The Game Awards Shakes Up Nomination Race With Controversial New Rule

With the announcement of the nominees for The Game Awards around the corner on November 18, many have formed their prediction lists. A controversial new rule however may allow a certain game many assumed was ineligible for the big awards to become a front-runner. 

When Geoff Keighley and The Game Awards first split from Spike TV and the rather bizarre VGX Awards, it established itself as The Oscars of video games. The best of the best each year, from acclaimed indies to breathtaking AAAs got their due respect for one night. As the industry landscape changed, the fact stayed that Game of the Year would highlight the cream of the crop, whether it was a new IP, remake, or sequel/prequel. Yet, it always felt like what was nominated was solely for new full games, but that has now changed.

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On the official website of The Game Awards in the FAQ section, there are a few rules in place, including deadlines and judging. However, the answer for the eligibility of DLCs being up for Game of the Year is an interesting one. The rule reads as follows:

”The Game Awards aims to recognize the best creative and technical work each year, irrespective of the format of that content’s release. Expansion packs, new game seasons, DLCs, remakes and remasters are eligible in all categories, if the jury deems the new creative and technical work to be worthy of a nomination. Factors such as the newness of the content and its price/value should be taken into consideration.”

This mean that remakes like Silent Hill 2, Persona 3 Reload, and Paper Mario and the Thousand-Year Door are eligible titles. This extends to remasters like Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Luigi’s Mansion 2, and Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. This is the usual case, but it’s good for fans of those games to have clarification that there’s a fair chance. 

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The reason this rule is controversial is that, with expansions now up for the big awards, that means Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, is potentially eligible for Game of the Year. Though the expansion was positively received, the base game of Elden Ring was released in 2022. Furthermore, it already won a few Game Awards, including Game of the Year, beating out the likes of God of War: Ragnarok, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Horizon Forbidden West, Stray, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Previously during the Spike Video Game Awards there was a Best DLC category, but it was discontinued after Keighley created The Game Awards. From that point, it appeared DLC and expansions, regardless of acclaim, would be their own thing, much like Best Ongoing Game. It is important to note that DLC could be nominated for other major categories, as was the case with Cyberpunk: 2077 Phantom Liberty’s nominations for Best Narrative and Best Actor (Idris Elba) and win for Best Ongoing Game. 

For some, this decision may cost them a chance at the biggest awards. While Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t guaranteed any nominations, it’s very likely to earn some, such as Best Game Direction. Games like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Astro Bot, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth did feel like surefire frontrunners for the title, but now those leads are shaky, especially in categories like Best RPG and Best Narrative.

The Game Awards 2024 will livestream on YouTube and Twitch on December 12 at 4:30pm PT/ 7:30pm ET/ 12:30am GMT. Voting will also be open to the public on the official website after the nomination announcement on November 18 at 9am PT/ 12pm ET/ 5pm GMT.