In a shocking turn of events,Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtreedidn’t end up taking home any awards this year, despite its high praise from critics and fans alike. Following its controversial nomination for GOTY despite being DLC for an existing game,Shadow Of The Erdtreehad more than enough content to stand up against the competition. While the belovedElden Ringwasn’t able to take home any awards in its second outing, the third time might be the charm for the legendary FromSoftware.
With the popularity ofElden Ring, many viewers expressed their concern it would have another clean sweep this year, butThe Game Awardsstill seems to have a preference for independent titles. While it’s a shame thatShadow Of The Erdtreedidn’t wind up winning any awards,it set a new precedent that a masterful DLC can still be recognized as an achievement in gaming. With the doors being opened forDLC nominations at The Game Awardsnow, the newest spinoffElden Ring Nightreignhas an even better chance at winning awards again next year.
Elden Ring Nightreign Could Be Nominated For GOTY 2025
The Third Time Is Often The Charm
Being one of the most exciting announcements at The Game Awards,Elden Ring Nightreignis a multiplayer-focused spin-off of the groundbreaking open-world RPG. Set in a warped version of the lands between,players will find themselves in an almost arcade-style mode with new abilities and bosses, alongside the return of some familiar fan favorites. WhileNightreignis likely to forego the storytelling elements of soulslike games in favor of its randomized combat encounters, there could still be anin-universe explanationabout the state ofElden Ring’s game world.
Elden Ring Fans: Mark Your Calendars For The Nightreign Test Sign-Ups
Elden Ring; Nightreign was only announced last night, and it’s now been announced that network test beta registration will begin very soon.
WhileThe Game Awards tends to favor a single-player narrative-driven experience for GOTY, withNightreignhaving enough content to warrant anentirely new gamerather than DLC, it might just surprise fans next year. It’s still too early to tell how positive the reception toNightreign’s departure from the standard FromSoftware formula will fare among critics, but it offers some exciting promises. Being the first FromSoftware release to include fully compatible co-op from start to finish of a run alongisde a revamped class and progression system,Nightreignhas the potential to become a big hit when it releases in 2025.
Nightreign Has A Better Chance At Beating The Competition
A Standalone Spin-Off Has A Much Higher Chance At Winning GOTY
Despite The Game Awards' ability to publicly recognize a DLC likeShadow Of The Erdtreeas a contendor for awards,it’s clear there is still plenty of stigma surrounding them in the industry. The decision itself was heavily criticized online upon its announcement, with users on X likemrppyo1voicing their understandable complaints over the topic. Despite the controversial change to The Game Awards' nomination traditions, it didn’t matter much in the end.
WhileElden Ring Nightreignstill has the title attached, it has a much heavier focus on an independent experience not tied to the original.It’s clear that even FromSoftware itself wants the public to seeNightreignas a separate product from the original, while notidentifying it as a true sequelto the original hit title. While fans will have to wait a while to see ifNightreignholds up to the quality expected from the long-running franchise, there’s plenty to be excited about when it eventually releases next year.
