The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy 16, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and so many more – 2023 has been a defining year for video games.
We want to know how you think these games stack up in the pantheon of the greatest games of all time. Across the year, our audience declared what they think are the most iconic games of the year as part of the IGN Icon Awards. This December, we’re tallying our followers’ votes through IGN’s Instagram to see which game from 2023 you think is worthy of the coveted title.
This is where great starts happen—in partnership with the USAF, we’ve selected 32 of the highest-rated games of 2023 and have placed them into a March Madness-style tournament bracket. The games were randomly sorted into four groups, and then ranked from one to eight to get their placement. Beginning December 5, you’ll vote on the winner of each match-up.
You can start voting on all of the first round’s 16 matchups via our social channels (Instagram Stories) on December 5! Polls close 24 hours after posting, and voting for the second round (featuring the 16 games with the top vote counts), will begin on December 7. The full schedule is as follows;
- Tuesday, December 5 – Round of 32 Voting Begins
- Thursday, December 7 – Round of 16 Voting Begins
- Tuesday, December 12 – Round of 8 Voting Begins
- Thursday, December 14 – Round of 4 Voting Begins
- Monday, December 18 – Round of 2 Voting Begins
- Tuesday, December 19 – Winner Declared!
The first group includes heavy hitters like: Resident Evil 4 Remake, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and Dead Space Remake. But don’t count out the indie hit Dave the Diver that took the world by storm with its combo of fishing and sushi restaurant simulation! Group one will also have to get past Remnant 2 and Wild Hearts.
Group two also features some serious contenders, like Link’s latest adventure: the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Street Fighter 6, the sneaky Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, the hellish and brutal Diablo 4, and, perhaps most terrifying, Bluey: The Video Game. Other contenders include Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, and Fire Emblem Engage. We can’t wait to see how this one turns out.
Group three has some more powerhouses, including Hogwarts Legacy, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Final Fantasy 16, and Mortal Kombat 1. If that wasn’t enough for you, these games will also have to face off against Starfield, Pizza Tower, Atomic Heart, and the excellent remaster of Metroid Prime.
Lastly, group four is filled with surprise hits like Hi-Fi Rush and Lies of P, the worldwide phenomenon Baldur’s Gate 3, and the latest adventure of our favorite neighborhood Spider-Men in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This may just be one of the hardest groups to predict because it also features Alan Wake 2, Pikmin 4, Exoprimal, and Lords of the Fallen.
Remember, you only have 24 hours to cast your votes below or on IGN’s Instagram Stories for the first round. Make sure to choose carefully and let us know which game from 2023 should be crowned as the best game from one of the best years in video game history. Once you’re done, be sure to continue the conversation below in the comments and tell us why you picked the games you did.
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