'The Witcher 3' and 'Metal Gear Solid V' lead the 2016 Game Developer's Choice Awards nominations

The nominees for the 16th annual Game Developer’s Choice Awards (GDCA) have been announced, and to the surprise of no one, “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” and “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” lead the nominations. Both games are currently nominated for the Game of the Year award, according to the official press release, showing just how impactful they both were in 2015.

In addition to the Game of the Year award, the GDCA have also confirmed that both games have three other nominations:

“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” – Best Visual Art, Best Narrative, Best Technology and Game of the Year.

“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” – Best Audio, Best Design, Best Technology and Game of the Year.

As mentioned earlier, seeing these two games succeed isn’t that big of a surprise, as critics and fans have raved about both games. “Metal Gear Solid V” garnered plenty of praise for its gameplay and story, as Hideo Kojima was able to wrap up a number of loose ends while also making an engaging story. “The Witcher 3” garnered acclaim for its open-world, interesting characters and good overall story, where all the choices in the games mattered.

While the full list of nominations have yet to be revealed, the official GDCA press release confirmed that the following games have been nominated for various awards in the show: “Star Wars: Battlefront,” “Fallout 4” and “Splatoon.”

Despite mixed reviews, “Star Wars: Battlefront” was one of the most hyped games of the year and has sold a large number of copies already. “Splatoon” is one of Nintendo’s newest intellectual properties (IP) and is one of the main reasons why one should own a Wii U.

“Fallout 4” didn’t change much from “Fallout 3” but still had incredibly addictive gameplay, with numerous secrets to find and quests to complete. The mystery of the game’s setting continues to intrigue gamers.

Meanwhile, the official website of the GDCA states that the awards show will take place in Moscone Convention Center in the West Hall on March 16, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. It looks like “Metal Gear Solid V” and “The Witcher 3” are going head to head for the prestigious Game of the Year award.