Stellar Blade fans are left stunned as the game is snubbed for Game of the Year nomination at The Game Awards ahead of Elden Ring DLC.
Gamers have been left confused after Stellar Blade did not make the final nominee list for Game of the Year (GOTY) at The Game Awards. The inclusion of a DLC for Game of the Year has added to the heated discussion on social media.
Stellar Blade was expected to be a contender for Game of the Year alongside Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Black Myth: Wukong - both of which were nominated for the award. However, Stellar Blade did receive nominations in two other categories; Best Action Game & Best Score and Music.
Stellar Blade not nominated for Game of the Year
From the list of six nominees for Game of the Year, few would argue with the inclusion of the lovable 3D platformer Astro Bot released in September. Likewise, the inclusion of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Black Myth: Wukong seemed inevitable given their impact and stature.
While some have said Metaphor: ReFantazio benefits from recency bias, the rave reviews for the ARPG do make it a worthy contender.
The Game Awards 2024's criteria for The Game of the Year Award is: "Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical field". Stellar Blade definitely fits that description. However, two games were voted as being more worthy by the international judging panel which consists of over 100 media and influencer outlets. (including esports.gg)
The Game of the Year Nominees for The Game Awards 2024 were:
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (DLC)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: Refantazio
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Elden Ring DLC and Balatro under fire
The two games nominated that have Stellar Blade fans foaming at the mouth are Balatro and even more so Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Balatro is an indie poker-themed deckbuilder game that while addictive, is far from as expansive as Stellar Blade. However, the game is somewhat of a hidden gem in the gaming community, and has sold over 2 million copies, double Stellar Blade's public sales figures so far. (However, it must be said that Balatro costs $14.99 versus Stellar Blade's $69.99)
"Balatro is basically video game cr**k. Games are to entertain and Balatro did that better than most this year," said Reddit user BeepBeepGreatJob.
"It is the most addicting game with the most brilliant design ever," said Reddit user KittyAgi11. "It is WAY more than a simple card game or a poker game. The game takes a simple concept and turns it on its head."
Balatro was not only nominated for Game of the Year but for four other awards including Best Independent Game, Best Mobile Game, and Best Debut Indie. The fact its player base is primarily on mobile versus PC/Steam is probably a factor in negativity towards it.
Gamers' biggest issue with the Game of the Year category is the inclusion of Shadow of the Erdtree as a GOTY nominee. Why? Because Shadow of the Erdtree is not a standalone game, but a DLC for Elden Ring. "A DLC winning Game of the Year, are you mad?!" Bear with us.
DLC, Expansions and Remakes & Remasters are eligible... now
DLCs being nominated for awards is not new. Witcher 3's expansion Blood and Wine won Best RPG at the Game Awards in 2016. However, DLCs, expansions, remakes, and remasters were not eligible for Game of the Year... until very recently.
A new section was added to their FAQ ahead of the reveal of the Game of the Year 2024 nominees, allowing them to be "eligible in all categories".
Are DLCs, expansion packs and remakes/ remasters eligible?
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.
This means Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree being included as a nominee is fair game. However, it has sparked discussion that DLC should have its own award category.
Awards in gaming will forever be contentious, but this year's Game of the Year nominees for the Game Awards 2024 definitely ruffled some feathers in the gaming community.
Stellar Blade could still walk away with two awards at the Game Awards 2024, but a Game of the Year nomination seemed appropriate.
Nominees for The Game Awards are selected by a jury of over 100 media and influencer outlets.
