BBC Newsbeat
Ninja IdeaSenua’s Saga: Hellblade II has picked up essentially the most nominations at this yr’s Bafta Video games Awards.
The action-adventure recreation, developed by Cambridge-based studio Ninja Idea, is up for awards in 11 out of 14 classes on the annual ceremony.
It is within the working for greatest recreation alongside 3D platformer Astro Bot – up for eight awards – which clinched top prize at the US-based Game Awards in December.
The occasion, thought-about some of the prestigious within the video games trade calendar, can be held in London on 8 April.
The opposite contenders in the very best recreation class are:
- Balatro – a poker-inspired card recreation
- Black Fantasy: Wukong – an action-adventure made in China and impressed by a well-liked fable
- Helldivers II – a multiplayer co-operative shooter
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge – the primary recreation in Nintendo’s widespread collection to star the princess it is named after
- Thank Goodness You are Right here! – a wacky cartoon journey recreation developed by two buddies from Barnsley
Bafta arms out prizes annually in a spread of classes, together with performing, music and recreation design.
Three of the six most-nominated video games this yr have been made within the UK.
Nonetheless Wakes the Deep, from Scottish studio The Chinese language Room, is up for eight awards, whereas Thank Goodness You are Right here! is up for seven.
Lego: Horizon Adventures, primarily based on the PlayStation collection and largely developed by London-based Studio Gobo, is nominated in 4 classes.
Indie hits Animal Effectively and Balatro, every have 4 nominations, as does Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6.
Coal SupperSenua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a sequel to Senua’s Sacrifice – which picked up 5 awards at 2018’s gaming Baftas.
Its 11 nominations may shock some – the sport was a powerful technical showcase and obtained optimistic if not excellent critiques.
Nonetheless, like the primary recreation, it was praised for its sensitive depiction of the main character’s psychosis.
Bafta Video games committee chair Tara Saunders tells BBC Newsbeat it represents “a robust yr for British-made video games”.
She says the voting panel is made up of members internationally who take the awards “very critically” and vote primarily based on a spread of options.
“It is all about excellence,” she says.
“Excellence within the crafts and possibly a few of these video games have nailed all of these craft areas.”
Bafta CEO Jane Millichip agrees, and desires to embrace the actual fact they’ve a British recreation class.
“Our members are worldwide they usually’re the individuals who select,” she says.
Most-nominated video games
Organized by variety of classes:
- Senua’s Saga: 11
- Astro Bot and Nonetheless Wakes the Deep – eight
- Thank Goodness You are Right here! – seven
- Black Fantasy: Wukong – 5
Learn extra concerning the nominees:
The Bafta Video games Awards aren’t any stranger to the odd upset.
In 2023, Vampire Survivors – made by a tiny British studio – beat Sony’s God of War: Ragnarök to the top prize.
This yr’s greatest recreation discipline has an analogous mixture of big-budget blockbusters and indie hits.
“I like that Bafta can shock, I like that it is not a given and we will get to that night time and we do not know what is going on to return out on prime,” Tara says.
“It is placing a highlight on some actually tiny video games which may have slipped by.”
Metaphor: Refantazio and Remaining Fantasy VII: Rebirth, two video games that featured prominently in nominations elsewhere, solely picked up three nominations between them.
The Chinese language RoomOccasions stay powerful for individuals working within the video games trade worldwide, with mass layoffs, studio closures and cancelled tasks persevering with to make headlines.
Tara says awards just like the Baftas are “a beacon of sunshine at the hours of darkness occasions”.
“It is actually necessary to pause and rejoice the groups and people which have crafted these standout video games experiences,” she says.
And Jane, who additionally oversees Bafta’s occasions throughout movie, TV and different artistic industries, says the gaming awards are a spot for individuals to assist one another.
“I’ve by no means seen a neighborhood cheer a lot once they lose, it is a sensible factor to behold,” she says.
“It is so great to see the entire video games neighborhood being so supportive of one another and there to rejoice the sector, not themselves.
“It is form of devoid of ego and that is nice.”
You will discover a full record of Bafta Video games Awards nominations for 2025 here.
