Riot Games dominate the Esports category at The Game Awards

8 Dec

Ganesh Jadhav

The tenth edition of the Game Awards concluded today. The successor to the Spike Video Game Awards, the Game Awards honors the achievements of the gaming industry every year. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the Game Awards have become a big end-of-the-year event in Gaming.

The Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California, hosted The Game Awards 2023. The event featured multiple guests, including Matthew McConaughey, Timothée Chalamet, and Cristopher Judge.

Baldur’s Gate 3 led the awards for most nominations and bagged the most wins. The role-playing game won six awards, including the prestigious 'Game of the Year’ award.

Riot Games and people associated with them dominated the ‘Esports and Creators’ category of the game awards. Let’s look at all the awards presented in the ‘Esports and Creators’ category.

Best Esports Game - Valorant:

Valorant is Riot’s 5v5 tactical shooter, launched in 2020. Since its launch, Valorant has taken the world by storm and has attracted a diverse audience.

This is Valorant’s second Game Awards win and the second Game of the Year award this year.

Best Esports Athlete - Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok:

The Game Awards - Esports Athlete of the year - Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

The unkillable Demon King secured yet another trophy this year. In the list of accolades won this year, Faker has a World’s title, an Asian Games Gold, Best PC Player of the Year, and now the Best Esports Athlete.

In this tenth year of active competition, Faker stands tall above the rest and is now the unrivaled Greatest esports athlete.

Best Esports Team - JD Gaming:

The Game Awards Best Esports Team - JD Gaming (Photo by Joe Brady/Riot Games)

China’s JD Gaming had an unparalleled year. The team dominated both the LPL splits, won the MSI, and secured a top-four finish at the Worlds 2023.

The unrivaled regional and international domination helped them clinch victory over the likes of Fnatic (Valorant), Team Vitality (Counter-Strike), and Gaimin Gladiators (DOTA).

Best Esports Coach - Christine “potter” Chi:

The Game Awards Best Esports Coach - Christine "Potter" Chi (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

A former Esports athlete turned coach, potter had a year filled with ups and downs. Her decision-making and coaching received heavy criticism during the start of the VCT league.

Potter did not answer the critics or make a statement; instead, she worked hard and shunned all the doubters by winning the Valorant Champions 2023 over Paper Rex.

Potter’s and EG’s run inspired many, and if anyone deserves to be called the Best Coach this year, it ought to be Potter.

Best Esports Event - Worlds 2023

The Worlds tournament continues to dominate the Best Esports Event award. Hosted in Korea, The Worlds 2023 saw Faker and T1 lift their fourth Worlds title.

The month-long affair was a celebration that concluded with a live show featuring New Jeans, HEARTSTEEL, and the Worlds 2023 Grand Finals.

Ironmouse was named the Content Creator of the Year. The Riot Games’ domination is a testament to the company’s hard work and devotion to making its offering and stakeholders successful.

With their continued efforts, Riot Games continues to dominate the esports market and, with the lack of competition, will continue to do so.

Featured Image Credits: Riot Games