The Games Fans Say Got Snubbed for Game Awards’ GOTY Nominations

This year’s The Game Awards nominations for Game of the Year have been announced, and it’s quite a mixed bag. Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Metaphor: ReFantazio have all earned the honor of being nominated for this year’s Game of the Year. While all of these games are well-deserving of the nomination, some players feel their personal favorite has been snubbed.

With only six slots available for nominations, selected by a global jury, Game of the Year is bound to leave some worthy contenders behind. Gamers are already up in arms about this; despite many of these games receiving other nominations, they still feel they deserve the most coveted award. Games like Silent Hill 2 Remake, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and Stellar Blade are just a few of the titles being thrown around already as having been snubbed in the nomination process.

2024 Was a Great Year For Gaming, But Not Every Game is Going to Receive the Same Recognition

With games like Echoes of Wisdom and Silent Hill 2 Remake not receiving nominations for Game of the Year, there are lots of angry players online already making their case for why this is wrong. Silent Hill 2 received major critical and commercial success, being praised as an example of what a remake should be. It honored the original while improving upon it, making it a great experience for original and new fans. Echoes of Wisdom surprised many Zelda fans, initially looking to be a silly spin-off and instead offering an experience that can be held in the same regard as its counterparts.

While both of these games surely deserve their praise and would have been solid nominations, it would have just resulted in the same issue. Players would have been upset that, say, Black Myth: Wukong—a game that’s been receiving Game of the Year buzz since its release—was more deserving of the nomination than one of these games. Stellar Blade is another big title being thrown around as a victim of snubbing, although just like Silent Hill 2 and Echoes of Wisdom, it’s not without other nominations. Many of the games that players feel have been snubbed received countless other nominations. Stellar Blade received nominations for Best Score & Music and Best Action Game, while Silent Hill 2 earned a total of five nominations.

Players Are Already Pointing Out That a DLC Was Nominated Over Their Favorite Game

Given that the award is Game of the Year and not DLC of the Year, there are already waves of complaints over Shadow of the Erdtree receiving a nomination. Shadow of the Erdtree is such a vast DLC it’s considered by many to be its own separate game. Ultimately, however, it is a DLC. There are no rules specifically stating that a DLC cannot be nominated, of course, but considering this is the first time in the Game Award’s nine-year history that a DLC has been nominated for the accolade, players have been caught off guard.

Shadow of the Erdtree has been a smashing success since its release, but so have Echoes of Wisdom and Stellar Blade, both of which are full games. With such notable snubs this year, players are justifiably upset that it turns out a DLC was even in the running. Shadow of the Erdtree‘s GOTY eligibility was shared just days prior, but its actual nomination has still come as a shock.

Players immediately crying foul after the reveal of The Game Awards’ Game of the Year nominations is tradition at this point; not everyone is going to be happy. Especially with such an outstanding year for gaming, there were plenty of great picks, notably more than the six allotted for nominations. Regardless of these perceived snubs, all of these games earned some level of recognition.

The Game Awards takes place on December 12th, and everyone can start the process all over again as their chosen nominee loses. Of course, despite the nominees being chosen by a global jury, players are free to cast their votes and help influence their pick to earn the win. While not every game can get its time in the spotlight, player voices will always remain one of the strongest deciders in which games deserve their flowers.