Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki takes the Lifetime Achievement award at the Golden Joystick Awards 2018

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During the Golden Joystick Awards 2018 (opens in new tab) today, FromSoftware’s visionary director Hidetaka Miyazaki won the Lifetime Achievement award for his outstanding contributions to the industry. Miyazaki directed such influential games as the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne, which redefined how players and developers alike approach difficulty and worldbuilding in games. As the latest winner of the Lifetime Achievement award, Miyazaki joins the ranks of esteemed video game luminaries like Hideo Kojima, Sid Meier, and the late, great Satoru Iwata.

The award was presented by two living legends in their own right: Games Workshop and Fighting Fantasy co-creators Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Their presence was no mere coincidence: the Fighting Fantasy choose-your-own-adventure RPG books that Jackson and Livingstone penned 37 years ago originally inspired a young Miyazaki. Livingstone called Miyazaki a “true genius of game design,” which must’ve felt great, as the pair are two of Miyazaki’s childhood heroes. “I’m such a huge fan of these two guys, I’ve almost forgotten what I was going to say,” Miyazaki chuckled.   

Speaking through a translator, Miyazaki expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped make these seminal games, and everyone who enjoyed playing them (you can watch a clip of his acceptance speech above; the full award takes place at the 49:15 mark in the full Golden Joystick Awards 2018 stream archive (opens in new tab)). “It’s such a surprise and an honor to receive this prestigious Golden Joystick award – I’m quite humbled,” he said. In addition to thanking his coworkers and family, Miyazaki had a message for FromSoftware fans: “More than anything, thank you to the players – to everyone who has played, enjoyed, and appreciated my games.”

Next up from Miyazaki and his team at FromSoftware is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (opens in new tab), coming in March 2019, which adds grappling hook mobility to the studio’s familiar blend of brutal challenge and righteous rewards. “I plan to carry on making games for as long as I’m able, and I will do my very best to make sure that they’re games that you will enjoy,” Miyazaki pledged. “Thank you for your continued support in advance.”

Here’s the full list of all the Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners (opens in new tab) from the show.