At the core of our mission to spread joy and foster community through gaming lies a collection of extraordinary games. Today, practically any screen can transform into an Xbox, showcasing a fantastic lineup of games crafted by talented developers worldwide. These creative teams are the masterminds behind memorable experiences that captivate and inspire gamers of all generations. To honor these creators and highlight the stellar games cherished by players in 2024, we’re thrilled to announce the recipients of the Xbox Excellence Awards.
Each year, over a thousand new games burst onto the scene via Xbox consoles, PCs, and the cloud. Picking winners might seem as simple as gathering a panel, but the Excellence Awards focus on how you, the players, interacted with Xbox over the past year. We’ve pinpointed four pivotal categories to identify and celebrate your passion, engagement, and love for these games:
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Store Rating: This looks at the highest-rated games launched in 2024 on our platforms, requiring at least 500 ratings.
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Player Engagement: Games in this category drew players in, logging the highest average hours per player within the initial six weeks post-launch.
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Daily Active Users: This measures games, expansions, or major updates with single-day active users peaking in 2024. It’s a space where some older games might appear because they received significant updates last year.
- Units Sold: This category reflects the top-selling content on Xbox and Microsoft platforms.
The lineup of winners spans a wide array of titles born from teams of varying sizes, from small groups to massive development studios, hailing from 15 countries around the globe. Below, you’ll find the alphabetized list of honorees in each category.
| Store Rating | Player Engagement | Daily Active Users | Units Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balatro | Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Apex Legends | 7 Days to Die |
| Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden | Dragon’s Dogma 2 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora |
| Botany Manor | EA Sports College Football 25 | Dead Island 2 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 |
| Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | EA Sports FC 25 | Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred | Dragon Age: The Veilguard |
| Little Kitty, Big City | F1 Manager 2024 | EA Sports College Football 25 | Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero |
| Lollipop Chainsaw RePop | Farming Simulator 25 | EA Sports FC 25 | Dragon’s Dogma 2 |
| Metaphor: ReFantazio | Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree | EA Sports College Football 25 | EA Sports FC 25 |
| Nobody Wants to Die | Fallout 4 | EA Sports Madden NFL 25 | Farming Simulator 25 |
| Persona 3 Reload | Fortnite | Forza Horizon 5 | Grand Theft Auto Online |
| Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1, 2, 3 | Marvel Rivals | HBO Max | MLB The Show 24 |
| Return to Grace | New World: Aeternum | NBA 2K25 | Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 |
| Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II | Palworld | MLB The Show 24 | NBA 2K25 |
| Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance | Phasmophobia | NHL 25 | NHL 25 |
| Skull and Bones | Roblox | Path of Exile 2 | Palworld |
| Sonic x Shadow Generations | Star Wars Outlaws | Rocket League | Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance |
| Still Wakes the Deep | Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege | The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria | Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 |
| The Outlast Trials | Unicorn Overlord | S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl | WWE 2K24 |
| Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 | WWE 2K24 | Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 |
Expect to see developers and publishers proudly displaying their trophies soon! Want to be among the players who helped these games earn their accolades? Check out the collection of 2024 Xbox Excellence Award-winning games available on the Xbox Store.
