- Black Myth: Wukong is the lowest-rated game to receive a GOTY nomination, with a Metacritic score of 81.
- High-scoring titles like Silent Hill 2 Remake were overlooked, fueling controversy.
- Allegations of sexism against the developer, Game Science, add further scrutiny.
The Game Award 2024 has surprised fans with another disappointment by unveiling the list of nominations, including Black Myth: Wukong, and has sparked severe debate over it.
A Controversial Nomination Raises Eyebrows
Despite the fact that the game offers excellent visuals, and combat mechanics and was previously declared a global sensation, it has drawn attention for being the lowest-rated title to ever receive a Game of the Year (GOTY) nomination in the event’s 10-year history.
It has become quite hard for fans to digest the fact that having a score of 81 on Metacritic, and 82 on OpenCritic game has got the position among 2024 nominations while historically this places it below nearly every previous GOTY nominee.
Most past nominees scored much higher, usually above 85. Titles like Control (2019) and Stray (2022) barely scraped into the category with scores of 82 and 83, respectively.
Fans Question Criteria and Gaming Industry Bias
However, Wukong’s rating is way lower than that, raising questions regarding the criteria used for nominations as the high-rated installments—A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Silent Hill 2 Remake, were overlooked, upsetting the gaming community even more.
Many hold the opinion that the game’s commercial success played a significant role but critics argue that nomination should not only be based on high sales record and fame while neglecting other factors.
Adding to the controversy are the past allegations of sexism on the development studio—Game Science, which grievously damaged the reputation. As reported by IGN in November 2023, female developers in the Chinese gaming industry are surrounded by a toxic environment and encounter misogynistic remarks.
These revelations polarized the gaming community, with some boycotting the game and others rallying in its defense. Despite its low scores and troubled history, Black Myth: Wukong continues to compete with leading games.
The Award show set to air next month, will reveal if the game will secure a win or not and the debate regarding the inclusion of DLC and expansions will also settle down.
