Shroud is certainly not happy about the GOTY nominees.
Shroud recently made headlines by advocating for Arc Raiders to win Game of the Year Award. Now that we know the nominees Shroud questions the credibility of the Awards.
Shroud Calls GOTY Awards "Rigged"
During a recent stream, Shroud watched the Game of the Year nominations live. His favorite title, Arc Raiders, was nowhere to be found. He reacted with a brief but pointed comment:
"Another rigged year."
Shroud made it clear that he strongly believed Arc Raiders deserved a GOTY nomination. He seemed particularly bothered that Donkey Kong Bananza and Death Stranding 2 made the list instead. According to him, those games only secured their spots because of the big names behind them such as Nintendo and Hideo Kojima.
With Arc Raiders out of the running, Shroud’s new personal pick for GOTY is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. However, in his view, the obvious front runner is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. He sounded confident, summing it up with:
"I may as well just play the game now."
This refers to his tradition of playing whatever game ends up winning GOTY, even Donkey Kong Bananza if it takes the award. The only exception to this annual promise was last year when Astro Bot won the title.
When Astro Bot Won: The GOTY Moment That Sparked Shroud’s Criticism
Last year at the Game of the Year awards, Shroud openly called the event “rigged” after Astro Bot won over Black Myth: Wukong. The outcome sparked confusion and frustration across large parts of the gaming community, many of whom expected Wukong to be the clear favorite due to its massive hype and strong reception.
Shroud echoed those sentiments on stream, arguing that the result did not reflect the expectations of most players and questioning how the judges reached their decision. His reaction quickly circulated online and became part of a wider discussion about transparency, industry influence, and the credibility of GOTY award shows.
After the Nominations: The Debate Shroud Rekindled
In conclusion, Shroud’s take on this year’s nominations and last year’s results is just one voice in the ongoing conversation around the GOTY awards. Whether these events truly reflect the broader gaming community or lean towards industry favorites remains a topic for discussion. In the end, the awards are set, and the gaming world will watch with interest to see how it all plays out.
What do you think? Who do you believe truly deserves Game of the Year? Let us know in the comments!
