The Game Awards unveiled the nominees for this year's awards and it was not without some drama. Nominated for 2024's Game of the Year were Astro Bot (Team Asobi/SIE), Balatro (LocalThunk/Playstack), Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science), Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix), Metaphor: Refantazio (Studio Zero/Atlus/Sega), and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco).
It's an impressive list of games, each offering something unique to the gaming space. However, some have taken issue with the list — specifically the inclusion of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.
It's not that Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is a bad game. On the contrary, one could easily make the argument that it was the best-released game of 2024. The problem that people have with it is that it's technically not a newly released game. It's an expansion to a game that was originally released in 2022. What's more, Elden Ring was already the recipient of The Game Awards 2022 Game of the Year award.
The Game Awards updated its nomination policy for this year's show, confirming that DLCs, new game seasons for live service games, and similar releases are now eligible for Game of the Year. The Game Awards FAQs page specifically states:
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.
While a total of 27 awards are up for grabs at The Game Awards 2024, its the Game of the Year award that's most prestigious. The fact that the show is now accepting expansions and season updates in the category has raised some eyebrows.
Games will be able to tune in to The Game Awards to see which titles take home the honors. The Game Awards 2024 will be streamed live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 12th. The show begins at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET.
While the primary focus is on the awards and celebrating games, many casual gamers tune in to the show for the exciting announcements and reveals. Show organizers have already said to expect “awards, world premiere new game announcements, and musical performances by The Game Awards Orchestra, conducted by Lorne Balfe”.
Check out the full list of The Game Awards 2024 nominations here. Fans can vote for their winners in all categories online until December 11th.