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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

FromSoftware's Elden Ring DLC expansion Shadow of the Erdtree won't be eligible for BAFTA's Best Game award, as it's reserved for full games only.

There's been plenty of debate around whether expansions should be considered award-worthy, with The Game Awards in particular noting they are eligible.

BAFTA has taken a different approach, though, confirming to Eurogamer its Best Game award is only for full games, but DLC and other updates are part of the consideration in the Evolving Game category.

"Our Best Game category specifically recognises full games which have released for the first time in the past year," a BAFTA spokesperson told Eurogamer. "DLC, along with other updates and enhancements made to games originally released before 25th November 2023, are part of the consideration in our Evolving Game category."

The news comes as BAFTA releases its longlist of nominated games for next year's awards ceremony, with 58 games on the list up for 17 awards.

All games on the list were released between 25th November 2023 and 15th November 2024. Remasters are not eligible for consideration; full remakes are eligible only in craft categories.

DLC is eligible as part of the Evolving Game category and certain craft categories.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC won't be eligible for BAFTA's Best Game award

FromSoftware's Elden Ring DLC expansion Shadow of the Erdtree won't be eligible for BAFTA's Best Game award, as it's re…

www.eurogamer.net

 

[winjer]

To exclude a DLC that is better than most games, just because its a DLC, its very dishonest.

 

[xenosys]

Also explains why Rebirth wasn't in the GOTY category but was nominated in 8 other ones.

 

[Draugoth]

It's very unlikely Shadow of Erdtree is winning TGA, either either Rebirth or Astro Bot

 

[Embearded]

To exclude a DLC that is better than most games, just because its a DLC, its very dishonest.

Then they should make a "best dlc award".
If they say the award is given to new games, it should stay like that.

 

[winjer]

Then they should make a "best dlc award".
If they say the award is given to new games, it should stay like that.

From Software could have released this as a full release and nobody would have complained.

It might be called a DLC, but it has more content and quality than most games.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[Loomy]

From Software could have released this as a full release and nobody would have complained.

It might be called a DLC, but it has more content and quality than most games.

If they cared about it being in the GoTY conversation, then they would have released it as a full game. Obviously they don't.

You need the Elden Ring base game to play Shadow of the Erdtree, making it a DLC. Regardless of how amazing it is, it is not a full release that meets the criteria BAFTA has.

I think this is the honest way to go about doing it, instead of changing the rules for no reason. This isn't the first amazing DLC to ever be released, and it won't be the last. Best solution, if they want this recognized, would be to create a category for it.

 

[mèx]

As it should be. Giving space to actual new games is the correct move.

DLCs are also rated with different expectations in comparison to new releases.

 

[Embearded]

From Software could have released this as a full release and nobody would have complained.

It might be called a DLC, but it has more content and quality than most games.

But they didn't, they chose to release it as DLC, which requires to have bought the main game already, so it should not be counted as a new game.
The content and quality is not relevant for the award.

 

[SweetTooth]

Its understandable decision. Its great to have Sony's 1st party game win best game and best DLC of the year

 

[Bartski]

Good

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

I mean...it's DLC. TGA is the clown here, not the Baftas.

 

[Fake]

As should. I like the game, but is absurd for a DLC to be nominated. You still need the base game to acess the content.

 

[Fess]

If they want logic they should have all games released between Jan 1 and Dec 31 eligible. Same goes for TGA. I mean I was apparently playing the 2025 GOTY just now.

 

[Danny22]

To the people who think this is a good idea, if they had just released the games in a miles morales fashion, make it a smaller sequel, would you have been okay with it being nominated for goty?

If yes, isn't it only technicality thats stopping it from the big award?

 

[Last Hearth]

To the people who think this is a good idea, if they had just released the games in a miles morales fashion, make it a smaller sequel, would you have been okay with it being nominated for goty?

If yes, isn't it only technicality thats stopping it from the big award?

Requiring one to purchase the base game to play is not a technicality.

 

[Mayar]

Well, at least someone has a brain.

 

[Itchy Tickles]

Personally found Elden Ring to be a big disappointment and the DLC was a bit better, but making a DLC nominated for GOTY is just stupid. It's an add on for an already released game, it's just pandering and sucking up at this point. So fair play to BAFTA for not being Dorito God part 2.

 

[Kronark]

I think people are forgetting that in the early 2000s expansions like Shadows of the Erdtree, Blood and Wine, Phantom Liberty, etc would have been full retail box products with their own manuals, covers, etc. These are sweeping additions to these games with their own full 10+ hour campaigns. If they were cut up differently and the requirement to own the base game was dropped very few people would question them being stand alone purchases or their own releases.

Slapping expansions with the label DLC to discredit them seems high disingenuous. These releases aren't horse armor, they aren't skins, they aren't a single weapon / character, they aren't a 3 quest pack you can blast through in an hour. If an expansion has enough quality content to make other full priced AAA releases look embrassing then I don't see why it shouldn't be up for consideration.

 

[graywolf323]

I think people are forgetting that in the early 2000s expansions like Shadows of the Erdtree, Blood and Wine, Phantom Liberty, etc would have been full retail box products with their own manuals, covers, etc. These are sweeping additions to these games with their own full 10+ hour campaigns. If they were cut up differently and the requirement to own the base game was dropped very few people would question them being stand alone purchases or their own releases.

Slapping expansions with the label DLC to discredit them seems high disingenuous. These releases aren't horse armor, they aren't skins, they aren't a single weapon / character, they aren't a 3 quest pack you can blast through in an hour. If an expansion has enough quality content to make other full priced AAA releases look embrassing then I don't see why it shouldn't be up for consideration.

okay? but I wouldn’t think that Baldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal expansion should have been in discussion for GOTY back then either

plus expansions being more common 20 years ago meant we did usually see a “Best Expansion” category during the award seasons

 

[Zacfoldor]

Erdtree is magnificent but it already has a goty award from 2022. It is already immortal. There is room for another this year.

That said, no game this year can compete with Elden Ring or Baldur's Gate 3, so I see the wish to make this dlc fill in for them, but it isn't really fair to it or other games.

It hurts but this is probably the right decision.