- DLCs and expansions can now compete with full games for awards.
- Gamers express mixed reactions to the updated eligibility rules.
- The change opens the door for creative work to be recognized, but gamers question the fairness of expanding nominations.
With The Game Awards just around the corner, excitement among gamers is palpable—but this year, a new rule has stirred a mix of reactions, igniting debate across the gaming community.
Expanded Eligibility for Game Awards
This annual event is regarded as the “Oscars of Gaming” among the community and is set to stream on December 12. The award show promises to recognize the best game of the year— it won the hearts of gamers and outshined all other installments.
Historically, the Game of the Year award has been reserved for new full games, including sequels and remakes. Now what has sparked controversy is the change in the rule book— the expansions and DLC content can compete against the newly released games, making it sound like an unfair situation.
The FAQ on the Game Award Show’s official website mentioned that,
“The Game Awards aims to recognize the best creative and technical work each year, irrespective of the format of that content’s release.”
This highlights that content like Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion could potentially compete and beat down the newly released games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Gamers React to Rule Changes
Right after the announcement players came up with different opinions. As per the Gamer, one Reddit user said,
“If a remaster wins, that just means other companies lost to a game that didn’t even come out this year. That’s more a statement about the losers than the winner”
For some fans this change allows innovation to be recognized, supporting that if any DLC turns out to be amazing then there is no harm in considering it as best. While the rest of them think that there should be a separate award category for DLC.
As the debate continues and gamers remain undivided, one thing is certain the Game Award show is going to be extremely tense and spectacular. So tune in for the exact date to know who will hold the crown.
