Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Lead the Nominees for the 2024 Game Awards.

The nominees for the 2024 Game Awards have been revealed, covering a total of 96 games, teams, and individuals across various categories. As usual, the selection has sparked debate among fans regarding the titles that were left out and those that have been recognized.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second installment of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, and Astro Bot stand out with seven nominations each. Following them is Metaphor: ReFantazio, a fantasy JRPG developed by the team behind Persona 5, which received six nominations, while the games Balatro, a poker-themed roguelike, and the reimagining of Silent Hill 2 garnered five nominations each. All of these, except for Silent Hill 2, are in contention for the Game of the Year award, where they also compete against Black Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. The latter is a substantial expansion of the 2022 Game of the Year winner, which could generate controversy among some fans due to its inclusion in the main category.

According to the FAQ section of the ceremony, "expansion packs, new game seasons, DLCs, remakes, and remasters are eligible in all categories, as long as the jury feels that the new creative and technical work deserves a nomination. Factors such as the novelty of the content and its price/value will be taken into account." A jury composed of over 100 media representatives and influencers from around the world is responsible for selecting the nominees.

PlayStation leads this year with 16 nominations, surpassing all other publishers. Both Square Enix and Xbox achieved 12 nominations, while Sega received 11. Bandai Namco reached seven and Nintendo six.

It's encouraging to see several high-quality indie games recognized. The number of nominations for Balatro is not surprising, as many still enjoy this game, but it's also gratifying to see Neva, Indika, Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, UFO 50, and The Plucky Squire receiving nominations. In the Best Adaptation category, the nominees are Arcane, Fallout, Knuckles, Like a Dragon: Yakuza, and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.

A public voting process has currently opened for all categories on the Game Awards website. The nominees for the Players’ Voice award, which is entirely voted on by fans, will be announced on December 2nd. The 2024 Game Awards ceremony will take place on December 12th, although many viewers will likely be more interested in the major trailers and game announcements rather than in finding out the winners of the awards.