A DLC nominated for "Game of the Year" — should we expect mods or skins among the nominees next year?

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring has sparked heated discussions. The expansion was nominated for "Game of the Year" at The Game Awards 2024, causing a mixed reaction online.

Many fans and critics are debating whether it’s fair to include DLC in such a major category. Some argue that it recognizes the exceptional quality of content that almost qualifies as a full game. Others believe that the spot should be reserved for entirely new releases, not expansions of existing games.

TGA's stance is clear: if the content is good enough to compete with full games, it deserves a place among the nominees. That would be fine, except that titles like Silent Hill 2, Stellar Blade, Persona 3, Helldivers 2, and other significant games were left out. It seems DLC could be justified in the lineup, but only if there weren’t enough worthy candidates to fill the spot.

If they had released it as a standalone game like Miles Morales, it would have made sense. But for a DLC to be nominated in any category other than “Best DLC” is just ridiculous.