Arc Raiders wins Nordic Game of the Year at the Nordic Game Awards

Arc Raiders has won Nordic Game of the Year at the Nordic Game Awards, which took place on May 28 at the Nordic Game conference in Malmö, Sweden.

The other nominees for the category were Battlefield 6, Dune: Awakening, Split Fiction, and My Winter Car. Embark Studios’ extraction shooter also won the awards for best technology and best audio.

Split Fiction was nominated for four awards, but only took home one, for Best Game Design. Battlefield 6, meanwhile, was nominated in three categories, but ultimately left empty handed.

Swedish studios won five out of the seven awards, which recognise games developed in the Nordic territories. Danish studios won the remaining two categories, with Discounty winning Best Debut and Lego Voyagers winning Best Fun for Everyone.

The list of winners is below:

• Nordic Game of the Year: Arc Raiders by Embark Studios (Sweden)
• Best Art: The Midnight Walk by MoonHood (Sweden)
• Best Game Design: Split Fiction by Hazelight Studios (Sweden)
• Best Technology: Arc Raiders by Embark Studios (Sweden)
• Best Audio: Arc Raiders by Embark Studios (Sweden)
• Best Fun for Everyone: Lego Voyagers by Light Brick Studio (Denmark)
• Best Debut: Discounty by Crinkle Cut Games (Denmark)

In addition, the People’s Choice Award was won by Lootbound, which was developed by Artdock Games in Moldova. Indie exhibitors at Nordic Game are eligible for the People’s Choice Award, which is voted for by conference attendees.

A “Ukrainian Intermezzo” occurred halfway through the awards ceremony, honouring the work of Ukrainian game studios, which prompted a standing ovation from the audience. Conference organiser Jacob Riis also took to the stage to confer “legendary” status on audio designer Ari Pulkkinen, who most recently was the audio lead for Saros.

Thursday’s awards ceremony was the 18th installment of the Nordic Game Awards, and was hosted by Danish actor Magnus Bruun, who played the male version of Eivor in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Embark Studios head Patrick Söderlund recently told GamesIndustry.biz how Arc Raiders was made on “a quarter of the budget” of a AAA title.