The 2024 Game Awards nominees have just been announced and a broad mix of 96 different games, teams and individuals picked up nods across a range of categories. As ever, though, many folks are sure to be riled up about what did and did not make the cut.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth — the second installment of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy — and the utterly wonderful Astro Bot lead the way with seven nominations each. Metaphor: ReFantazio, a fantasy JRPG from the Persona 5 team, is right behind with six nods, while the excellent poker-esque roguelike Balatro and the Silent Hill 2 remake have five each.
Save for Silent Hill 2, all of those are shortlisted for the Game of the Year prize. The other two contenders are Black Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. The latter is an (admittedly huge) expansion for the event's 2022 GOTY winner, though the DLC's inclusion in the top category this year may be controversial to some.
According to the ceremony's FAQ, "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." A jury of more than 100 media and influencer outlets from across the globe determines the nominees.
PlayStation received more nominations than any other publisher this year with 16. Square Enix and Xbox landed 12 each, while Sega snagged 11. Bandai Namco received seven and Nintendo has six.
It's always great that a bunch of great, deserving indie games are recognized. It's perhaps not too surprising that Balatro picked up so many nominations (many of the Engadget crew still can't put that game down), but it's lovely to see Neva, Indika, Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, UFO 50 and The Plucky Squire landing some as well. Meanwhile, the Best Adaptation nominees are Arcane, Fallout, Knuckles, Like a Dragon: Yakuza and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.
A public vote is now open for all categories at The Game Awards website. The nominees for the entirely fan-voted Players’ Voice award will be revealed on December 2. The Game Awards 2024 ceremony takes place on December 12, though many people will be watching for big trailers and game announcements rather than to find out the award winners.
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