The Game Awards 2024 – DEI or Die Trying?

The Game Awards 2024 just wrapped, and while some of the winners absolutely deserved their trophies (you’re still my GOTY, Baldur’s Gate 3), the whole thing felt… off. Gone are the days of celebrating gameplay innovation, jaw-dropping visuals, and mechanics that make you say, “How did they even program that?” Instead, we’re stuck with what I can only describe as a two-hour-long diversity PowerPoint. Yes, inclusivity matters, but do we need to sacrifice fun for the sake of virtue signaling? Can’t we have both?

Take the “Game for Impact” award, for example. What does that even mean anymore? Shouldn’t all games “impact” us in some way? I don’t care if the protagonist checks 17 demographic boxes if the gameplay feels like wading through a swamp in molasses shoes. Meanwhile, genuinely groundbreaking games are left clapping politely in the corner because they dared to focus on, you know, being games. Let’s get back to rewarding what makes gaming magical: storytelling, mechanics, and the unadulterated joy of pressing buttons and making things go boom.

Don’t get me wrong—gaming should be for everyone, but let’s not lose sight of why we fell in love with it in the first place. The Game Awards need a reality check, or they’ll turn into the Oscars: something nobody cares about except the people attending. Give me back my Best Boss Fight category and let me cry over orchestral renditions of gaming soundtracks. That’s the awards show we deserve.