2022 represents the prestigious awards’ 40th anniversary, and there are a ton of categories up for grabs at the Golden Joystick Awards 2022. Special guests and previous winners from across the gaming world will present over 20 Golden Joystick Awards to this year’s winners, including Studio of the Year, Ultimate Game of the Year and Best Game Community. 18 of these winners will be chosen by a public vote that millions of gaming fans voted on over the past few weeks. The remaining few, select categories are chosen by a panel of seasoned game critics. The Golden Joystick Awards also represents a great opportunity to narrow down what games and consoles you’re looking at this year for Black Friday. Think of it as a shortlist of the games you should play before 2022 comes to a close. Plus GamesRadar has brought in a pair of killer hosts — including a familiar face. The show will be hosted by Laura Bailey, the voice of Abby in The Last of Us Part 2 and former Golden Joystick Awards host in years past. She’ll be joined by Troy Baker, her co-star in The Last of Us Part II as the voice of Joel. And don’t forget, the Golden Joystick Awards aren’t just about this past year’s games, they’re about future years too. Make sure to stay tuned for exclusive trailers for upcoming games, including some surprise announcements and special guests.
How to watch the Golden Joystick Awards 2022 live
Taking place on Tuesday, November 22, the awards will start at 8:00 p.m. BST, 3:00 p.m. ET and 12:00 p.m. PT. You can watch the winners revealed on GamesRadar’s YouTube (opens in new tab) channel and on the Golden Joystick Awards’ dedicated Twitch (opens in new tab) stream. You can also follow along on GamesRadar (opens in new tab). For those of you who want to get a little more involved, make sure to follow and use the #GoldenJoysticks hashtag on Twitter. That way you can follow people’s reactions to the winners and throw your own opinions and reactions into the mix.
The Golden Joystick Awards 2022 categories
There are 18 categories covering some of the most important and interesting elements of 2022’s games that you — the public — voted on.
Best Storytelling Best Visual Design Best Audio Best Indie Game Best Multiplayer Game Best Game ExpansionStill Playing Award Best Gaming HardwareBest Game CommunityStudio of the Year Nintendo Game of the Year PlayStation Game of the Year PC Game of the YearXbox Game of the Year Most Wanted GameUltimate Game of the YearBest Early Access LaunchBest Game Trailer
And, of course, we have our three critics choice awards:
Breakthrough AwardBest PerformerCritics Choice Award
So make sure to tune in to the GamesRadar YouTube (opens in new tab) channel and the Golden Joystick Awards on Twitch (opens in new tab) to follow along and see who brings home a Golden Joystick this year.