'Borderlands 3,' PlayStation's 'Concrete Genie' Among Gamescom Award Nominees

Big franchise titles, including 'Doom External,' Nintendo's 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening' and 'Marvel's Avengers' dominate this year's nominees, picked by gaming journalists and influencers.

Big franchise titles — including the long-awaited returns of Borderlands, Doom and The Legend of Zelda — dominate the nominations for the 2019 Gamescom Awards, with big-ticket titles represented in virtually every category in the best-of-show honors for Europe's leading gaming event.

Borderlands 3, the hotly-anticipated sequel to the 2009 and 2012 RPG shooter franchise, which debuted at PAX East in Boston earlier this year, was near the front of a very tight pack for this year's Gamescom honors with three nominations, including for best action game, best Microsoft Xbox One game and best PC game. Borderlands 2 sold over 13 million copies, so anticipation is high ahead of the sequel's release on Sept. 13.

But beating out Borderlands 3, with four noms — for best action adventure game, best family game, best original game and best Sony PlayStation 4 game — is Sony Interactive Entertainment's original title Concrete Genie. The action-adventure title was one of the best-reviewed games out of E3 this year.

Also nominated in the best action game category are Doom External, the latest entry in the legendary first-person shooter series, which goes out Nov. 22, and Marvel’s Avengers, an action-adventure title from Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics, which premiered at E3 and debuted new gameplay footage at San Diego Comic-Con last month.

Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening, Nintendo's reimagining of the 1993 Game Boy hit for its Nintendo Switch platform (launching Sept. 20.), picked up nominations for best action adventure game and, as could have been expected, for best Nintendo Switch game.

Other big name titles among this year's nominees include Electronic Arts' Need for Speed Heat and EA Sports FIFA 20, Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Remake, Koch Media's Wasteland 3 and Microsoft's Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

The 2019 Gamescom Award nominees were chosen from 160 submissions by a panel of German and international gaming journalists and online influencers.

Industry professionals and gaming fans attending this year's Gamescom, which runs Aug. 20-24 in Cologne, Germany, will also be able to vote for winners in the best booth, best eSports experience and best streamer/Let’s Player categories, as well as for the “Most Wanted” consumer award, picked from among all the nominated titles.

The Gamescom jury will also name a best games company, best of CAMPUS and a Gamescom Indie Award winner as well as present the inaugural Heart of Gaming Award in Cologne on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 3:30 p.m. local time.

Here is full list of 2019 Gamescom Award nominees.

Best Action Adventure Game

Blacksad: Under the Skin, astragon Entertainment

Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Nintendo

Best Action Game

Borderlands 3, 2K

DOOM Eternal, ZeniMax Germany

Marvel’s Avengers, Square Enix



Best Family Game

Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Dreams, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Luigi's Mansion 3, Nintendo

Best Racing Game

Grid, Koch Media

Hot Wheels Infinite Loop, Mattel

Need for Speed Heat, Electronic Arts

Best Role Playing Game

Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix

Pokémon Schwert und Pokémon Schild, Nintendo

Wasteland 3, Koch Media

Best Simulation Game

Barotrauma, Daedalic Entertainment

NBA 2K20, 2K

Planet Zoo, Frontier

Best Sports Game

EA SPORTS FIFA 20, Electronic Arts

eFootball PES 2020, Konami

Roller Champions, Ubisoft

Best Strategy Game

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Microsoft

Desperados III, THQ Nordic

Foundation, Polymorph Games

Most Original Game

Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Dreams, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Felix The Reaper, Daedalic Entertainment

Best Microsoft Xbox One Game

Bleeding Edge, Microsoft

Borderlands 3, 2K

Gears 5, Microsoft

Best Nintendo Switch Game

Luigi's Mansion 3, Nintendo

Pokémon Schwert und Pokémon Schild,Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Nintendo

Best Sony PlayStation 4 Game

Concrete Genie, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Dreams, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix

Best Mobile Game

Battle Chasers: Nightwar - Mobile Edition, HandyGames

Hot Wheels Infinite Loop, Mattel

Lock's Quest, HandyGames

Best PC Game

Borderlands 3, 2K

DOOM Eternal, ZeniMax Germany

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ubisoft