BAFTA Omits DLC in GotY Nominations

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has unveiled its extensive longlist for the 2025 BAFTA Games Awards. Discover if your favorite title made the cut!

58 Games Vie for BAFTA Honors

BAFTA's 2025 Games Awards longlist features 58 exceptional games across 17 categories, selected from a total of 247 submissions. These games, released between November 25, 2023, and November 15, 2024, represent a diverse range of genres and styles. The final nominations will be announced on March 4, 2025, with the awards ceremony taking place on April 8, 2025.

The coveted "Best Game" award will be contested by the following ten titles:

• ANIMAL WELL
• Astro Bot
• Balatro
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Helldivers 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Thank Goodness You’re Here!
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Following Baldur's Gate 3's triumphant six-award win in 2024 (from ten nominations), anticipation for this year's Best Game winner is high.

While some games didn't make the Best Game shortlist, they remain contenders in other categories:

• Animation
• Artistic Achievement
• Audio Achievement
• British Game
• Debut Game
• Evolving Game
• Family
• Game Beyond Entertainment
• Game Design
• Multiplayer
• Music
• Narrative
• New Intellectual Property
• Technical Achievement
• Performer in a Leading Role
• Performer in a Supporting Role

Notable Omissions from the Best Game Category

Several high-profile 2024 releases are absent from the Best Game category, including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and Silent Hill 2. This is due to BAFTA's eligibility rules, which exclude remasters, remakes, and DLC released outside the eligibility window, or which don't represent substantial new content in the case of remakes. These titles, however, are still in contention for other awards, such as Music, Narrative, and Technical Achievement. The absence of Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is particularly noteworthy, though its consideration for other year-end awards is expected.

The complete BAFTA Games Awards longlist is available on the official BAFTA website.