Next Monday, the Game Awards 2024 will announce its list of nominees, selected from ballots submitted by gaming publications, including a ballot from us here at Polygon. Today, Geoff Keighley and company have issued a clarification on the eligibility of the nominees. Although the rules previously did not explicitly prohibit the nomination of video game DLC and expansions, some may have mistakenly assumed that DLC would not compete for these awards.
In the update posted today to The Game Awards website's FAQ, there is a new question: “Are DLCs, expansion packs, and remakes/remasters eligible?” Here is the answer:
The Game Awards aim to recognize the best creative and technical work each year, regardless of the release format of that content. Expansion packs, new game seasons, DLC, remakes and remasters are eligible in all categories, if the jury deems the new creative and technical work worthy of a nomination. Factors such as the novelty of the content and its price/value must be taken into account.
We are not sure whether or not The shadow of the Erdtree will get a GOTY nomination, nor any other nominations; Previously, we could have predicted that we would see Elden Ring in “Best Game in Progress” (where core games for DLC and one-off expansions tend to be nominated, which serves as a way to recognize those additions). Now, it could end up anywhere. As for the DLC itself, we loved it.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly suggested that The Game Awards voters may not have been aware of this rule. According to a source at The Game Awards, voters were informed before submitting their ballots.