The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has unveiled its extensive longlist for the 2025 BAFTA Games Awards. Discover if your favorite game made the cut!
A Field of 58 Contenders
From a total of 247 games submitted, BAFTA has selected 58 titles across 17 categories. These games, released between November 25, 2023, and November 15, 2024, represent a diverse range of genres. The final nominations will be announced March 4, 2025, with the awards ceremony taking place April 8, 2025.
The highly anticipated "Best Game" award will be chosen from this impressive list of ten contenders:
- ANIMAL WELL
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Following the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2024 (which won six awards from ten nominations), this year's competition promises to be equally fierce.
While some notable titles missed the "Best Game" shortlist, they remain eligible for other awards:
- Animation
- Artistic Achievement
- Audio Achievement
- British Game
- Debut Game
- Evolving Game
- Family
- Game Beyond Entertainment
- Game Design
- Multiplayer
- Music
- Narrative
- New Intellectual Property
- Technical Achievement
- Performer in a Leading Role
- Performer in a Supporting Role
Notable Omissions from the "Best Game" Category
Several prominent 2024 releases are absent from the "Best Game" competition. This includes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and Silent Hill 2. BAFTA's eligibility rules exclude remasters released outside the eligibility period, and while full remakes and substantial new content are allowed in other categories, they are ineligible for "Best Game" or "British Game," unless demonstrating significant originality.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Silent Hill 2 are still in contention for awards like Music, Narrative, and Technical Achievement. Surprisingly, Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is entirely absent from the BAFTA list, though its appearance in other year-end awards is anticipated.
The complete BAFTA Games Awards longlist is available on the official BAFTA website.
