The Game Awards' Game of the Year nominees have been announced, and the inclusion of Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has ignited controversy within the gaming community.
The Game Awards' updated rules now allow remakes, DLC, and remasters to compete for Game of the Year. While previous rules didn't explicitly prohibit such nominations, the formalization of this rule and the subsequent nomination of Shadow of the Erdtree have sparked heated debate.
Some gamers believe a full game deserved the nomination instead of DLC, suggesting titles like Helldivers 2, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth as alternatives. Others argue that this rule change could have allowed nominations like the Silent Hill 2 remake. Fans of Cyberpunk 2077 are particularly frustrated, as its Phantom Liberty DLC was relegated to the "Games as a Service" category last year, rather than being considered for Game of the Year.
The Game Awards ceremony will take place on December 12th (PST) / December 13th. You can view the full list of nominees and vote for your favorites on the official website until December 11th.