Elden Ringsaw one of the most surprising wins at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards, earning the award for multiplayer, which may be considered a major upset by many.Elden Ringwas nominated nine times, second behindGod of War Ragnarokand tied withStray.
Multiplayer has been a staple of FromSoftware’scatalog for decades, andDemon’s Soulspioneered the invasion formula that the studio has been iterating on ever since. EvenSekiro Shadows Die Twice, a solely single-player title, saw asynchronous multiplayer features added to the game after release. But as consistent as FromSoftware’s commitment to multiplayer components is the criticism that they often receive. Compared to many modern multiplayer and cooperative experiences,Elden Ringlacks certain accessibility, has been known to struggle with stability, and has had issues with balance. That said, thousands have thoroughly enjoyed the unique moments that arise fromElden Ring’s invasions and cooperative play, and it is far from inconceivable to understand why it was nominated for a Best Multiplayer category.
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However,Elden Ringwon Best Multiplayer at this year’s BAFTAs, beating out fellow nomineesCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,FIFA 23,Overwatch 2,Splatoon 3, andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.Elden Ring’s inclusion as a multiplayer gamemay puzzle some people, but the fact that it won will probably raise eyebrows, especially when the single-player aspect of FromSoftware’s magnum opus is its focus. For many, the potential fun ofElden Ring’s multiplayer does not trump the fact that most of the other nominated titles were built for and operate better as a multiplayer experience.
The situation is somewhat reminiscent of whenSifuwas nominated for Best Fightingat The Game Awards 2022, despite not actually being what is traditionally referred to as a fighting game. That is a moniker usually reserved for titles such asStreet Fighter,Mortal Kombat, andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Sifuincludes literal fighting, but that does not make it a fighting game. However,Sifudid not win the award that year and was beaten byMultiVersus.
BAFTA is known for going against the grain.Breath of the Wildwas beaten byWhat Remains of Edith Finchfor the Best Game award in 2017 as an example. This year is certainly aiming to be even more shocking than that, especially asGod of War Ragnarok’s six wins made it seem inevitable that it would take home the main prize. ButElden Ring’s second and final award was for Original Property, meaning it too lost out on Best Game. In the end, the two gaming behemoths of 2022were beaten for the BAFTA’s Best Game award by indie darlingVampire Survivors.
Elden Ringis available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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