At the core of our mission is a dedication to sharing the joy and camaraderie of gaming with people worldwide. These days, more devices than ever have transformed into Xbox gaming stations, thanks to the stunning array of games developed by talented teams across the globe. These creative minds bring to life experiences that captivate and inspire players of all ages. As a token of our appreciation to these inventive creators and to celebrate the games that resonated most with players in 2024, we are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Xbox Excellence Awards.
Every year, over a thousand games make their way onto Xbox consoles, PC, and through cloud gaming. While it might seem like a daunting task to select the best among them, the Excellence Awards focus on how players engaged with Xbox over the past year. We honed in on four key categories, which serve as benchmarks of player enthusiasm and adoration for these games. The categories are as follows:
- Store Rating: This includes the highest-rated content released in 2024, judged by a minimum of 500 ratings.
- Player Engagement: Games that kept players hooked, averaging the most hours per player within their first six weeks post-launch.
- Daily Active Users: Titles—including expansions or significant updates—that boasted the most single-day active users this year, even if the original release was earlier.
- Units Sold: The best-selling games across Xbox and Microsoft stores.
The games that made it to the final list are a testament to a rich tapestry of diverse titles. They hail from development teams of varying sizes, spread across 15 countries. Below you’ll find the standout titles for each category, presented alphabetically.
| Category | Games |
|---|---|
| Store Rating | Balatro, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Botany Manor, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Persona 3 Reload |
| Player Engagement | Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Dragon’s Dogma 2, EA Sports College Football 25, Lollipop Chainsaw RePop, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1, 2, 3 |
| Daily Active Users | Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Dead Island 2, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, Fortnite |
| Units Sold | 7 Days to Die, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, EA Sports FC 25, Farming Simulator 25, Minecraft |
The developers and publishers behind these stellar titles will soon be receiving their well-earned trophies, so keep an eye out for their celebrations!
If you’re considering diving into the games that wowed players and took home the titles, why not browse our Xbox Excellence Award-winning collection for 2024 on the Xbox Store? It’s your chance to see firsthand what all the buzz is about.
