The GAM3 Awards, known for its recognition of excellence in web3 gaming, is entering its second year. Set for Dec. 14, the ceremony will celebrate the industry’s finest across an array of categories.

The awards ceremony is organized by GAM3S.GG, a platform that has styled itself as “the home of web3 gaming”, and Magic Eden, a community-driven NFT marketplace, aims to showcase the ongoing advancements in the sector.

Contenders for this year’s top awards include new web3 titles known for their innovative gameplay and immersive experiences, offering stiff competition to previous winners. These include Big Time, the Game of the Year 2022 winner, which recently launched its preseason and game economy, and Shrapnel, last year’s Most Anticipated Game, now gearing up for its eagerly-awaited public playtest.

Last year’s GAM3 Awards saw over 100 web3 games nominated across 16 categories, each designed to honor the best in web3 gaming as chosen by an expert panel and the gaming community. This year, the event returns with the same categories, introducing three new ones: Best Fighting Game, Best Sports Game, and Best On-Chain Game.

The games will be assessed based on multiple facets, including core loop, accessibility, replayability factor, fun elements, graphics, and the overall gameplay experience. Only games with a live, playable version meeting these criteria will be eligible for nomination, barring the Most Anticipated Game category and the People’s Choice Award.

An expert panel, including thought leaders and industry veterans, will serve on the jury through a diverse and transparent voting process. This year’s jury includes new representatives from web3 gaming VCs, ecosystems, infrastructure partners, content creators, and traditional gaming leaders. They will join tech giants like Amazon and Google.

The jury’s decision will account for 90% of the final outcome, with community votes contributing the remaining 10%. However, categories like the People’s Choice Award and Best Content Creator will rely entirely on community voting, while the Games’ Choice Award will see game studios voting for their favorite game of the year.

Nominations commenced on October 26th via the GAM3S.GG platform and will continue until the shortlist is announced ahead of the final voting. Last year, the awards gathered over 250,000 votes and reached an audience of more than 30,000 viewers via live streams, making it an event to watch out for this year.

Winners will be awarded prizes totaling over $2 million, with sponsorship from major tech players Amazon and Google, alongside Blockchain Game Alliance and Magic Eden.

Disclosure: CryptoSlate’s Liam ‘Akiba’ Wright will serve as a judge for the second annual GAM3 Awards.