Following the announcement of 2024’s Game of the Year nominees at The Game Awards, the inclusion ofElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreehas audiences divided over its eligibility. Released as an expansion forElden Ring, which itself won Game of the Year in 2022,Shadow of the Erdtreelaunched to critical acclaim, despite some complaints about the DLC’s especially high difficulty. Despite being one of 2024’s biggest releases, however, audiences are calling into questionShadow of the Erdtree’s status as a “full game”.
Following the announcement ofShadow of the Erdtree’s nomination, which puts it up againstAstro Bot,Balatro,Black Myth: Wukong,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, andMetaphor: ReFantazio,gaming audiences are relatively split on the legitimacy of the DLC’s inclusion. Critics of the decision argue thatShadow of the Erdtreeshouldn’t be eligible in the first place, while others argue that, as one of the best releases of 2024,SOTEdeserves its spot. Notably,Shadow of the Erdtreehas also been nominated for Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best RPG.
Game Of The Year Nominees Cause Massive Uproar
Shadow Of The Erdtree Is Possibly The Most Controversial GOTY Nominee In The History Of The Game Awards
After the announcement,Shadow of the Erdtreehas proven to be the most controversial GOTY nominee of 2024, and possibly the most controversial pick in the history of The Game Awards. Critics of the decision, like those replying to theGOTY nominee announcement tweetfrom @thegameawards on X, have argued thatShadow of the Erdtreeshouldn’t be an eligible pick since it isn’t a full game- especially since it requires heavy investment into the base game ofElden Ringto be played at all.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s case especially hasn’t been helped by the timing of the announcement thatDLC would be eligible for GOTY, which came just days before the nominees were announced. The sudden announcement has been perceived by critics, both before and after the nominees were revealed, as a change in the rules thatshows blatant favoritism towardsShadow of the Erdtree. This, in turn, has sparked accusations that the awards are rigged - accusations which will only worsen ifSOTEactually wins.
Elden Ring Could Take Home Several Game Of The Year Awards
A GOTY Win For Shadow Of The Erdtree Would Be Elden Ring’s Second Winning Year At The Game Awards
Not everyone is angered bySOTE’s inclusion, however, as some fans of the game have argued, on platforms likeReddit, that despite being a DLC,Shadow of the Erdtreeis still one of 2024’s best releases, and deserves to be recognized for its high quality. Furthermore, although no DLC has been nominated for Game of the Year in past Game Awards, there is some precedent for the inclusion of DLC, as releases likeCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertyand theBlood and WineDLC forThe Witcher 3have previously been nominated for, and even won, other categories.
The Game Awards 2024 Nominees Have Been Revealed As Fans Begin Submitting Their Votes
Voting is now open for The Game Awards 2024, and today we learn who the nominees are for each of the different categories, including Game of the Year.
Although Game of the Year picks always come with some amount of controversy, as audiences can feel that certain games were “snubbed” or that some nominees don’t belong,Shadow of the Erdtreehas quickly become one of, if not the most controversial picks in the history of The Game Awards. Despite arguments against its inclusion, it’s incredibly unlikely for the DLC to be taken out of the running at this point, so critics will just have to hope that one of the other nominees can take the award overElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreefor 2024.
