Hades Makes History as the First Video Game to Win a Hugo Award

Supergiant Games' Hades has made history as it has officially become the first video game to win a Hugo Award.

The Hugo Awards were first presented in 1953 and honor the best works in science fiction and fantasy. Up until 2021, video games and their stories have not been under consideration, but that has now changed.

While this is exciting, it's important to note that the "Best Video Game" category was a special category added only for 2021. However, the committee of WSFS Business Meeting has "been studying the possibility of adding such a category for several years now." Despite it being a special category, Hades' win is still treated the same as those in permanent categories.

To win the prestigious award, Hades had to best Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Spiritfarer, Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Last of Us: Part II, and Blaseball.

Supergiant Games' writer and creative director Greg Kasavin took to Twitter to share some words on behalf of the whole team, saying what an honor it is to win video games' first Hugo Award.

Wish I could have attended the #HugoAwards in person. I wasn't able to make an acceptance speech there on behalf of the team though did have a few words here. I'm grateful that the awards are recognizing work in this category, much less the work we did! pic.twitter.com/S9bfSp1i8H

— Greg Kasavin (@kasavin) December 19, 2021

"We are incredibly honored to be the first-ever recipient of a Hugo award in the category of best video game," Kasavin said "We, myself included, grew up experiencing these classic works of science fiction and fantasy, from Ursula K. Le Guin to Philip K. Dick, what have you. That’s when we first came across the Hugo Awards name, of course, as kids.

"To have earned this distinction all this time later, especially alongside such an incredible slate of nominees, games of all shapes and sizes, from teams big and small, it really means the world. Video game storytelling has come a long way over the years, and games are really unique as a medium in that they’re interactive and you can really inhabit one of these fantastical worlds and see as it reacts to your every move.

"At Supergiant, we’ve tried to marry the traditions of fantasy and science fiction and literature with that unique interactive component and create these worlds that feel as though they are alive as you navigate through them. We’re so grateful that our work on Hades has stood out in that way and we hope that the Hugo Awards continue to recognize the amazing work being done in this space."

In closing, Kasavin thanked the rest of his team and their families alongside thanking the “Greek gods themselves, above and below, for inspiring people like us for several thousands of years now, and may they long continue to do so.”

A Hugo Award is just another trophy to add to the case for Hades, as it has also taken home the honor of winning IGN's Game of the Year 2020, nine awards at the inaugural Global Game Industry Awards, and best game at the GDC Choice Awards 2021, BAFTA Games Awards 2021, SXSW Gaming Awards 2021, Gayming Awards 2021, D.I.C.E. Awards 2021, and more.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

source https://www.ign.com/articles/hades-makes-history-as-the-first-video-game-to-win-a-hugo-award