Each year, the BAFTA Games Awards celebrate the best of gaming, both inside and outside the UK, and it was a delight to see so many games available on Xbox platforms make their mark on the nominations list for this year’s awards, which take place on Tuesday, April 8. From games by our own first-party studios, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Diablo IV, Sea of Thieves and World of Warcraft, to pioneering ID@Xbox titles like Animal Well, Balatro, Botany Manor, and more, there’s a huge range of BAFTA-nominated games available on Xbox platforms right now.
But today, we wanted to shine a light on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, which picked up a staggering 11 nominations across a wide variety of categories, covering practically every element of the art of making games, and beyond. It’s a major moment for developer Ninja Theory (which previously picked up 9 nominations, winning in 5 categories, for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice), a testament to the hard work and care that went into creating this singular experience.
To celebrate this moment, we spoke to developers across the studio about the work that went into their nominated category, and what it means to see this recognition.
Animation
“The whole animation team was thrilled to be specifically recognised in the Animation category. We’re glad that all the hard work, love and specific vision for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has been received so well.
“Our aim was to bring Senua, her cohort and adversaries to life as vividly as possible , whether it was the up-close nuance of an intimate moment between friends or life and death struggle against her deepest fears.”
Guy Midgley, Ninja Animation Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Artistic Achievement
“The team at Ninja Theory has always had such a passion for taking the art to new places in our games, but to have the recognition from BAFTA is incredible and means so much to everyone here.
“For Senua’s Saga we learnt so much on the journey, whether it was getting to grips with new features of UE5 and understanding how they could allow us to present our vision like never before, working with costume designers to build the real-life outfits for us to scan and understand their movements, or training how to fly professional drones so that we could capture meaningful data from the beauty of the Iceland landscape.”
Mark Slater-Tunstill, Ninja VFX Director
Audio Achievement
“To bring to life the world, the reality of Senua through sound is a privilege, a journey that requires a strong vision and a certain bravery that leads to finding a unique voice.
“Receiving this nomination brings a lot of joy to the whole Ninja audio team, who have worked tirelessly and with such craftsmanship to deliver an experience like no other.”
David García Díaz, Ninja Audio Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
British Game
“We’re very proud to receive a nomination for Best British Game and have Hellblade II sit alongside such a diverse and creative group of nominees in the category. Best British Game is a particularly special category for me, as I see it as a vehicle for inspiring the next generation of developers in my home country.
“I like to think that there will be a kid out there somewhere that will see the wonderful games being created in the UK and it will spark in them a dream to one day feel the same pride that I do in receiving a BAFTA nomination of their own.”
Dom Matthews, Ninja Studio Head
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Game Beyond Entertainment
“In Senua’s Saga, Ninja Theory have represented one of the most misunderstood of conditions with incredible skill, respect and sensitivity. Their depiction of psychosis was crafted with unerring attention to the underlying clinical neuroscience and, more importantly, to the personal experiences of those who have themselves carried the burden of psychosis.
“Ninja Theory have told the story, and amplified the voice, of people who are frequently unheard or dismissed. It has been an enormous privilege to play a small part in their work and to observe the depth and range of its impact in challenging stigma.”
Paul Fletcher, Bernard Wolfe Professor of Health Neuroscience, University of Cambridge
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Music
“To tell a story without words that connects the emotions with the listener, that is the quest of all the musicians involved in the creation of the soundtrack for the game.
“At the core of it is the word ‘collaboration’: From Heilung, Ren and Arunka, the fantastic voices and talent of Helen and Abbi, plus our own composers here at Ninja. It’s an honour for us to receive this nomination for a work that is done with great passion and care.”
David García Díaz, Ninja Audio Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Narrative
“Our heroine Senua faces down both inner and outer conflicts with persistence and strength of heart, and I feel fortunate to be part of the team sharing her unique perspective with the world.
“Storytelling is always foremost in our minds with all of Ninja Theory’s games, and I’m deeply honoured and grateful that the team’s work in this area has been recognised by BAFTA with a nomination in the Narrative category.”
Lara Derham, Writer and Stage Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Performer in a Leading Role – Melina Juergens as Senua
“I am deeply honored to be nominated at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards as ‘Performer in a Leading Role’ for my portrayal of Senua for the second time. It means the world to have my work as a performer recognized in such a meaningful way.
“BAFTA Games Awards play a vital role in elevating gaming as an art form, putting it on the same cultural stage as film and television. Their commitment to celebrating creativity, storytelling, and innovation in games is incredible, and their charity work, supporting new talent and making the industry more accessible is truly inspiring.
“In Senua’s Saga, we managed to push the performance tech further than ever before, which gave me the freedom to pour everything into my performance, knowing that every emotion and every little nuance would come through on screen. It was an incredible and rewarding experience.”
Melina Juergens
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Performer in a Supporting Role – Aldís Amah Hamilton as Ástríðr
“It’s hard to put into words how much this nomination means to me and how grateful I am to everyone involved in creating this beautiful game, and for allowing me to be a part of that creation. Every step of the process has been an unforgettable experience. I’ve made dear friends, learned new skills, worked abroad for the first time, and taken part in making something meaningful. As a gamer from the age of 5, I couldn’t have imagined what my future would hold. And to receive this recognition for our work goes beyond what I could ever have dreamed of. Thank you dearly dear Ninjas and Xbox for giving me the honor of working with you.”
Aldís Amah Hamilton
Photo Credit: Thelma Arngrims
Performer in a Supporting Role – Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen as The Furies
“We are delighted to be jointly nominated for our role as the Furies. Working on Senua’s Saga was a joy thanks to the brilliance of David García Díaz and his dream team.
“We are a theatre company who work a lot with vocal improvisation and it was really exciting to collaborate with David in this way. It was fascinating for us to get an insight into how games are made. Everyone works so incredibly hard and it’s wonderful to see the team receiving such recognition for this.”
Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland
Technical Achievement
“It’s a great honour to receive a Technical Achievement BAFTA nomination for Hellblade II, alongside a shortlist of excellent and varied nominees. This nomination celebrates not just the technology itself, but the vision and perseverance of the entire team; it’s a testament to the detail, artistry and technical effort we poured into crafting Senua’s world and its inhabitants, as part of our dedication to pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling. We’re immensely grateful to BAFTA for this acknowledgement, and it fuels our passion to continue creating experiences that aim to resonate on a profound level. Thank you.”
Gavin Costello, Ninja Technical Director
Congratulations to everyone at Ninja Theory for their work on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and to all the recipients of BAFTA nominations this year.
You can watch the BAFTA Games Awards live on Tuesday, April 8 at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK via YouTube and Twitch.
