In a whirlwind of controversy, the renowned streamer Shroud has voiced accusations against The Game Awards, labeling them as “rigged” after noticing the absence of Arc Raiders from the Game of the Year contention list.
Recently, the nominations for the 2025 Game Awards were announced, with Sandfall’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the pack with a record-breaking 12 nominations. On the other hand, Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders managed to secure only a single nomination in the Best Multiplayer category, alongside titles like Battlefield 6, Elden Ring: Nightreign, Peak, and Split Fiction.
The Game of the Year Contenders
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Prior to these nominations, Canadian gamer Michael ‘Shroud’ Grzesiek urged his substantial fanbase to champion Arc Raiders for Game of the Year 2025 over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, arguing that multiplayer enthusiasts remain underrepresented.
Shroud, a former professional in the Counter-Strike arena, has cultivated a massive following, boasting 6.8 million YouTube subscribers and 11.3 million Twitch followers. He has been an ardent supporter of Arc Raiders since its dynamic debut. During a recent Twitch stream, Shroud speculated that the game’s polarizing AI-generated voice work might have cost it a Game of the Year nomination.
“The world is just not ready for AI in video games, not yet,” Shroud remarked. “They’re just not ready. But, hey, at least they nominated it for something. I genuinely thought they wouldn’t nominate it for anything because they were scared to get backlash. But at least they nominated it for something, so that’s good.”
Shroud added, “Once again, another year, another rigged year. That’s crazy.”
Shroud’s Predictions and Concerns
As 2025 draws to a close, the single-player RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a favorite for Game of the Year. The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza has also been nominated, a decision Shroud voiced strong opinions against.
“Imagine Donkey Kong, too… if Donkey Kong would win, this award show is just chalked,” Shroud claimed. “Who the f*** is playing Donkey Kong Bananza? Nobody’s playing Donkey Kong Bananza. Nobody. That is insane.”
While Shroud admitted that Expedition 33 might clinch the GOTY title, he expressed hope for Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 to take the crown. He predicted Arc Raiders would win Best Multiplayer and Battlefield 6 would secure Best Action. Shroud was perplexed by Arc Raiders’ omission from the Best Audio Design category, despite its acclaim in that field.
Previously, Shroud had expressed skepticism about the integrity of The Game Awards voting process. “All the f***ing awards are rigged anyway, who cares?” he stated. “When have you ever seen an award that’s actually legit?”
The Game Awards, headed by Geoff Keighley, utilize a combination of votes from gaming media, influencers, and public fans. Historically, the voting jury has held considerable sway. Keighley has contemplated shifting entirely to public voting but remains wary of potential “social engineering.”
The Game Awards ceremony is scheduled for December 11, 2025, at 5pm PT/8pm ET.