Starfield Ghosted At The 2023 Game Awards

The tenth annual Game Awards are less than a month away and creator and host Geoff Keighley has finally announced the 2023 nominees. The “Game of the Year” category includes expected hits like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate III, but also Capcom’s remake of Resident Evil 4. Conspicuously missing among the GotY nominees was Bethesda’s long-awaited sci-fi RPG, Starfield, which scored only one nom among the spate of awards categories.

The other nominees for best game include Alan Wake II, Spider-Man 2, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Other notable nominee nods include Pizza Tower for best debute indie game by Tour de Pizza and Lies of P for best art direction. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Final Fantasy XVI were both represented in their respective genre categories of best action game and best RPG. Starfield, meanwhile, was only nominated in the best RPG category, with Microsoft’s first-party line-up largely absent outside of Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush, which was nominated for a bunch of stuff including best action game.

Prior to revealing this year’s nominations, Keighley reiterated on X (formerly Twitter) that he has no role in the voting process. “As a reminder the games nominated at #TheGameAwards are selected by a global jury of over 120 media outlets,” he posted on November 12. “I don’t vote on the games, although I do have the pleasure of announcing the nominees to you!”

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It’s unclear if that neutral stance will apply to statements made by presenters and winners during the event as well. Meghna Jayanth, a narrative designer on Thirsty Suitors and other games, was recently denied the opportunity to comment on the current Palestinian humanitarian crisis in Gaza at the 2023 Golden Joystick Awards in the UK. The organizers said political statements were not permitted, leading her to drop out of the ceremony in protest. The Last of Us voice actor Troy Baker, who hosted the event, went on to present the award category instead, without mentioning the controversey.

The Golden Joystick Awards did not respond to a request for comment, and neither did The Game Awards when Kotaku asked if there would be a similar ban on political statements during its event.

Some have also called on Keighley to directly address the raft of video game studio layoffs and closures this year. Despite being a record year for acclaimed releases, Sony, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and more have all cut staff. The layoffs have hit teams both big and small, from Destiny 2 maker Bungie to Season: A Letter to the Future maker Scavengers Studios. Keighley has acknowledged industry working conditions in the past, if only vaguely. Following outrage at Activision Blizzard over reports and a lawsuit about sexual discrimination and harassment, the host briefly called out “abuse, harassment, or predatory practice by anyone, including our online communities” at the event in 2021.

While ostensibly a night just dedicated to honoring creative achievements in the medium of video games, The Game Awards is predominantly watched for big new gaming announcements, trailers, and “world premieres.” The event rounds out a year of showcases hosted by Keighley, which now includes Summer Game Fest and Gamescom Opening Night Live in addition to The Game Awards. With the Grand Theft Auto 6 official trailer reveal set for early December, fans have wondered if Rockstar’s open-world sequel might make a surprise appearance at the show.

This year’s ceremony takes place on December 7 and will begin streaming on Twitch, YouTube, and other video hosting platforms at 7:30 p.m. ET.