Xbox Fails To Avoid 11 Year GOTY Snub, Again

Xbox has failed to avoid yet another Game of the Year snub after 11 long years and counting, in an unfortunate streak it never wanted.

There are a good few major award ceremonies that developers and publishers alike look to pick up a prestigious Game of the Year award, whether it’s The Game Awards, a BAFTA or Golden Joystick, to name a few.

In most cases, that Game of the Year award will go to a major AAA title of its respective year. But sometimes, an unexpected indie delight might just swoop in to claim the top gong for itself.

Next month is the next annual The Game Awards. Amongst all the AAA and indie titles looking to claim the biggest prizes, it’s pretty much a given that first-party publishers such as PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo will be in the running.

Well, maybe not one, and that’s Xbox. The Game Awards, as we know it, began in 2014; however, its previous incarnation, the Spike Video Game Awards (still presented by Geoff Keighley), ended in 2013.

When will the streak end?

Since that time, at least one, sometimes both, PlayStation and Nintendo have had at least one Game of the Year nomination. Xbox has not had a single one, and that 11-year streak continues at The Game Awards 2025. As brought to our attention by the Twitter user Nick_Marseil.

Over the last 11 years, whether it’s a first-party or timed-exclusive, Xbox gamers have been treated to the likes of Cuphead, Forza Horizon 5, Gears 5, Ori and the Blind Forest, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and more. Yet, not a single Game of the Year nomination at The Game Awards has been achieved.

Will this streak come to an end? Only time will tell. That being said, with the likes of Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, Forza Horizon 6 and Halo: Campaign Evolved on the way, Microsoft and Xbox will certainly be having its fingers crossed.

As much as I’d love to see Microsoft end this streak, unless it knocks it out of the park in a big way over the next few years, likely with an unexpected hit, I’m not feeling too optimistic about its chances, but I hope that I’m wrong.

Who knows, perhaps The Elder Scrolls VI will finally grace us with its presence, one day. The Game Awards 2025 will be livestreamed across social media platforms on 11 December.