2024 is coming to an end, and that means the video game award season has begun anew. Several shows like the Golden Joystick Awards have already begun announcing their contents, and the biggest show among them is about to resurface. Created and hosted by Geoff Keighley,The Game Awardswill hold its 2024 live conference on December 12, and its nominees are on the verge of being announced. On November 18 at 9:00 a.m. PT and 12:00 p.m. ET, Keighley will reveal all the games and categories appearing at the2024 Game Awards, and it won’t take long for public voting to follow.
Nominees for 29 categories will be revealed during the November broadcast, includingGame of the Year, Best Fighting Game, Best Adaptation, and more. Even if a game or person getting nominated or winning an award at The Game Awards doesn’t confer many benefits, it’s still nice to see the game industry’s workers see recognition, and it’s fun to cheer for games a given viewer enjoyed. That’s all well and good, but a unique ruling for the 2024 Game Awards caused by 2024’s game release circumstances threatens to drown the mounting festivities in weeks of discourse.
The Game Awards 2024 Will Break New Ground
While they all mustered some noteworthy first-party games, the big three console owners, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, have had light release schedules in 2024. This wouldn’t normally be an issue, as more than enough popular games were released this year to fill out The Game Awards 2024’s nominees. However, theShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion for2022 GOTY award winnerElden Ringalso came out this year, and it is too large and acclaimed to dismiss. Together, these factors have caused a significant rule shift for 2024’s Game Awards eligibility, and it’s already causing a stir.
Shadow of the Erdtree Likely Led To Revised Game Awards Standards
In a recent addition to the FAQ on the Game Awards website, it was announced that expansion packs, new game seasons, DLC, remakes, and remasters are eligible to be nominated for all Game Awards 2024 categories. The jury is expected to keep nominees relevant, but it’s clear that this ruling is meant to legitimize voting forShadow of the Erdtreein the most contested categories.Destiny 2: The Final ShapeandDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatredmay dominate the Best Ongoing Game category, butShadow of the Erdtreeis primed to steal the show — and some people may not like that.
Shadow of the Erdtree Could Steal The Show At The Game Awards
On one hand,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeearned this unprecedented honor.Shadow of the Erdtreeis long enough to be a smaller, but still game-sizedElden Ring 2, with all the FromSoftware attention to detail that implies. Much like2023’sCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertyand famous game expansions likeStarcraft’sBrood War, it is nearly a distinct game in its own right, and these standout DLCs are rare enough to take note of. Even if it doesn’t take home as many awards as its progenitor,Shadow of the Erdtreedeserves to be in several Game Awards 2024 categories.
DLC Taking The Game Awards' Nominee Space Will Spark Outrage
That being said, an add-on being nominated for the Game of the Year category at the biggest gaming award show will cause a scene. While not confirmed yet, it’s suspected thatShadow of the Erdtreewill shareElden Ring’snomination for The Game Awards’ coveted GOTY category, which arguably shows favor for DLC over intrinsically more valuable full games. The Game Awards already have limited space, so accepting broader nominees threatens to snub deserving games of their recognition. WhateverShadow of the Erdtree’s accolades are,The Game Awards 2024will set a precedent for future events, and debates about its legitimacy will be impossible to ignore.
