‘Hades’ is the first video game to win a Hugo Award
Months after the finalists were announced, a video game has won a Hugo Award for the first time. Gizmodo reports Supergiant Games’ Hades has won the one-time award for Best Video Game, beating out the likes of Animal Crossing and The Last of Us: Part II (among others). Creative director Greg Kasavin gave a virtual acceptance speech saying he was “grateful” organizers were recognizing work in the game industry.
Hades has been available since September 2020, shortly before the Hugo Awards revealed plans for a game category in November that year. It came to PlayStation and Xbox consoles this August, however. The title has generally received a warm reception through fast-paced roguelike gameplay, a solid narrative element and mechanics that reward repeat playthroughs.
Whether or not other games receive awards is another matter. There aren’t yet any plans for a permanent games category. However, the Hugo Awards have expanded over the years to consider digital content like podcasts and streaming video. It won’t be surprising if games eventually have a long-term berth, if just because fantasy and sci-fi game storylines are increasingly sophisticated.
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