Explore how The Game Awards' December schedule hinders late-year game recognition, leaving standout titles like STALKER 2 overshadowed and underappreciated.
Ah, the Game Awards – that glitzy, star-studded extravaganza where the gaming elite gather to pat each other on the back and hand out shiny trophies. But here's the rub: its early December slot is more ill-timed than a snowstorm at a beach party, creating a yearly circus where latecomers like STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl get left shivering in the cold. Picture this award ceremony as a high-speed train that only stops for passengers boarding before November; if you arrive fashionably late, you're stuck watching it chug away into the sunset, trophy-less and forgotten. This scheduling snafu has been tripping up games for years, turning promising releases into digital ghosts haunting the annals of gaming history. 🎮
The Annual Dilemma: A Calendar Conundrum
Unlike its more sensible cousins, such as the Oscars or the gaming industry's D.I.C.E. Awards, which cozy up in the first few months of the year, The Game Awards insists on a December 3-10 window. This timing is like a strict bouncer at an exclusive club, slamming the door shut before the hottest acts can even strut their stuff. As a result, voting juries often lack the time to play late-year releases, or the games simply miss the consideration window entirely. Take Halo Infinite: it dropped in December 2021, just a day before the awards aired, and while it nabbed the Player's Voice category, it was ineligible for other nods. By the next ceremony in 2022, it was buried under titans like Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok, vanishing like a forgotten sock in a laundry pile. 😢
Historical Snubs: Games That Got Ghosted
The list of casualties is longer than a gamer's backlog. Here are some standout victims:
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Halo Infinite (2021): Released on December 8, it missed the cut for most categories and was ignored in 2022.
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Pentiment (2022): Launched on November 15, it was snubbed at the 2022 awards, only to fade into obscurity.
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Marvel's Midnight Suns (2022): Hit shelves on December 2, suffered the same fate, never to be nominated again.
These games are like exquisite dishes served after the banquet ended – delicious but utterly unappreciated. 🍽️
STALKER 2's Star-Crossed Saga
After a development cycle rougher than a troll under a bridge, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl finally landed in players' hands in 2024. It's making waves, yet its late-year debut means it missed this year's Game Awards entirely. 
Now, in theory, it could shine at the 2025 ceremony, but that's like expecting a lone firefly to outshine a supernova. With 2025's lineup stacked with heavyweights, STALKER 2 risks being swallowed whole by the gaming juggernauts.
2025's Perfect Storm: The Imminent Onslaught
Next year's release schedule is a tidal wave of blockbusters, ready to drown any latecomers. Check out the forecast:
| Game Title | Release Year | Hype Level | Potential to Overwhelm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Hunter Wilds | 2025 | 🌋 Volcanic | High – It'll chew up attention like a hungry T-Rex |
| Grand Theft Auto 6 | 2025 | 💥 Explosive | Massive – Expect it to dominate headlines |
| Borderlands 4 | 2025 | 🔥 Fiery | Significant – A familiar favorite |
| Ghost of Yotei | 2025 | ❄️ Chilling | Big – Anticipated sequel |
This avalanche of releases means that even if STALKER 2 gets a nod, it could be overshadowed faster than a shadow at noon. The situation is like a crowded buffet where the late arrivals get nothing but crumbs. 🍽️
Upcoming Victims: The Walking Dead of Gaming
As 2025 dawns, other late-year releases are teetering on the edge of oblivion. Marvel Rivals and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, set for late 2024 launches, are prime candidates for the snub list. Even VR titles like Skydance's Behemoth and Alien: Rogue Incursion, dropping in December, might as well be sending out SOS signals from a deserted island. If the Game Awards doesn't shift its date, these games will join the ranks of the forgotten, like messages in a bottle lost at sea. 🌊
The Call for Change: Time to Reset the Clock
Enough is enough! The case for moving The Game Awards to a more inclusive slot, say January or February, has never been stronger. Doing so would give every game a fair shot, turning the ceremony from a hasty year-end wrap-up to a proper celebration of the full calendar. Otherwise, it's like hosting a marathon where only the early starters get medals – a race that leaves the best runners stranded at the starting line. 🏃♂️💨 Let's hope 2025 brings not just amazing games, but smarter scheduling too.
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