TheD.I.C.E. Award for Online Game of the Year is an award presented annually by theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during theD.I.C.E. Awards. This award "celebrates titles of any genre with a significant portion of the gameplay experience transpiring online — collaboratively or competitively. These titles frequently offer excellent matchmaking systems, innovative gameplay options, persistent content releases that further evolve gameplay, user customization and fluidity of gameplay. Titles submitted in this category are not limited to release within the calendar year but must be supported by significant new content".[1] All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category.[2] The first winner wasUltima Online at the1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. It is the only "Game of the Year award" that also has been offered as a genre award and craft award.
Online Game of the Year was originally offered as a content award for the "Online content awards" subset with categoriesEntertainment Site of the Year andNews/Information Site of the Year.[3] The2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (1999) had multiple genre-specific "Online content awards."[4] Only one online award was offered for2000.[5] It would be renamedOnline Gameplay of the Year in2001.[6]
At the8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the award forOnline Gameplay was reintroduced as a craft award.[10] TheOutstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay, is "presented to the individual or team whose work represents the highest level of achievement in online gameplay in an interactive title. These titles frequently offer excellent matchmaking systems, innovative gameplay options including collaborative and competitive gameplay, user customization and fluidity of gameplay."[11] An additional craft award, theOutstanding Achievement in Connectivity, was introduced for the15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. This award is "given to the property or title that best demonstrates innovation in connection mechanics across varied platforms. This is typically exemplified through the expansion of a story or narrative through complementary elements across two or more platforms (e.g. Console/Facebook or Console/Mobile Device)". Both awards would be voted by programmers.[12]
Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay (2005—2013)
Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity (2012—2013)
The craft awards were dropped for the17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards andOnline Game of the Year was reintroduced as a "Game of the Year Award."[13] The award was relabeledOutstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay for the2015 awards and relabeled again asOnline Game of the Year for the2019 awards.[14][15]
A genre award forSocial Networking Game of the Year was introduced for the2010 awards.Social networking games were defined as games that "connect people through a collective game experience, allowing quick, easy, and fun interactions between real-life friends".[16] The genre category for "Social Networking" was not offered for2013, and a "Game of the Year" award forWeb Based Game of the Year was offered. Web based games were described as "titles played within a web browser and can include a variety of genres such as social networking games,MMOs,RPGs,Action games. These titles are tailored to the technical parameters of web browsers (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox) and demonstrate a skilled usage of linking, sharing, and work equally well across multiple form factors and input mechanisms".[17]Web Based Game of the Year was featured in the rules & procedures for2014, but there were not any finalists named for the category.[18][19]
Blizzard Entertainment andDICE have developed the most nominees, with Blizzard Entertainmeint winning the most awards. Origin Systems, Playfish, and Zynga are the only developers with back-to-back wins.Treyarch has developed the most finalists without having a winner. 343 Industries, DICE, Infinity Ward, and Treyarch have finalists named for bothOnline Gameplay andConnectivity. Zynga is the only developer/publisher with a finalist for theOutstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay andSocial Networking Game of the Year.
Electronic Arts has published the most finalists and the most wins. Electronic Arts is also one of two publishers with back-to-back wins, with the other beingZynga.Nintendo andUbisoft have published the most finalists without having a winner.
The most nominated franchises have beenCall of Duty,Battlefield, andHalo.Halo won the most awards with three, withCall of Duty andBattlefield having won twice. The only other two-time winning franchise isUltima, which is also the only franchise with back-to-back wins in this category.
There have been numerous games that have been nominated multiple times:
^"The Award - Updates".Interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived fromthe original on June 15, 1998. RetrievedDecember 28, 2022.
^Shanley, Patrick (February 13, 2019)."D.I.C.E. Awards: Full Winners List".The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. RetrievedOctober 16, 2022.
^Spencer, Alex (November 2025). "Rally Point • Why EA is razing Battlefield to its foundations in order to build something new".Edge. No. 415.Future plc. pp. 54–63.
