So, I was just thinking about this whole debate surrounding The Game Awards nominations for 2024, and it's wild to me that there's even a discussion about whether DLC should be eligible. Look, we all know award shows can be a bit silly—I mean, let's be honest, The Game Awards is basically a long commercial break with some trophies handed out in between. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't take the actual recognition seriously. When I saw Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree nominated for Game of the Year and Best Game Direction, my first thought wasn't "Should this count?" It was "Hell yes, it absolutely should."

Now, I get the arguments against it. The most common one I've seen is that you need to play through the base Elden Ring—a massive game in itself—to even access Shadow of the Erdtree. That's a huge time commitment, a barrier to entry that standalone games like Astro Bot simply don't have. It's like asking someone to read an entire trilogy before they can start the fourth book you're recommending. In a world where time is precious, that matters. It arguably makes Erdtree's path to winning any award much steeper, because voters or players might not have that 100+ hour prerequisite under their belt.

But here's the thing: that barrier actually makes its nomination more impressive, not less. Think about it. People had to essentially complete two major gaming experiences—the base game and the DLC—to fully appreciate Shadow of the Erdtree. And after all that, it was still voted as one of the six best releases of 2024. That speaks volumes about its quality. Disqualifying it because it builds on something else feels like punishing ambition and interconnected storytelling.

Let's talk about scale, because this is where the "it's just DLC" argument completely falls apart. According to community data, Shadow of the Erdtree offers around 25.5 hours for the main story and over 50 hours for completionists.

That's not an add-on; that's a full-blown game by any reasonable standard. It's longer than Astro Bot, one of its fellow nominees. It's longer than four of last year's Game of the Year contenders. We often use length as a shorthand for value—rightly or wrongly—and by that metric, Erdtree delivers in spades. Comparing it to shorter, albeit excellent, expansions like the Alan Wake 2 DLCs (which I also loved) highlights how it exists in a different category altogether. It's competing with the giants, not the epilogues.

Beyond the debate, I believe this nomination is crucial for the health of the industry. High-quality expansions should be celebrated, not relegated to a lesser tier. They serve as vital proving grounds. They allow junior developers to step up into leadership roles on a known property, which is an incredible training opportunity. They represent the only part of a game made after launch, meaning the team can incorporate player feedback and refine their craft. By giving Erdtree a top-tier nomination, The Game Awards is signaling that this kind of substantial, post-launch work has immense value. It incentivizes studios to invest in meaningful expansions rather than just cosmetic microtransactions. That's a win for developers and players alike.

At the end of the day, it comes down to a simple principle: if something provides an exceptional experience, it deserves recognition. Shadow of the Erdtree took years to make, captivated millions of players, and stands as one of the most critically acclaimed releases of the year. It expanded a world, deepened its lore, and introduced brutal, beautiful new challenges. Award eligibility shouldn't be about the format on the store page—it should be about the impact on the player. This expansion cleared that bar with room to spare. So, while the show itself might be a glitzy ad-fest, the message behind this nomination is one I can fully get behind: great work is great work, no matter how it's packaged.