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!
58 Games Compete for BAFTA Honors
From a total of 247 submitted titles, BAFTA has selected 58 games 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 on March 4, 2025, with the awards ceremony taking place on April 8, 2025.
The highly anticipated "Best Game" category features 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 Baldur’s Gate 3's six-award sweep in 2024 (from ten nominations), this year's competition promises to be equally thrilling.
While some titles didn't make 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 "Best Game"
This year's "Best Game" category notably excludes several high-profile releases: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and Silent Hill 2. BAFTA's eligibility rules prohibit remasters released outside the eligibility period, and while full remakes and substantial new content are allowed in other categories, they are excluded from "Best Game" and "British Game" to prioritize original works.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Silent Hill 2 are still in contention for awards like Music, Narrative, and Technical Achievement. Surprisingly absent is Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, a decision whose reasoning remains undisclosed, though the DLC is expected to feature in other year-end awards.
The complete BAFTA Games Awards longlist is available on the official BAFTA website.
