MODEL CITIZENS

For once, an awards show with a long tail

Amid the celebration of consumer capitalism were moments of heart. Matt Thorson’s acceptance speech for Celeste, which won Best Independent Game, was a tribute to sufferers of mental illness. The night was interspersed with a mini-documentary series, Global Gaming Citizens, shining a light on people making and playing games against the odds. Yet the biggest tug of the heartstrings came from Dominique ‘SonicFox’ McLean, who accepted an esports award in full furry get-up. “I’m black, gay and a furry – everything a Republican hates,” he said. “And the best esports player of the whole year, I guess.”