Each year, The Game Awards serves two purposes. We get to honor some of the greatest games of the year, and we’re treated to a series of announcements and other big news. Often, it’s the unplanned moments that stick with us. We’ve gathered a list of the best and funniest moments from this year’s awards show. Some may make you laugh, others might make you cry, but they’re all memorable.
All the Game Announcements
It’s an easy thing to start the list with, but there were so many major announcements at the show, from brand new titles to expansions for existing hits. Take your pick: Dead Cells is getting Castlevania DLC, Hideo Kojima debuted Death Stranding 2 with a fresh trailer, Armored Core VI was finally confirmed — the list goes on and on. There was something for everyone.
Al Pacino, For Some Reason
Geoff Keighley loves to beef up his broadcast with celebrity appearances, and this year’s show featured one of the biggest: Al Pacino. The Godfather star isn’t tied into any upcoming video game release, but he did take the stage to announce the Best Performance winner. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the smoothest speech, making it all the more memorable.
Bill Clinton Kid
The ceremony had a surprise ending when some kid managed to get on stage and interject a cryptic message at the end of the show. We’re not sure why it happened, but it did serve to put a twist ending on the celebration. Honestly, we could do a whole roundup of memes just based on this kid — and we did.
Christopher Judge’s Acceptance Speech
God of War Ragnarok might not have taken the top prize, but it did sweep a bunch of other categories. Christopher Judge won the Best Performance award for his role as Kratos, leading to an overly long speech that left many of us waiting for the music cue to start playing him off. @NemRaps had a great reaction to the whole ordeal.
Elden Ring Wins Game of the Year
We have to acknowledge the night’s final winner, especially since Bill Clinton kid made this way to the mic right after the award was handed over. Elden Ring was the overall Game of the Year winner, a fitting moniker for a game that took the world by storm in early 2022 and never quite let go.
Flute Man
Music also gets its time in the spotlight via the Game Awards Orchestra, but no performer got more attention than intense flute player Pedro Eustache, a world-renown musician. Eustache’s multiple flutes and excited energy were a highlight for many viewers.
Halsey’s Hellish Singing
That’s not a dig at her voice — she’s wonderful. Halsey took the stage as part of a Diablo IV promotion, singing in front of an image of demon mother Lilith while dressed rather darkly herself. The award-winning artist will be collaborating with Blizzard in the lead-up to Diablo IV’s release.
Kevin Conroy Will Be Batman Again
Batman fans are still reeling from the loss of Kevin Conroy, a man generally considered to be the definitive voice of the caped crusader thanks to his leading role in Batman: The Animated Series. One of the most touching trailers of the night was for Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which revealed a posthumous performance by Conroy.
Majima Is Everywhere
The “Majima is everywhere” meme pulls from the fact that Kiryu’s Yakuza pal shows up in a lot of unlikely places. Thanks to that, any Majima cosplayer is automatically looped into the joke no matter where they go. During The Game Awards, one such Majima was briefly spotted in the audience.
Steam Deck Winners Provide Extra Laughs
Finally, we have to talk about the Steam Deck. One was being given away every minute in The Game Awards chat (which means Christopher Judge’s speech ensured a few extras were handed out). Winners’ names were shown on stream, and you know how the internet can be. At least one winning handle got a chuckle out of online viewers.
