Around a month ago we found out that Starfield wasn't going to be up for 'Game of the Year' at The Game Awards, and it's now the same case for this year's BAFTA ceremony. Although the winner won't be announced until next April, Starfield isn't in the running for 'Best Game' at the event - in fact, nothing from Xbox Game Studios makes the cut.
The 10 titles that do make this year's shortlist are pretty darn good though - it's been a fantastic year for the industry as a whole. Here's that 10-strong 'Best Game' shortlist:
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- DREDGE
- Hogwarts Legacy
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
When it comes to other categories at the award show, of which there are a fair few, Xbox does much better. Hi-Fi RUSH is up for six awards, Starfield three, Forza Motorsport one, Forza Horizon 5 one, and Sea Of Thieves one. A couple of ActiBlizz titles have also been nominated in various categories - with Diablo 4 and Modern Warfare 3 up for four and three awards respectively.
It's disappointing to see Xbox first-party miss the mark when it comes to BAFTA's Best Game this year, but we've still been pretty happy with the team's output in 2023. Microsoft's exclusive count is only going to grow with ActiBlizz on board - we just hope the quality ends up matching the increased quantity of Xbox titles on the way.