BAFTA Excludes DLC from GotY Nominations in Bold Move

BAFTA has recently announced the longlist of games in contention for the 2025 BAFTA Games Awards. Dive in to see if your top picks have made the cut!

BAFTA Reveals List Of This Year’s Notable Games

58 Games From 247 Titles

BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) has unveiled a curated longlist of 58 exceptional games, drawn from a pool of 247 titles considered by BAFTA members this year. These games, spanning various genres, were released between November 25, 2023, and November 15, 2024, and are now contenders for nominations across 17 categories at the upcoming 2025 BAFTA Games Awards.

The final nominees will be announced on March 4, 2025, with the winners celebrated at the awards ceremony on April 8, 2025.

Among the most eagerly awaited categories is the Best Game award. Here are the 10 remarkable titles vying for this prestigious accolade:

• 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

Last year, Baldur’s Gate 3 clinched the Best Game award and dominated the ceremony, winning six awards out of ten nominations.

While some games didn't make the Best Game category, they're still contenders in 16 other categories, including:

• 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

FF7 Rebirth And Shadow Of The Erdtree Ineligible For BAFTA’s Best Game

You might have noticed that popular 2024 releases such as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and Silent Hill 2 are absent from the Best Game category. This exclusion stems from their classification as remakes, remasters, or DLCs. According to the BAFTA Games Awards Rules and Guidelines, "Remasters of games released outside of the eligibility period are not eligible for consideration. Full remakes, and substantial pieces of new content, are not eligible in Best Game or British Game but may be eligible in craft categories where they can demonstrate significant originality."

Despite this, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Silent Hill 2 are featured on the full longlist and are competing in various categories such as Music, Narrative, and Technical Achievement. Interestingly, Elden Ring’s acclaimed DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is absent from BAFTA’s list. While the specific reason for this omission remains unclear, Shadow of the Erdtree is expected to feature in other prestigious year-end awards, including The Game Awards.

For the complete list of games and their respective categories, visit BAFTA's official website.