The Game Awards is revealing all the nominees poised to take home some awards next week, and it wants you to know that could include DLC, expansions, and remakes.
Last year, The Game Awards caused the tiniest bit of controversy with one particular category, Best Ongoing Game. The usual suspects were there like Apex Legends and Final Fantasy XIV, but also, strangely, Cyberpunk 2077. It was odd because, well, it was a single-player game, and yes it did release Phantom Liberty in 2023, but it was over the course of years of work that the game was made actually playable. Cyberpunk went on to win the award, and whether it deserved it or not is up for debate, but clearly it was an odd choice – and now, ahead of the nominees reveal next week, The Game Awards has released an FAQ which clarifies what is actually eligible.
The FAQ asks whether DLCs, expansion packs, and remakes/ remasters are eligible for awards, with the answer explaining 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.”
What does this mean exactly? Well, it certainly suggests Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree could get that coveted game of the year nomination, an award it may well just deserve considering how big that thing is. But it is an interesting clarification given that this year has been quite quiet for big releases compared to 2023, one where indies have taken a bit more of the spotlight. The nominees reveal is only a couple of days away, so we don’t have to wait long, but maybe prepare yourself for some controversial picks.