The Game Awards kick off this evening, but the people have already spoken. While committee-decided awards like Game of the Year are still to be awarded, the Player’s Voice Award voted on by fans has already been decided, and it seems Halo Infinite is this year’s winner!

　　Congratulations to @Halo Infinite winner of the Players' Voice Award, a 100% fan voted award at #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/KgQZpeouWm

　　— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 9, 2021

　　It’s quite a turnaround for Halo Infinite, which was widely criticized and mocked following its gameplay reveal last summer. Not only did Halo Infinite win the Player’s Voice Award, but it wasn’t even particularly close – in the final round, Halo Infinite took home 35 percent of the vote, followed by Metroid Dread at 22 percent, It Takes Two at 17 percent, Resident Evil Village at 15 percent, and Forza Horizon 5 at 11 percent. For a year that’s become more known for its delays than anything else, that’s a pretty solid lineup.

　　Somehow haven’t been keeping up with Halo Infinite? Make sure to check out new details about how Microsoft got the game back on track following its disastrous unveiling, then peruse our positive review from Halo skeptic Chris Wray…

　　Halo Infinite is, in my opinion, the best game of the series. While still faltering in the narrative, character development, and exposition, it improves earlier titles. Combat is entertaining and engaging, with improvements made across the board, but mention must go to new abilities like the grappling hook. The move to an open world helps the game stand apart, with added freedom to take the fight to your enemies and a vast arsenal of weapons and vehicles to bring into battle. While it slips up on a few occasions, from somebody who has never been part of the Halo fan club, this has given me a glimpse of what could be great things to come.

　　Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The Game Awards kick off tonight at 4pm PT/7pm ET/1am GMT following a half-hour pre-show.