The Game Awards 2024 nominations are out,
while most of the year’s most celebrated games made the cut, there was one glaring omission that has left fans and industry watchers scratching their heads: Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Despite being engineered with the kind of high production values and narrative focus that typically excels at the awards, BioWare’s latest entry in the Dragon Age series received just a single nomination—one for Innovation in Accessibility, a category decided by a specialist jury.
This is especially surprising considering the franchise’s past success. Dragon Age: Inquisition, the series’ previous installment, took home Game of the Year at the inaugural Game Awards in 2014. With the highly anticipated The Veilguard, expectations were high for BioWare to once again make a splash across multiple categories. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
While the game has received mixed reviews (currently holding a Metacritic score of 82), it’s still puzzling that The Veilguard was completely overlooked in key categories like Best Narrative and Best Performance—areas where BioWare has traditionally excelled. These categories are typically less dependent on a game’s review score, and many felt that The Veilguard had a strong shot at recognition. It also missed out on a nomination for Best Role-Playing Game, a category where fierce competition this year included titles like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree—all of which also scored nominations for Game of the Year.
The absence from these major categories is a huge blow to BioWare and publisher EA, especially considering the decade-long development cycle behind The Veilguard. Despite being a narrative-driven blockbuster with the kind of slick production values that The Game Awards usually favors, it didn’t make the cut. It’s clear that, while The Veilguard has its merits, it failed to capture the jury’s attention in the way some might have hoped.
Other Notable Snubs
Aside from the Dragon Age debacle, there were a few other surprises among the omissions. For one, EA Sports College Football 25 was a fan favorite, but it failed to secure a spot in the Sports/Racing Game category. This could be due to the Game Awards’ jury, which has a broad international composition, and American football might not resonate with voters in the same way as it does with domestic fans.
Similarly, the Sim/Strategy Game category missed out on two well-loved titles: Satisfactory and Tactical Breach Wizards. Both have garnered significant praise and solid review scores, but neither managed to snag a nomination—perhaps making room for the Age of Mythology remake, which took one of the slots.
There’s also the Music category, where some fans were disappointed to see The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (a much-loved indie title) miss out, despite its fantastic soundtrack.
Surprises and Unexpected Nominations
While the snubs have generated buzz, there were a few surprises in the nomination list that have also caught the public’s eye. Perhaps the most unexpected was Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, which has almost disappeared from the gaming conversation since its release in May, yet scored four nominations, including Game of the Year. Another surprise? The DLC Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, which secured multiple nominations, something never before seen in the Game Awards.
Another notable mention is Black Myth: Wukong, which managed to break into the Game of the Year race despite a more lukewarm critical reception. The game’s nomination shows the Game Awards committee is willing to reward potential and ambition, even when a game hasn’t quite lived up to expectations across the board.
Additionally, Balatro, a card game developed by a solo creator, made a splash with five nominations, proving that indie games with unique concepts can still make a big impact on the Game Awards stage.
Conclusion: A Year of Strong Competition, But Big Disappointments for BioWare
In the end, the 2024 Game Awards nominations are strong, but they’ve certainly raised eyebrows, especially with Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s snub. BioWare’s latest installment was expected to be a frontrunner, but it didn’t quite make the cut in key areas. As the Game Awards ceremony draws near, all eyes will be on the titles that did make the list—though BioWare fans will likely be feeling a bit disappointed, wondering what went wrong for The Veilguard this year.
Stay tuned for more updates as we head toward the awards ceremony on December 12, where surprises and moments of triumph await—just not for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
