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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild leads E3 2016 Game Critics Awards

Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayStation VR, and Battlefield 1 got nods in various categories.

David Craddock

July 5, 2016 4:05 PM

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Forty editors representing publications spanning Giant Bomb, PC Gamer, LA Times, and Entertainment Weekly cast their votes to choose their picks for the E3 2016 Game Critics Awards. The votes have been tallied, and Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild led the pack with wins in three categories.

You can read the list of winners below. Before you scroll down, though, you might find it interesting to learn a bit about how the Game Critics Awards work.

Each year, editors from select media outlets are invited to sneak peeks at games slated to be on display at E3. Categories include Best of Show, Best Console Game, Best PC Game, and Best Hardware, to name a few. Games not available for judges to play, such as Spider-Man and Mass Effect: Andromeda, were deemed ineligible for awards.

Judges cast votes to determine nominees in each category. Battlefield 1 received the most nominations, but Zelda made enough jaws drop to hack, slash, and craft its way to the top of the mountain.

Best of Show

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

(Nintendo/Nintendo for Wii-U/NX)

Best Original Game

Horizon Zero Dawn

(Guerrilla Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4)

Best Console Game

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

(Nintendo/Nintendo for Wii-U/NX)

Best VR Game

Batman: Arkham VR

(Rocksteady/Warner Bros. Interactive Ent for PlayStation 4)

Best PC Game

Civilization VI

(Firaxis/2K)

Best Hardware/Peripheral

PlayStation VR

(Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Best Action Game

Battlefield 1

(DICE/EA for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Action/Adventure Game

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

(Nintendo/Nintendo for Wii-U/NX)

Best Role Playing Game

Final Fantasy XV

(Square-Enix for PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Racing Game

Forza Horizon 3

(Playground Games/Turn 10/Microsoft Studios for PC, Xbox One)

Best Fighting Game

Injustice 2

(NetherRealm/WBIE for PS4, Xbox One)

Best Sports Game

Steep

(Ubisoft Annecy/Ubisoft for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Family Game

Skylanders: Imaginators

(Toys for Bob/Activision for PC, PS3/PS4, Xbox 360/Xbox One, Wii-U)

Best Online Multiplayer

Titanfall 2

(Respawn/EA for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Independent Game

Inside

(Playdead for PC, Xbox One)

Special Commendation for Graphics

God of War

(Sony Santa Monica/Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4)

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.