Die Nominierungen für die 17. jährlichen Game Developers Choice Awards (GDC Awards) wurden von der Expertenjury bekannt gegeben. Für die Auszeichnung "Spiel des Jahres" wurden Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Overwatch, Inside, Dishonored 2 und Firewatch nominiert. Die meisten Nominierungen konnte Inside von Playdead verbuchen. Das Spiel wurde für sechs Auszeichnungen vorgeschlagen. Overwatch und Firewatch wurden fünfmal nominiert. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End kann maximal vier Auszeichnungen erhalten. Die Awards werden am 1. März 2017 bei der Game Developers Conference 2017 in San Francisco verliehen. Wer die Preise in den Spezial-Kategorien "Pioneer", "Ambassador" und "Lifetime Achievement" erhalten wird, soll demnächst verraten werden.

GAME OF THE YEAR

• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
• Inside (Playdead)
• Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
• Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)

Honorable Mentions: Doom (id Software / Bethesda Softworks), The Witness (Thekla), Battlefield 1 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), The Last Guardian (JAPAN Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Titanfall 2 (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts)

BEST AUDIO

• Battlefield 1 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts)
• Thumper (Drool)
• Doom (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
• Inside (Playdead)
• Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)

Honorable Mentions: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Rez Infinite (Monstars / Enhance Games), Hyper Light Drifter (Heart Machine), Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic), Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks), The Last Guardian (JAPAN Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Titanfall 2 (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts)

BEST DEBUT

• Heart Machine (Hyper Light Drifter)
• Campo Santo (Firewatch)
• ConcernedApe (Stardew Valley)
• Drool (Thumper)
• Night School Studio (Oxenfree)

Honorable Mentions: SUPERHOT Team (SUPERHOT), Numinous Games (That Dragon, Cancer), Giant Squid Studios (Abzu), Ghost Town Games (Overcooked), iNK Stories (1979 Revolution: Black Friday)

BEST DESIGN

• Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
• Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
• The Witness (Thekla)
• Inside (Playdead)
• Doom (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)

Honorable Mentions: Titanfall 2 (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts), Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Dark Souls III (From Software / Bandai Namco Entertainment), Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic), Hitman (IO Interactive / Square Enix)

BEST MOBILE/HANDHELD GAME

• Super Mario Run (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
• Clash Royale (Supercell)
• Pokemon Go (Niantic)
• Reigns (Nerial / Devolver Digital)
• Pokemon Sun/Moon (Game Freak / The Pokemon Company)

Honorable Mentions: Mini Metro (Dinosaur Polo Club), Severed (DrinkBox Studios), Deus Ex: Go (Square Enix Montreal / Square Enix), Fire Emblem Fates (Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD / Nintendo), Imbroglio (Michael Brough), Swap Sword (AP Thomson and Diego Garcia)

INNOVATION AWARD

• The Witness (Thekla)
• Inside (Playdead)
• No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
• Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)
• Pokemon Go (Niantic)

Honorable Mentions: That Dragon, Cancer (Numinous Games), The Last Guardian (JAPAN Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Superhot (Superhot Team), Thumper (Drool), Quadrilateral Cowboy (Blendo Games)

BEST NARRATIVE

• The Last Guardian (Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Oxenfree (Night School Studio)
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Inside (Playdead)
• Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)

Honorable Mentions: That Dragon, Cancer (Numinous Games), Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks), The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt), Kentucky Route Zero - Act IV (Cardboard Computer), Mafia III (Hangar 13 / 2K Games)

BEST TECHNOLOGY

• Battlefield 1 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts)
• No Man's Sky (Hello Games)
• Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
• Doom (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Honorable Mentions: Inside (Playdead), Pokemon Go (Niantic), The Last Guardian (JAPAN Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks), The Witness (Thekla)

BEST VISUAL ART

• Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)
• The Last Guardian (Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Inside (Playdead)

Honorable Mentions: The Witness (Thekla), Battlefield 1 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), Abzu (Giant Squid Studios), Thumper (Drool), Doom (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)

BEST VR/AR GAME

• Rez Infinite (Monstars / Enhance Games)
• Superhot VR (SUPERHOT Team)
• Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives (Owlchemy Labs)
• Pokemon Go (Niantic)
• Fantastic Contraption (Radial Games / Northway Games)

Honorable Mentions: Thumper (Drool), Superhypercube (Kokoromi / Polytron Corporation), Batman Arkham VR (Rocksteady Studios / Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), Space Pirate Trainer (I-Illusions), The Lab (Valve)