‘Borderlands 3,’ PlayStation’s ‘Concrete Genie’ Among Gamescom Award Nominees

Big franchise titles — including the long-awaited returns of Borderlands, Doom and The Legend of Zelda — dominate the nominations for the 2019 Gamescom Awards, with big-ticket titles represented in virtually every category in the best-of-show honors for Europe’s leading gaming event. 

Borderlands 3, the hotly-anticipated sequel to the 2009 and 2012 RPG shooter franchise, which debuted at PAX East in Boston earlier this year, was near the front of a very tight pack for this year’s Gamescom honors with three nominations, including for best action game, best Microsoft Xbox One game and best PC game. Borderlands 2 sold over 13 million copies, so anticipation is high ahead of the sequel’s release on Sept. 13.

But beating out Borderlands 3, with four noms — for best action adventure game, best family game, best original game and best Sony PlayStation 4 game — is Sony Interactive Entertainment’s original title Concrete Genie. The action-adventure title was one of the best-reviewed games out of E3 this year.

Also nominated in the best action game category are Doom External, the latest entry in the legendary first-person shooter series, which goes out Nov. 22, and Marvel’s Avengers, an action-adventure title from Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics, which premiered at E3 and debuted new gameplay footage at San Diego Comic-Con last month.

Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening, Nintendo’s reimagining of the 1993 Game Boy hit for its Nintendo Switch platform (launching Sept. 20.), picked up nominations for best action adventure game and, as could have been expected, for best Nintendo Switch game.

Other big name titles among this year’s nominees include Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed Heat and EA Sports FIFA 20, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, Koch Media’s Wasteland 3 and Microsoft’s Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

The 2019 Gamescom Award nominees were chosen from 160 submissions by a panel of German and international gaming journalists and online influencers.

Industry professionals and gaming fans attending this year’s Gamescom, which runs Aug. 20-24 in Cologne, Germany, will also be able to vote for winners in the best booth, best eSports experience and best streamer/Let’s Player categories, as well as for the “Most Wanted” consumer award, picked from among all the nominated titles.

The Gamescom jury will also name a best games company, best of CAMPUS and a Gamescom Indie Award winner as well as present the inaugural Heart of Gaming Award in Cologne on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 3:30 p.m. local time.

Here is full list of 2019 Gamescom Award nominees.

Best Action Adventure Game
Blacksad: Under the Skin, astragon Entertainment
Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Nintendo

Best Action Game
Borderlands 3, 2K
DOOM Eternal, ZeniMax Germany
Marvel’s Avengers, Square Enix
 
Best Family Game
Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Dreams, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Luigi’s Mansion 3, Nintendo

Best Racing Game
Grid, Koch Media
Hot Wheels Infinite Loop, Mattel
Need for Speed Heat, Electronic Arts

Best Role Playing Game
Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix
Pokémon Schwert und Pokémon Schild, Nintendo
Wasteland 3, Koch Media

Best Simulation Game
Barotrauma, Daedalic Entertainment
NBA 2K20, 2K
Planet Zoo, Frontier

Best Sports Game
EA SPORTS FIFA 20, Electronic Arts
eFootball PES 2020, Konami
Roller Champions, Ubisoft

Best Strategy Game
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Microsoft
Desperados III, THQ Nordic
Foundation, Polymorph Games

Most Original Game
Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Dreams, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Felix The Reaper, Daedalic Entertainment

Best Microsoft Xbox One Game
Bleeding Edge, Microsoft
Borderlands 3, 2K
Gears 5, Microsoft

Best Nintendo Switch Game
Luigi’s Mansion 3, Nintendo
Pokémon Schwert und Pokémon Schild,Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Nintendo

Best Sony PlayStation 4 Game
Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Dreams, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix

Best Mobile Game
Battle Chasers: Nightwar – Mobile Edition, HandyGames
Hot Wheels Infinite Loop, Mattel
Lock’s Quest, HandyGames

Best PC Game
Borderlands 3, 2K
DOOM Eternal, ZeniMax Germany
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ubisoft