Shroud, the ever popular streamer, has once more landed himself in some hot water after accusing The Game Awards of being a rigged event. As some of you might know, Shroud is a huge fan of Arc Raiders, a game we've also praised here at Gamereactor (read the review here). So when this year's nominations for The Game Awards were presented, and Arc Raiders barely got any mention at all, Shroud clearly got pissed on Steam and called out the event, saying:
"Once again, another year, another rigged year. That's crazy."
Then, when Donkey Kong Bananza then ended up being one of the games nominated for Game of the Year, Shroud absolutely lost it:
"Who the f*** is playing Donkey Kong Bananza? Nobody's playing Donkey Kong Bananza. Nobody. That is insane."
Shroud argued that the world simply "isn't ready" for AI-driven gameplay experiences, and he seriously hinted at the fact that the jury consists of a bunch of cowards, who clearly only nominate what they consider to be safe bets. When Arc Raiders at least received a nomination in another category, he felt it was a small comfort, but the overall impression from Shroud was clear.
Of course, there is absolutely no basis for his claim and that the show in any way is rigged, is just plain tinfoil hat conspiracy. Especially considering that it consists of both game journalists as well as industry figures. Most likely, he's just really disappointed that his favourite game didn't get the recognition he thought it deserves.
Do you think Arc Raiders should have been among the nominees for Game of the Year?