remains of Edith Finch winning Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction (in a category alongside Zelda) to the strategic depth of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle claiming Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year, there was something for every kind of player. The ceremony honored everything from the precise combat of Injustice 2 (Fighting Game of the Year) to the serene fairways of FIFA 18 (Sports Game of the Year).

Category Winner Notable Contenders
Racing Game of the Year Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Forza Motorsport 7, Gran Turismo Sport
Role-Playing Game of the Year Nier: Automata Persona 5, Divinity: Original Sin 2
Mobile Game of the Year Fire Emblem Heroes Monument Valley 2, Gorogoa
Handheld Game of the Year Metroid: Samus Returns Dragon Quest VIII, Fire Emblem Echoes

👑 A Lifetime of Achievement

Amidst the celebration of software, the academy also paused to honor a pillar of hardware innovation. Genyo Takeda, Special Corporate Advisor at Nintendo, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This recognition highlighted his integral role in shaping the very consoles that brought these award-winning experiences to life, reminding everyone that the magic of gaming is built upon both artistic vision and technological genius.

🔮 The Legacy of DICE 2018

Looking back from 2026, the 21st DICE Awards stand as a clear snapshot of a pivotal moment. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's sweep was not an anomaly but a prophecy of the open-world design principles that would dominate the following decade. Cuphead inspired a resurgence of interest in hand-drawn animation and jazz-age aesthetics. The strong showing for Horizon Zero Dawn and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds signaled the rising power of new IPs and live-service models. Furthermore, the dedicated categories and wins for VR titles like Lone Echo marked a sincere, early investment in immersive technology that would continue to evolve.

The evening was more than a list of winners; it was a declaration that video games, in all their varied forms—from epic adventures to intimate indie puzzles, from competitive battlegrounds to virtual reality social spaces—had firmly established themselves as a multifaceted and powerful medium for art, connection, and play. The trophies awarded that night in Vegas were not just for the games of 2017, but for the enduring paths they helped forge for the industry's future.