All Game Awards Orchestra Performances, Ranked

Since its inception in 2014, The Game Awards has served as the culmination of gaming’s greatest moments every year, but with each new edition of the show, arguments erupt regarding which titles truly deserved their nominations and wins and which ones were snubbed.

However, regardless of whether you agree with the results that come out of the event or not, it’s hard not to admit that the orchestra that introduces the biggest award of the night is one of the most awaited highlights of every edition. The Game Awards orchestra has become an event staple, but naturally, some medleys have been much more memorable than others.

8

The Game Awards 2019

Featuring Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Control, And More

There are a few factors that make the 2019 edition of The Game Awards medley the weakest of the bunch, with the absence of orchestra conductor Lorne Balfe proving to be the most glaring issue. As a result, the medley did not feel as consistent as it should have been, going all over the place without any proper direction, as it starts off quite dull and ends with one of the corniest ways in which Resident Evil 2 could have been presented.

The only creative saving graces of the medley were during the segment featuring Game of the Year winner Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Control, which brought Swedish composer Jan Simons taking the spotlight and completely stealing the show.

7

The Game Awards 2021

Featuring It Takes Two, Deathloop, And More

Being yet another edition of the Game of the Year orchestra without Balfe leading the charge, The Game Awards 2021 managed to stick to what makes the medleys so unforgettable and did not try to steer out of its lane by adding unnecessary elements to the performance.

That may have backfired for the majority of the performance, as most of it seems a bit too straightforward and uninteresting without any standout aspects, but once the Metroid Dread theme kicks in, the medley gets elevated to a higher level. That flows perfectly into the Deathloop theme to finish things off, as the electric guitar swoops in and ends the performance on the best note possible, making up for its mundane beginnings.

6

The Game Awards 2017

Featuring The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, And More

The 2017 edition of the Game of the Year orchestra served as a comeback for the medley after five years of hiatus, as it was the first time that The Game Awards featured the performance since the 2012 Spike Game Awards came to an end. Cellist Tina Guo kicks things off by absolutely killing it on the cello while playing the Horizon Zero Dawn theme, and thankfully, every single musician present on the stage brought their A-game to the table, with violinist Molly Rogers, and the famous Flute Guy Pedro Eustache, becoming instant highlights.

Sadly, that momentum of quality comes to a halt when the vocal performance for Super Mario Odyssey begins, showing that one segment can really ruin the entire piece if it is not properly integrated and ending the medley at its lowest point.

5

The Game Awards 2023

Featuring Baldur’s Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, And More

2023 was the year when The Game Awards realized how much everyone actually loved the Flute Guy, bringing him up to the front of the orchestra and giving him various moments to shine throughout the medley. Not only does he play his iconic flute with the utmost energy, but he also brings even more woodwind instruments out of his collection and plays them at different segments of the performance, showcasing the kind of versatility that is not really seen too often.

Combined with the epic drummer wearing a simple white T-shirt and killing it, the transition from the Resident Evil 4 theme into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and more, the 2023 Game of the Year medley was conductor Lorne Balfe showing why he is an integral part of the orchestra.

4

The Game Awards 2024

Featuring Astro Bot, Final Fantasy 7, And More

When you have excellent soundtracks like Shoji Meguro’s score for Metaphor: ReFantazio as your source material, you already know that the orchestra medley is going to be special, which is exactly how the 2024 Game of the Year performance begins. Although the Flute Guy’s increased collection of instruments is naturally a standout aspect, the addition of the double-reeded Chinese instrument suona for Black Myth: Wukong is Eustache at his absolute peak.

But right before that, the inclusion of the keytar for Balatro and Astro Bot serves as the pinnacle of the performance, and combined with the synths flowing seamlessly into the more traditional sound of Wukong, The Game Awards orchestra showcases why it is an essential annual celebration of gaming.

3

The Game Awards 2022

Featuring Elden Ring, A Plague Tale: Requiem, And More

There have not been many transitions as smooth as the one that the Game of the Year orchestra executed while going from the light-hearted Stray soundtrack to the Elden Ring theme, marking an extraordinary musical moment in the history of The Game Awards in the process. The 2022 edition was also the first time that the general gaming audience got properly acquainted with Pedro Eustache, as he masterfully switched instruments in the middle of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 segment.

Finishing things off with God of War Ragnarök’s iconic chanting theme, and you have yourself a medley that even the following years were unable to live up to, regardless of their own respective qualities.

2

The Game Awards 2020

Featuring The Last Of Us Part 2, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, And More

With COVID-19 still going during The Game Awards 2020, the Game of the Year orchestra did not let it hinder its quality in any capacity, and it turns out that somehow, the musicians delivered one of the greatest performances that they have ever done on the event’s stage. It was actually kind of impressive how the orchestra managed to execute such a cohesive medley during the pandemic, blending numerous types of soundtracks into a package that still gets remembered as a spectacular mashup.

Every single transition just flowed perfectly into the next theme, with each soundtrack complementing one another so well that even Animal Crossing: New Horizons, whose soundtrack was played after intense themes like Doom Eternal and Hades, felt like it naturally belonged there.

1

The Game Awards 2018

Featuring God Of War, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, And More

Learning from 2017’s mistakes and not letting any vocals ruin the medley, the Game of the Year orchestra set a bar for itself during The Game Awards 2018, which has proven to be extremely hard to achieve even today. Bringing the composer for Celeste, Lena Raine, on board to start things off with a beautiful synthesizer solo, it only gets better from there as the transition into the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey theme takes the medley to unfathomable heights.

The electric guitars, violins, and the brass instruments keep a high momentum going into the themes of God of War and Monster Hunter: World until Red Dead Redemption 2 comes in and provides a more laidback vibe to the medley. Ending the performance with Marvel’s Spider-Man, the 2018 Game of the Year medley was the most layered the orchestra has ever been, as Lorne Balfe made a statement that he and his fellow musicians can create masterpiece combinations even while tackling so many different sounds.