In 2017, the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch became a landmark moment for gaming. Years passed with fans desperate for a sequel, and in 2023, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom surpassed all expectations and landed itself beside its predecessor as two of the greatest games of all time.
The Nintendo title was given the Grand Award during the Japan Game Awards, the top prize at the ceremony. Tears of the Kingdom was also given an Award for Excellence and the Best Sales Award.
See the full list of winners at the Japan Game Awards 2024 below:
Grand Award
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Award for Excellence
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (FromSoftware)
- Dragon’s Dogma 2 (Capcom)
- Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (Sega)
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Sega)
- Persona 3 Reload (Atlus)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)
- Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Unicorn Overlord
Breakthrough Award
- The Exit 8 (Kotake Create)
Movement Award
- Suika Game (Aladdin X Inc)
Special Award
- Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)
Best Sales Award
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
The Japan Game Awards is an annual event run by CESA, Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association. It is partially voted for by fans, and games released in Japan between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 were eligible for this year’s celebration.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023. The game sold over 10 million copies within three days of its release and over 20 million copies by March 2024.