‘Shadow Of The Erdtree’ is Eligible For GOTY Under Game Awards Rules

A controversial rule means that The Game Awards will lets DLCs and expansions for existing games be nominated for Game of the Year, as of this next show in December. The fact this is now being highlighted seems like no coincidence, given that Elden Ring’s massive Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is one of the highest scored, most beloved releases of the year. But is it…a game? Here’s how the Game Awards now address this issue in an FAQ:

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.”

Generally speaking, I’m seeing people say, be they journalists or players, that this feels…wrong. In the case of Shadow of the Erdtree, despite its size, you not only need to own Elden Ring, but you need to have played a sizable chunk of Elden Ring to even start it. I also think that something like Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty comes to mind, but again, same situation.

Personally, it’s weird. Shadow of the Erdtree currently is my favorite release of the year. Phantom Liberty was my favorite release of that year as well. But even with that said, I’m not sure I can get behind the idea that they count as “games” when they are not standalone offerings. Obviously something like Miles Morales, a standalone spin-off of Spider-Man, despite using the same city, should count. But actual DLC and expansions? They probably just need their own category.

Here’s the thing though: just because this rule now lets these expansions be nominated, that does not mean they will…actually be nominated. If even I think that despite these being my favorite releases of a given year, that they probably shouldn’t count, that’s something that any amount of pther nominators might believe as well, and so it may fall short of the required threshold of a nomination even if the rule “allows” it now. I would be a little surprised if Erdtree landed a nomination as a result, and I doubt there would be any chance it actually won, even with this rule change.

The way The Game Awards has done categories is always weird. One of the chief problems, still not addressed, is that if a GOTY nominee is in a sub-category like Best Adventure game, then by default it has to win that category, making the entire thing somewhat pointless for the other games. But that’s a separate issue from this one, and we’ll see how the expansion issue plays out in December.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.