The E3 2016 Game Critics Awards officially unveiled the winners on July 5, 2016, after the nominees were announced on June 28. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" led the honor roll for the year.
The E3 2016 Game Critics Awards are decided by an independent group of 40 global media outlets in the videogame industry. The Best of E3 Awards are presented by the Game Critics every year, which recognize the top titles that will shape the future of interactive entertainment. The list of nominees and winners was based on the recently concluded E3 Expo in Los Angeles, California, held from June 14 to 16, 2016.
"Battlefield 1" had the most nominations, but the E3 2016 Game Critics Awards gave "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," with the top prize. The game raked in Best of Show, Best Action/Adventure Game and Best Console Game. "Civilization VI" was the only other game to garner more than one award, winning Best PC Game and Best Strategy Game.
GameSpot revealed that among game publishers, the E3 2016 Game Critics Awards presented Nintendo and Sony with three wins each. 2K, Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment had two wins each. Activision, Ubisoft, Playdead, Square Enix and Microsoft Studios brought home one win each.
PlayStation Lifestyle listed the full winners of the E3 2016 Game Critics Awards as follows:
Best of Show
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Dishonored 2 (Arkane/Bethesda)
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Ent.)
- Sea of Thieves (Rare/Microsoft Studios)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
- Titanfall 2 (Respawn/EA)
Best Original Game
- Abzu (Giant Squid/505 Games)
- Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream/Sony Interactive Ent.)
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Ent.)
- Sea of Thieves (Rare/Microsoft Studios)
- We Happy Few (Compulsion Games)
Best Console Game
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Dishonored 2 (Arkane/Bethesda)
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Ent.)
- The Last Guardian (genDESIGN/Sony Interactive Ent.)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Best PC Game
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Civilization VI (Firaxis/2K)
- Dishonored 2 (Arkane/Bethesda)
- Gwent: The Witcher Card Game (CD Projekt Red)
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III (Relic/Sega)
Best VR Game
- Batman: Arkham VR (Rocksteady/WBIE)
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard (Capcom)
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew (Red Storm/Ubisoft)
- The Unspoken (Insomniac/Oculus Studio)
- Wilson's Heart (Twisted Pixel/Oculus Studio)
Best Hardware
- Oculus Touch (Oculus VR)
- PlayStation VR (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Xbox One S (Microsoft)
Best Action Game
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
- Gears of War 4 (The Coalition/Microsoft Studios)
- Lawbreakers (Boss Key/Nexon)
- Titanfall 2 (Respawn/EA)
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Dishonored 2 (Arkane/Bethesda)
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Ent)
- Mafia III (Hangar 13/2K)
- The Last Guardian (GenDesign/Sony Interactive Ent.)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Best RPG
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Eidos Montreal/Square Enix)
- Final Fantasy XV (Square Enix)
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Ubisoft SF/Ubisoft)
- Tyrrany (Obsidian/Paradox)
- Persona 5 (Atlus)
Best Fighting Game
- Absolver (Sloclap/Devolver)
- Injustice 2 (NetherRealm/WBIE)
- Tekken 7 (Bandai Namco)
- The King of Fighters XIV (SNK/Atlus)
Best Racing Game
- Forza Horizon 3 (Playground Games/Microsoft Studios)
- F1 2016 (Codemasters)
- Gran Turismo Sport (Polyphony Digital/Sony Interactive Ent.)
Best Sports Game
- FIFA 17 (EA Canada/EA)
- Madden NFL 17 (Tiburon/EA)
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 (Konami)
- Steep (Ubisoft Annecy/Ubisoft)
Best Strategy Game
- Civilization VI (Firaxis/2K)
- Gwent: The Witcher Card Game (CD Projekt Red)
- Halo Wars 2 (Creative Assembly/343/Microsoft Studios)
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III (Relic/Sega)
Best Family Game
- LEGO Dimensions (TT Games/WBIE)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TT Games/WBIE)
- Skylanders: Imaginators (Toys for Bob/Activision)
Best Online Multiplayer
- Absolver (Sloclap/Devolver)
- Battlefield 1 (DICE/EA)
- Lawbreakers (Boss Key/Nexon)
- Sea of Thieves (RARE/Microsoft Studios)
- Titanfall 2 (Respawn/EA)
Best Independent Game
- Absolver (Sloclap/Devoler)
- Abzu (Giant Squid/505)
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- Inside (Playdead)
- We Happy Few (Compulsion Games)
Special Commendation for Graphics
- God of War (Sony Santa Monica/Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4)
More updates and details on the E3 2016 Game Critics Awards are expected soon.
