Nine Sols’ Controversial Game Awards Snub Explained

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 23, 2024 6 Views 7 Min Read
Nine Sols’ Controversial Game Awards Snub Explained



Rarely do The Game Awards pass without some controversy, and this year is no exception. While there’s already outrage brewing over some surprising nominee picks, it’s the omission of a title by The Game Awards that is causing a good deal of indignation.




The reveal of 2024’s Game Awards nominees came as a surprise to many, particularly in regard to Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. While DLC expansions have always been in the running for Game Awards accolades, one has never been nominated for Game of the Year—a fact that becomes more egregious when it’s considered that Elden Ring already won GOTY. In addition, the event continues to come under fire from critics for its emphasis on advertising content and some high-profile snubs.

Black Myth Wukong Game Awards

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Why Fans Are Upset About Nine Sols Missing Out On The Game Awards

Though it’s not captured as much attention as other Game Awards snubs, some indie fans are surprised that cult Metroidvania hit Nine Sols didn’t make the cut for any category. The title, inspired by Sekiro and sharing some visual and gameplay roots with Hollow Knight, Nine Sols is an indie darling with glowing reviews. Indeed, 2024 has had some fantastic indie games, but some can’t help but find Nine Sols‘ omission as a mark against The Game Awards.


Nine Sols Has More Than Enough Acclaim

Nine Sols is a highly acclaimed title, with universally pristine reviews across the board. It even has some of the biggest voices online, like Penguinz0, championing its quality. This is precisely why many fans are surprised it’s not up for consideration, with some pointing out that games like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got through despite a similar reputation yet less notoriety. Others have suggested that Nine Sols was skipped over for its lack of a console port, though a quick analysis reveals that the nominated UFO 50 also bucked that trend.

It could be argued that, unlike what has been suggested for other Game Awards snubs, the competition was simply too fierce in 2024. Every indie game nominated for the award saw its own set of near-perfect reviews, and it’s unlikely that Nine Sols was the only title that got the short end of the stick. Nonetheless, it’s clear that there’s a good deal of disappointment, something that’s inevitable with every Game Awards. However, considering that space has been made for DLC in the year’s most prestigious category, the upset of many fans may have been accelerated by this discrepancy; some gamers would prefer that more space be made for more indie nominations rather than expansions.


The Game Awards Seems Unaligned With Indie Fans

Interestingly, last year also saw some controversy around the indie category—a situation that also involved The Game Awards’ definition rules. The controversy centered on how Dave the Diver managed to slip into the 2023 nominations, despite its developer being a subsidiary of a larger entity. This was the same year that Baldur’s Gate 3, technically an independent game, made a massive splash; many argued that it would make more sense for Larian’s hit to win an indie award than Dave the Diver.

Of course, Baldur’s Gate 3 had a large budget and major IP backing, making it less in line with indie spirit—something brought up in Geoff Keighley’s defense of the Dave the Diver decision. The idea of ‘indie spirit’ is incredibly pervasive, with a game’s ‘indie’ status often being attributed to being small-scope and having experimental elements, as opposed to concrete facts about development. Though this attitude is prolific, The Game Awards nonetheless came under heavy fire for its choice in 2023. The same is happening this year, both with Shadow of the Erdtree in GOTY and, albeit to a lesser extent, with Nine Sols in Best Independent Game.


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