The nominations for this year’s Game Awards 2024 are causing discussions among gamers. For the first time, a DLC could become Game of the Year. This means that Elden Ring could receive the prestigious title almost 3 years after its release. Not everyone is happy about this.
What is the situation? On November 18, 2024, the nominations for the “Game Awards” were announced. This is one of the most important awards in the gaming industry, basically the Oscars of gaming.
Just before the nominations were announced, the Game Awards confirmed that this year, for the first time, DLCs could also receive the coveted title of “Game of the Year.” Now, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, a remake and a DLC, are nominated. In particular, the latter is causing discussions. Elden Ring already won the award in 2022 at the release of the main game.
You can find all the nominees for the Game Awards here on MeinMMO.
The DLC for Elden Ring was almost as extensive as a full game – but is that enough for a nomination as Game of the Year?
Players say: As if “The Godfather” won an Oscar in 2001
Here’s the discussion: Gamers are divided on whether Elden Ring with its DLC deserves the title of “Game of the Year.” There is a thread on Reddit with over 1,000 comments discussing the rule change.
In particular, the fact that Shadow of the Erdtree is the only DLC receiving this special treatment so far has led to frustration. It feels as if this rule was introduced just to nominate Elden Ring again.
Others argue that DLCs have always been able to be nominated for important categories like “Best RPG.” The rules haven’t changed; rather, it has been confirmed that they also apply to Game of the Year.
Many users believe that a separate category for expansions would have been a better solution. This way, the achievements of developers behind DLCs could be acknowledged, without overshadowing entirely new games.
One user writes, “[It’s], as if you nominate the DVD release of ‘The Godfather’ as Best Film in 2001.” The Godfather originally hit American theaters in 1972 (via Reddit).
In another thread, a user explains why he is against the nomination of DLCs for Game of the Year: “[…] Even if it’s big enough to be considered a standalone game. If I need a base game to play it, it shouldn’t be considered a standalone game.” (via Reddit)
However, another user states: If your own game loses to a DLC, then you probably deserve to lose. He is, however, downvoted by the community (via Reddit).
Remakes, DLCs and Live Service – When is a game a game?
Some fear that the nomination of a DLC could open the door for the nomination of live-service games. Then the same game could win Game of the Year multiple years in a row.
The discussion shows that there is fundamental disagreement about how to handle different types of games at the Game Awards. For instance, the Cyberpunk expansion Phantom Liberty was not nominated for Game of the Year last year, but did secure “Best Ongoing Game.”
This also caused frustration, as live-service games, which actually receive new content continuously, were overlooked, while Cyberpunk wrapped up with Phantom Liberty. However, it is now believed that Elden Ring could have been nominated in this category instead.
Now it’s your turn! Here you can tell us what you think about this year’s DLC nominations. Do you think the nomination is justified and wish for Elden Ring to win? Do you find the nomination of DLCs acceptable but not enough to win? Or are you completely against it?
In the following survey, you can select the option that suits you best. Feel free to leave a comment sharing your thoughts on the nomination of Elden Ring.
When will the Game Awards 2024 be awarded? The Game Awards will be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, between 01:30 – 05:00 AM. In Germany, that is in the middle of the night. The nominated games will be announced beforehand.
While Elden Ring thrilled critics and players at the time, opinions on Shadow of the Erdtree are much more divided. MeinMMO’s Soulslike expert Christos Tsogos looked into what this could be about: Testers love it, but fans complain – Why are the opinions on the DLC for Elden Ring so far apart?
