Predicting the Best Multiplayer Winner

Multiplayer has been around since the dawn of gaming, with even 1972’s Pong revolving around two-player gameplay. Multiplayer has remained a staple of the gaming world ever since, though it’s evolved and taken a few different forms over the decades. Some of the biggest and best games around right now are multiplayer games, and The Game Awards 2024 is about to celebrate a handful.

Five games have been nominated for The Game Awards 2024‘s Best Multiplayer category. Each of the five have been critical hits, packed with content that offers a unique communal experience. But only one game can win this year’s Best Multiplayer award, and it’s going to be a hard-fought battle.

The Game Awards 2024 Best Multiplayer Nominees

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Helldivers 2
• Super Mario Party Jamboree
• Tekken 8
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

After a few disappointing back-to-back entries, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 finally feels like a major return to form for the franchise. On launch, Black Ops 6 came with 16 original 6v6 maps, two round-based Zombies maps, and a sizable selection of weapons, Perks, and equipment. But that was only the beginning for Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 1 is currently in full swing, and it’s already brought a wealth of new content to the game, a good portion of which is completely free. New multiplayer maps, new weapons, and new modes have all come to Black Ops 6 during Season 1, and on December 5 its Zombies mode is getting an entirely new round-based map, a handful of new Wonder Weapons, new Gobblegums, and a new Perk-a-Cola. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 feels like the complete package already, and things are only going to get better.

Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 had one of the most impactful launches of 2024. A sequel to a cult hit PS Vita game, Helldivers 2 managed to sell 12 million copies in just 12 weeks, becoming PlayStation’s fastest-selling first-party game ever. In its first few months, Helldivers 2 was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, grabbing newcomers with its challenging Sci-Fi shooter chaos. A major appeal of Helldivers 2‘s gameplay loop was its focus on 4-player co-op, with players needing to strategize and work closely to complete objectives within the match’s time limit.

Though Helldivers 2 fell from grace a little in the months following its launch, with many on PC review-bombing the game due to Sony’s decision to make a PS account login mandatory, the game is still decently popular, with a 24-hour peak player count of over 27,000 at the time of writing. Developer Arrowhead’s continued support for Helldivers 2 has kept the game engaging, and there’s no denying its monumental impact on launch.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Much like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Super Mario Party Jamboree has been viewed as a bit of a return to form for the Mario Party series. 2018’s Super Mario Party was criticized for its lack of boards, and while Mario Party Superstars had much more content, it was all taken from previous entries in the series. Super Mario Party Jamboree, on the other hand, strikes a perfect balance between nostalgia and new.

With over 110 minigames, over 20 playable characters, and seven boards, Super Mario Party Jamboree is the most complete Mario Party entry to date, and it’s probably one of the most enjoyable multiplayer experiences of the year.

Tekken 8

After the release of Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 last year, the fighting game genre has entered a new golden age, and Tekken 8 is the latest game to join it. Earning universal acclaim from critics, Tekken 8 is one of the most content-rich, mechanically-complex fighting games ever made, and fans are still loving it all these months after its initial release. Of course, multiplayer has always been a core part of the fighting game genre, and it’s there in full-force in Tekken 8.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

The long-awaited sequel to the 2011 original, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 sees players suit up as a titular super soldier of the Imperium, who’s tasked with wiping out all Xenos threats on a handful of planets. While much of Space Marine 2 can be played in singleplayer, practically the entire game can be experienced via cooperative or competitive multiplayer.

Along with a 3-player co-op campaign, Space Marine 2 is home to Operations mode, an endlessly replayable set of PvE missions that see players choosing a class and progressing through the ranks, unlocking new weapons and abilities along the way. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 also has a solid PvP multiplayer mode called Eternal War, which sees two teams of six battling it out in classic arena shooter confines.

Final Prediction

While every nominee for The Game Awards 2024’s Best Multiplayer category could feasibly take home the trophy, it seems most likely that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be this year’s victor. Coming out of the gate swinging with its bevy of multiplayer maps, Easter egg-filled Zombies mode, and return to classic Prestige and progression systems, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 really is the full multiplayer package, capturing some of the magic from the golden age of CoD that many fans thought was long gone.

MORE: Game Awards 2024 Could Be The Shot in The Arm One GOTY Nominee Needed