I cant see Halo infinite being nominated next year .
yeaaah. For one, recency bias will hurt it, and secondly there’s Elden Ring, God of War, Horizon 2 being a lock for nominations, and we are unsure when Zelda will release but if it does before mid November then that’s a lock too. If we go by this year’s deadline that is Nov 19th, then Starfield releases just a few days after, but I’m sure reviewers will have had access to the game at least two weeks to one month prior due to the sheer length/size of the game, so every chance Starfield has that nom as well (presuming it is really good that is). Then there are other games like Redfall, Suicide Squad, Plague Tale, and all the surprise hits that we are yet to learn more or anything about (like Death’s Door and Dread both announced this year and likely getting nominated for GOTY).
One way for 343 and MS to make sure it can still make it is having a big campaign expansion ready by November, which will bring the game back to conversation and fresh in minds of gamers and media and suddenly, the campaign from December this year + the expansion by Nov 2022 (plus co-op and Forge) can act as a one-two punch of Halo Infinite having a surefire presence at the TGAs. I’m not sure it will win sadly but it’ll have a greater chance that way.
I mean Sekiro beat out the prestige cinematic games like Gears 5 and Death Stranding in 2019 at the Game Awards. Clearly journos aren’t averse to giving gameplay focused games their due.
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It is gonna be Returnal.
Ideally I believe Forza would win, but it is a racing game
Unfortunately Psychonauts did not become indie darling and association with Microsoft will lower that point. Metroid Dread probably occupied that position (as far as I can see R&C disappeared from the media discourse).
Not gonna happen.
Game Awards are a total fraud if voting is already happening November 2.
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Death Stranding did get a lot of nominations for a game with largely mixed receptions from both critics and gamers. And Gears 5? I might be wrong but I don’t think any gears in the past decade has even been in the GOTY conversations in the mainstream. But yeah, I was very surprised Sekiro won GOTY especially for being a game that’s a lot more difficult than your average action adventures. It was my personal GOTY as well but didn’t think it would win even though I wanted it to lol. It won over Devil May Cry 5 which signalled a return to form for the franchise, RE2 Remake (which alongside Monster Hunter World literally revived Capcom back to their current “golden age”), Control (one of the most cinematic games you could find) and Smash Bros Ultimate (due to being December 2018)
So there’s some truth to what you say I feel. 2015 was Witcher 3, an RPG over cinematic games like RotTR, Arkham Knight, etc. 2016 was Overwatch, a first person multiplayer arena shooter winning over “cinematic games” that year like Uncharted 4 which was hugely successful, a rare case of any MP game winning GOTY. 2017 had Zelda winning over Horizon and the like. The only two years where “cinematic” games have won are 2018 and 2020 with GOW and TLOU2.
So looking at it from a more wider perspective, the “cinematic over the shoulder games” being the most prestige and surefire award winners is magnified beyond reason where only two of the last 6 years satisfy that criteria.
This year will be again different with all kinds of games across genres having a chance - Psychonauts 2, Deathloop, Death’s Door, Rift Apart, Tales of Arise, Resident Evil Village, Returnal, etc and some that deserve nominations but probably won’t like Forza Horizon 5, Sable, etc. Like there’s no one game this year that I can see and say “yep that’s definitely winning GOTY”.
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If Forza and Halo are too late it should be Hitman 3
makes absolutely zero fucking sense IMO, cuz a lot of big games generally launch during holiday season and they’ll just not even be considered? And by the next year’s TGAs, be lost to recency bias anyway. Is it confirmed that Nov 2 is the cutoff?
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I don’t believe in this conspiracy anymore lol
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You better though. Cause it’s not a conspiracy.
you will start believing again after this TGA 
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naah I think Psychonauts 2 might honestly win, but we’ll see. When it does, I hope none of yall go “well, it’s not a true xbox exclusive so that’s why it won” lmao
we wont but alot of people will say that shit .
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Sorry to hijack for a moment, but I posted this in the Game Pass thread yesterday and no one has bit:
With It Takes Two hitting EA Play soon, I’m looking for a partner to go through it with. I think it has a solid chance of ending up on some GOTY lists, and the only thing holding me back from playing it is needing a player two.
I’m in the US, and free and flexible most weekdays. Feel free to PM me if you’re interested!
Back on topic, I think TGA GOTYs are still pretty wide open - Deathloop, Hitman 3, Returnal, RE8, Psychonauts 2, Metroid Dread, Ratchet and Clank, It Takes Two, Cyberpunk 2077, etc. I’m still not sure there’s a clear winner. I’d like to think this is the year Forza Horizon 5 might make the list, but I doubt it. For me personally, from that list, it’s either Psychonauts 2 or Hitman 3, but I’ve yet to play IT2, Cyberpunk, Deathloop (waiting on Game Pass!) and Returnal, though I plan to start it soon now that you can save.
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There’s no big Sony game coming out this fall so they’re closing it early it seems. If horizon had come out mid November they’d have delayed the cutoff.
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Psychonauts 2 wining TSGA GOTY? Hahahaha good one. Watch psychonauts not even be nominated for the awards. I already know thr list
literal highest rated game of the year yet on Opencritic above R&C, Metroid Dread, Deaths Door, Deathloop, Hitman 3, RE Village, It Takes Two, Tales of Arise, etc and it’s not even gonna be nominated?
Wanna bet real money? lol
No xbox/pc exclusive will win goty at the TSGA this gen. At best you might get a multiplat winning like sekiro or nintendo game.
well good thing Psychonauts 2 is not exclusive then lol
Plus the gen has barely started, I wouldn’t be making weird definitive statements like this.
This whole “sony cinematic game = GOTY” has been only valid for less than 4 years. Zeitgeists shift.
I can see Fable, Perfect Dark, Hellblade 2, etc all having a chance at the TGAs. You’re basing your “prediction” on what Xbox suffered in media when it was in its worst generation with the worst first party support and comparing it to the best and most expansive first party they’ve ever had and they still don’t a priori have any chance?
I don’t believe in that conspiracy sorry.
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